Violet, Luna, Rhyana and Susan stood atop the cliff, their expressions one of shock as they witnessed a sight that few ever experienced.

12 beast lords and their assembled army's waged war on each other, the thousands of beasts present all fighting with an unnatural fervour. After the crab lord started the war the remaining lords all made their presences know. Some emerged fully from the water, matching the crabs display of power as they too stood atop the flowing waters of their domain. Calmly watching as their subjects fought and died for them.

Others remained below the surface content to remain hidden until their presence was needed. Still even the hidden lords ensured that their presence was felt, for all present hard subjects to call upon, and call upon them they did. The denizens of the lakes charged forth, breaching their neighbors borders en mass. Where once a fragile peace had reigned, conflict and strife now dominated.

Previously this valley of lakes was only fed by a small stream of water, limiting the chance of any large scale engagements between the aquatic beasts that called each lake home. However, with the advent of the rain, the river began to swell. Its once meter flow, only ever enough to maintain the delicate ballence had been broken. Now with the rivers flush with water, the connected lakes and rivers grew, slowly expanding back to reclaim the land that had for so long been stripped away from them.

For before the Titan stole this regions rain this valley only held 3 lakes, 2 large lakes laying claim to the east and west side of the valley, and a smaller central lake, separated from its two brethren by a thin strip of raised ground.

Yet when the rain was stolen, the river began to dry up. And the two split into twelve. From their each lake birthed a lord, each lord claimed its domain, never satisfied with its limited space. Yet held in bay by their contemporaries from the other lakes.

None were old enough to remember the state this valley once was in, so when they sensed the coming of the rain, they did not know what it signaled at first. Only after the rain continued and the rivers swelled did they begin to understand what could possibly happen. From their they began to assemble their forces.

Whilst each beast lord varied in its methods, they all followed a simple path to power. They relied on the strength of their subjects, nurturing a force of beasts that obeyed them. Thats not to say that they were not powerful in their own right, for if they were they would have long ago been overthrown.

But it is to say that alone, they could not stand up to the other lords. And this must relay on the power of numbers if they wanted to reign supreme in this war.

So they fought.

The interconnecting rivers ran red with the blood of spilled beasts. The only visable battles taking place on the land between the few land bound beasts that answered to their lords. But they were not the main force here, at best the land bound beasts were a supporting act, a complimentary force to bolster moral. For it was beneath the waves that the true battle for dominance took place.

Back on the cliff Violet watched the unfolding battle with avid interest. Her keen mind taking in everything that she could about the conflict taking place. She quickly noted the standouts amongst the lords and which was fated to fall. Currently she saw two lords that appeared to hold dominance. Coincidentally they were the two northern lords, the direction the river flowed from.

These two northern lords held the largest of the outer lakes, likely due to having direct access to the main flow. Stil lthey took a slightly different approach to the battle.

They did not send any forces to cross over into the main river to attack either each other or the central lake. But instead focused all of their forces at their souther neighbours.

Thanks to this concentrated assult the defences n lords forces were soon broken, allowing the lords the venture forth into a new domain. Violet shifted her full attention to the western side of the conflict, unable to truly make out clear details on the far side due to the distance. Thankfully she could make out quite clearly the details of the north western lord as it invaded the domain south of his.

This lord was a giant, he had a large body, speak and angular to effortlessly cut through the water, 4 large flippers jutted out from this body, each one holding a razors edge ripe of slashing through flesh. A long tail extended behind the body, sharp fins extending upwards along its length. At the front his long neck extended forth, matching the length of its body before ending in a large head, more sharp fins sprouted from the neck and a maw full of razor sharp teeth adorned the head.

He swam forth with enviable speed and clashed with the lord that bared his path. The conflict was brief, violent and truly one sided.

The invading lord showed no mercy, swimming circles around its foe, its sharp fins cutting deep wounds into its flesh, whilst its maw tore chunks out of its opponents hide. Violet was only able to make out parts of the battle, but from what she could see it was hardly even a true fight, the invading lord swiftly ending it and proclaiming his victory with a cry that echoed for miles.

After the first lord fell the rest of the battle advanced in both pace and brutality. The long held grudges of the lords over their neighbours rising to the surface as vicious battles took place, the crab lord that started this whole series of battles off defeated one lord, only to be ambushed by another right after it struck the finishing blow on its hated foe. That lord was swiftly taken down when the northern lord arrived to claim yet more territory.

After that it was a forgone conclusion as to who would win. The two northern lords swept through the various lakes, slaughtering anything that dared to get in their way. Some lords fought back to the bitter end, one lord capitulated and joined the western tyrant on his quest. After the two lords joined forces the remaining ones swiftly fell, unable to stand up against the combined forces opposed against them. A similar feet scoured in the easern lakes from what Violet could see. And before long all opponents on each side had been slain.

All of this happened over the course of an hour, the lakes and rivers ran red with blood. Corpses floated on the surface, slowly making their way downstream. The 12 lakes of crimson split down the middle by the emerald of the central lake, still even when they had claimed their own side, neither of the victorious lords seemed willing to breach that final gap and challenge whatever dwelt within the central lake.

Throughout the entire conflict, not a ripple was seen, it remained entirely placid. Yet a sense of foreboding overcame violet when she gazed upon that central body of water. The sun still shone down upon its waters, the emerald shine still dazzling in its beauty.

Yet the day was almost over, and the sun was now falling. The exposed sky shifting from the warm and happy blue into the mesmerising reds and oranges of sunset. As the falling sun shone down upon the central lake its waters rippled, not in a singular spot, but across the entire surface of the giant lake.

Then as the sun finally fell and the clouds above closed over, regaining the grey of rain a form emerged from the water.

Scales of a blue so deep that words failed to describe them adorned its majestic head, eyes split down the middle shone with an emerald light so brilliant that it lit up the surrroundings took in all that lay around it.

The gargantuan water snake slowly rose, and rose and rose some more. Eventually stopping when its head towered over the surroundings easily breaching 100 meters into the air, its impossibly long body likely not even a quarter exposed to the night sky.

As it emerged a presence unlike anything Violet had even imagined spread out. Even over 6 kilometres away it settled over her, it was not a presence that dominated through fear, no this being had no need for fear. It commanded respect through power, but a benevolent power. But it was still a beast.

So this benevolence when focused on the newly crowned eastern and western lord meant one simple thing. 'You are able to rule your domains simple because I allow you too.'

A silence enveloped the entire area, with the central lake and its sovereign visable from every point for miles around transfixed upon the beast that finally made its presence know. For too long it had slumbered, for too long it has allowed the petty squabbling of the weak lords to go on. Well now that adequate lords have risen in their place it is time that they learnt that they were not the true lord of this domain.

As the colossal snakes presence dominated the world, its form slowly slunk back into the welcoming embrace of the waters below. It's overwhelming presence slowly receding, until disappearing as if it was never even there to begin with.

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