In the forgotten reaches of Westeros, where ancient maps bear the sinister inscription "Here live dragons," stretched the Lost Kingdom. These cursed lands, abandoned millennia ago by the Children of the Forest, revisited millennia later by the first men, then abandoned again as of little use, were home to ancestral guardians whose awakening heralded terrible battles and sometimes magnificent rewards.

The HD! alliance had been summoned by the royal ravens to confront this threat. Arthurion and his team responded immediately. In this kingdom, a sort of cyclical curse caused the three dragon guardians who protected the buried treasures of the lost kingdom to awaken in turn, and no one could predict the order of their awakening.

- Stunz (commander of the HD!): One hour to eliminate as many dragon guardians as possible. Each victory will bring us closer to the treasures of the lost kingdom, but each minute lost will be final.

- PacoVega: Let's keep our fingers crossed that we don't have too many priests. Otherwise, we're done for! A good, rare cooking!

Arthurion nodded, his eyes shining with determination. He now had commanders of advanced strength, allowing him to calmly face the challenges ahead and inflict enough damage to maintain his position in the top 10 commanders.

First Awakening: The Dragon Urrax

Fate decided: it was the dragon Urrax who awoke first. Amidst the plains bloodied by the ancient alliances that had tried their luck, he surged forward, his scales glittering with ancient Valyrian magic, spreading his wings across the battlefield, his mouth wide open, ready to swallow the most reckless spearmen. The timer was running. One hour. Not a second longer.

The Plague, infantry of the HD!, was chosen to tank the monster. He took it head-on, while the allied formations scattered behind him. Urrax wasted no time and immediately unleashed his Violent Shock. The earth shook under the power of the fan-shaped attack, scattering the front lines of the HD! in a crash of weapons and war cries. But the alliance was prepared and reacted with lightning speed. The dragon then summoned its most formidable power: Watchtower. Three towers rose from the rocky ground with a dull roar. Tower A instantly reinforced Urrax's attacks, making his scales glow red and his tongue drool. Tower B hardened his defenses like black diamond armor. And Tower C began to heal him continuously, like a tissue of life through regenerative magic.

-Arthurion: Let's destroy his towers without wasting any time. As long as they hold, we'll waste time.

While one group kept the pressure on the dragon, avoiding its devastating charges, other units rushed the towers. PacoVega led the assault on Tower C; his clear strategy and flawless fighting skills allowed him to neutralize the towers with sufficient speed.

Suddenly, the Burning Marks descended on a randomly selected HD! section. A ring of fire consumed everything in its path, but the survivors held their positions with unwavering determination.

- Zarachiel: Don't let him roast you!!!

After precious minutes of fierce fighting, the towers fell one by one under the coordinated assaults. Deprived of his reinforcements, Urrax collapsed under the final assault of the HD!, his roar of agony echoing throughout the lost kingdom. Everyone was even able to take one of his teeth as a souvenir.

First guardian defeated. Time elapsed: 22 minutes. Far too long.

Second Awakening: The Draconic Sorcerer

No sooner had Urrax been defeated than the energies of the lost kingdom swirled once more. The countdown began, and at its end, this time, it was the Draconic Sorcerer who awoke. Draped in his long, dirty cloak and carrying his bow, he wielded fire magic almost as well as a dragon!

- Arthurion: Let The Plague attack first! This opponent will force us to move…

A sigh of annoyance rose from all the HDs!... No one liked being forced to move. He was truly the most hated monster of all. After his familiar but no less dangerous opening Violent Clash, the Sorcerer unleashed his Rain of Fire. The sky suddenly burst into flames and flaming meteors rained down across a vast area of the battlefield, transforming the terrain into a hellish blaze.

- PacoVega: Tactical retreat! Circle! Flee, you fool!

A skilled tactician, PacoVega quickly analyzed the danger zone. The HD! retreated with discipline, avoiding the burning areas. The Sorcerer continued his offensive with Devouring Devastation, creating a circular zone of fire, ready to melt everything in its path. A veritable volcano ready to engulf the unfortunate HD!.

This battle was an exercise in patience under extreme pressure... Which, unfortunately, went very badly for Arthurion. An oversight? A slip of the tongue? In any case, he was unable to escape the devastating power in time, and his troop was destroyed. He had to resign himself to continuing the adventure with only two out of three armies. Constantly on the move, avoiding the destruction zones that dotted the battlefield, the HD! had to seize every brief opening to attack. Their near-perfect coordination (peace to all the needless deaths) and their unwavering determination ultimately triumphed over the elemental guardian. Second goalkeeper defeated. Time elapsed: 45 minutes.

Third Awakening: The Sorcerer's Return

The lands of the lost kingdom trembled a third time, and to everyone's surprise, it was the Draconic Sorcerer who awoke once again. An even longer sigh rose... Perhaps it was the last straw for the HDs, who were beginning to lack motivation.

- Zarachiel: Him again!? What have we done to the good Lord?

- Arthurion: Watch out! My expert eye detects changes! He's different, faster, more powerful, more handsome, more slender.

- PacoVega: Not at all, it's the same. What are you talking about? You've had too much to drink again.

Unfortunately, this battle proved to be a challenge of a whole different magnitude. The Sorcerer wasn't more powerful, but the HDs were certainly less focused and less determined. His Violent Shocks seemed more frequent and devastating. His Rain of Fire seemed to cover larger areas, forcing the HD!s into longer and more perilous retreats. His Devouring Devastation hit even harder.

-Arthurion: It's like he's alive! Let him learn from our tactics!!!

-PacoVega: Well, of course he's alive. You're really sick…

With 15 minutes left on the clock, the HD!s gave it their all. Every second counted. Every attack had to land. We tried to bring in more troops to hit harder. The medical carts at the back were requisitioned to attack. The Sorcerer's health was slowly but surely dwindling. 50%... 30%... 20%... The HD!s could sense victory within reach. We felt a slight acceleration towards the end. The seconds ticked by as quickly as the enemy's health bar, for time was their most implacable enemy. With the Wizard down to 12% health, the ancient bells of the lost kingdom rang out, marking the end of the fateful hour.

Time elapsed: 60 minutes exactly.

Epilogue: Lessons from the Lost Kingdom

The frenzy dissipated, and the magical energies of the lost kingdom suddenly calmed. The ordeal was over. The HD!s looked at each other bitterly. In one hour, they had defeated two out of three guardians. A disreputable feat, which would cause them to lose a place in the rankings of all the alliances.

- Arthurion: Only two victories... What a disappointment... So close to third...

- Pacovega: We gave it our all. Two sorcerers, that's a lot of sorcery.

- Thor: Excuse me, I was busy. What happened? Did I miss something?

- Stunz: You fool!

- Arthurion: If you'd arrived earlier, we could have won! This 10% will now be your customs fee level! Your insubordination will kill you dearly!

Arthurion gazed at the ancient ruins surrounding them, now silent once more. They had repelled two of the three guardians and protected some of the treasures of the lost kingdom, but the sense of failure tempered their satisfaction. The unpredictability of the kingdom had played tricks on them. Facing the same sorcerer twice was a complex challenge for a weary alliance.

The HD! alliance left the lost kingdom with a lesson in humility. Sometimes, even the most perfect coordination and fierce determination are not enough in the face of the whims of fate. But it is in these trials that the true character of an alliance is forged.

Two guardians defeated out of three. Hopefully, this partial victory would fuel their thirst for revenge and their determination for the challenges to come. Arthurion didn't care. He was still as motivated as ever, if not more so now that he had earned even more rewards. The test of time was over, but the legend of the HD! continued to be written, one battle at a time.