I couldn’t believe it. I had known Clancy for eighteen years, since we were toddlers, and I never thought he’d be the one to suggest a bar. At least, not until we walked in. The Geosphere was one of the only places near Spegrock U that didn’t feel like a college bar. I mean, it was in a floating dome almost brushing against the atmosphere. Our other friend Kane had gotten us in. Kane could pull connects out of nowhere, and it was super weird.
Anyway, we walked in, and it was like nothing I’d ever seen before. I could see the stars above, and the city lights below, like we were inside of a glass ornament. We lost Kane as soon as he got through the door. As expected, he was talking to every girl he passed.
Clancy was wearing a dark gray mock neck and a black blazer, with the legs of his pants draped down to his ankles, where beneath his dress shoes were sharp enough to crack the glass in this place. It’s funny, I hadn’t taken much notice of him growing up. He was just Clancy, Kane’s brother, and to him I was just Lana, Kane’s best friend. But ever since we had gotten to college, and I started seeing him less and less, I noticed when he was there, and I really noticed when he wasn’t.
“Such an idiot,” he muttered under his breath.
“What?”
“Sorry. I was talking about Kane,” he scoffed.
“You can’t mean that! You two are the smartest people here.”
“There are no books for Kane’s kind of stupid.”
“You don’t want to meet someone? Isn’t that the reason guys go to bars?”
“It’s not the reason I wanted to come here.”
“So what is?”
“Perspective.”
“So do you want to sit at the bar or a booth or…?” How else was I supposed to respond to that?
“Right, sorry Lana. We could get a table along the wall. Probably a nicer view.”
“Look at you. I didn’t think you noticed those types of things.”
He clearly didn’t like that one, because he went quiet on me. We took our seat and stared at the drink menus. Truthfully, we hadn’t gone out to a bar since I came of age, so I didn’t know what to get. The stuff they made here was a lot stronger than anything we mixed together at one of Kane’s parties.
“What would you recommend?” I asked.
“We could always order that gross Roktarian stuff you got that one time from your dad’s cabinet,” he could barely get through the thought without laughing.
“You know, you love that story a lot more than I do, Clancy.”
“How could I not? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that drunk. Of course, the casualties of that night probably didn’t like it as much as I did either. Poor Kane never got a date with Vanessa Bigsby again.”
“Hey, to be fair, that was just a minor hiccup in the story of Kane’s love life. That’s a disaster even the officers at BOARD couldn’t put a stop to.”
“A fair point, my brother does seem to make poor decisions in that department. Yet you’ve stuck by him through it all. Why haven’t the two of you dated?”
“Me and Kane? You’re out of it,” I kept it cool, but my heart sank at those words. I didn’t want to talk about me and Kane. I wanted to talk about a future with Clancy. I felt so stupid, but at the same time, being there with him, it all felt so possible.
“Why? My brother is obnoxious, but he’s an engineer, and one of the best. He’s going places and you’re amazing. You’re really funny, patient, and you understand people. Those are three things I could never manage.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
He cut me a glare, and then we shared in an awkward silence.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to push anything. I was just curious.”
“It’s fine. It really is. Sometimes it just feels like you don’t see me the way I see you.”
“You’re not the first person to tell me that,” By now he was staring out the window, looking down at the skyline. “That’s what I meant earlier. Perspective. You’ve known me for most of our lives. We always did the same things. We went to the places I felt were safe, did the things I thought were fun. I just wanted to try something different. Change my vantage point.”
“Wow. That’s surprisingly human of you, Clancy. But I think you might be taking things a bit too seriously. We’re here. We’re together. Isn’t that the most important thing?”
“What do you mean?”
“I guess for me, I’ve never really thought about this stuff too much. It’s always been more important to just take these moments as they come. It’s fine and well to want to grow and improve, but I think you put too many restrictions on the way you live. I get it. You’re a biologist, and everything feels like a hard science for you. But look at your brother. He’s out here tonight having fun, because he’s not letting logic or reason impede his ability to celebrate the things around him. Or the people.”
“You’ve got my attention,” he said, the contemplative expression on his face warping into a smile. “We could always leave this place and rejoin the world. I’d be even happier if you could show me how.”
“You’d probably be hopeless without me, right?”
Maybe that’s what made us work. I mean, that day was almost like any other. Sure, the bar was new, but the rest wasn’t. Clancy always watched Kane. I always watched Clancy. Kane always watched whatever brought him joy. It was just another instance of us walking toward the door, with uncertainty laid before us. But as Clancy intended, we looked on with new perspective.
Valdara tied his hair back into a ponytail as he took a knee before the pedestal atop the hill. His sword rested still as silence washed over him. The words carved into the stone slab filled him with a profound sense of regret and loss. He bowed his head, shame falling from his visage.
“I’m sorry, Master. I must take leave once more. Please, lend me your strength. All of this, I do for you.”
Do as you please. Know that I will not settle for any less than utter annihilation.
A harsh red light radiated from the stone’s carvings, overwhelming Valdara’s senses. He lifted the sword and marched away, the winds blowing back his hair and brushing the grass as he blurred into the gray clouded sky in the distance.
When Valdara returned to the hill, blood stained his robes. His sleeves were tattered, his face was bruised and battered, and his knees cracked and buckled with each step until he finally dropped in front of that same pedestal. He attempted to stab the sword into its resting place, but his legs collapsed under him. Valdara finally rested under the protection of the stars. The drops of rain washed the dirt from his hands as exasperated breaths formed quiet words.
“Master, I won. Soldiers from every corner of the country gathered. Ryuuto, the spoiled regent of Midori, Weisheit, the cosmic mentor from the dark realm. All decorated warriors and I fended off their armies for you. Now I ask, am I free?”
Valdara was now crouched on all fours, blood pouring from an open wound in his chest. His smile widened as the hot crimson leaked from his mouth. He rolled over to his back and fell flat as his chest puffed out with laughter. The grip on the hilt of his sword loosened as the pulsating weapon fell from his hand.
“I did everything you asked of me. What am I to do now?”
I am not the one responsible for our covenant, Valdara. This is the price you pay for the bloodlust you’ve felt.The sword’s pulse rang louder and louder as Valdara’s heartbeat slowed. The carvings in the stone slab radiated a soft red glow as laughter faded to breathing and then to nothing, as the proud warrior Valdara lay, reduced to a victim of the blade’s seduction.
*Note: This is an excerpt of a larger novel-length piece.*
Reported By: Jack Melody
Date of Events Described: 8/15/2806
Date Recorded: ???
“Come on, Jack,” Lawrence said, lifting me off the matt by my hand. “I need you to be more creative. You’re fast for a kid who doesn’t have his powers yet, but if you only try to hit me in the same three ways, I’ll just keep knocking you on your butt.”
“Yeah, big whoop,” I snapped. “You’re part of the ETF. It’d be pretty embarrassing if you couldn’t sweep kick some kid.”
As I rose to my feet, he lifted me up by the shoulder strap on my tank top. He was a lot bigger than me back then, the height and the muscle.
“Don’t be smug! You think because I’m stronger than you we shouldn’t be fighting? Most of the people you’ll have to fight in this lifetime will be stronger than you. They’ll be better. I don’t care if you join the ETF or not. There are people out here who will crush you without a second thought.”
“You think I don’t know that? I just want to be strong enough to get away from people like that. I don’t want to fight a bunch of assholes flexing on a child!”
“You signed up to train with me, Jack, which means if you get the chance to take a stand for justice, you’d damn well better do so.”
“Justice? The hell do I care about that?” I shouted. “I’m just tired of getting my ass kicked. I want to return the favor. Isn’t that enough?”
I ran toward him, sloppily and arrogantly as I always had, and without skipping a beat he pivoted out of the way of each of my strikes. I felt the room heat up as he avoided each palm strike. His already thin eyes became even sharper and more focused. His entire shirt burned to ash as an aura of flame surrounded his toned torso. The flames gathered at his back, exploding into the shape of an angel’s wings. His long dark brown hair shifted color to a reflective platinum and his pupils followed suit. He didn’t do this often. Awakening Level Phoenix. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and spit on the floor. Jackass was just showing off.
“So what? Are you gonna burn me now?” I asked. “I don’t give a shit! I’ve been getting pushed around by people stronger than me my whole life. Kids at school, my dad, you think you’re any different?”
I could hear my heartbeat, and it was just pissing me off even more. Like I was nervous, but knowing that I was nervous was just making me even angrier. Then I felt tears start to well up and my breathing lose pace. Then, the hot air dissipated. Lawrence’s aura returned to normal, as did his hair and eyes. The wings turned to smoke and he approached me, wrapping his arms around me. I could feel the warmth of his skin, as the fires of Phoenix returned to a simmer within his blood. I breathed in the smell of smoke and sweat, but the burn had all but gone away in the comfort of his embrace.
“That’s not what this is, Jack. I would never hurt you,” he said. “There’s something I need you to understand, kid. It’s because of the way the world has treated you, that it’s all the more important that you seek a life of justice. You’ve only scratched the surface of what people are capable of. You’re going to see some terrible things, and you’re going to lose hope. At times like those, remember the things I’ve taught you. You are so much better than the world’s evils. You have what it takes to become a hero.”
Not a day goes by where I don’t remember the words I said back to him.
“I’ll become a hero when you show me a world worth saving.”
I still remember when Max’s mom died. It was such a weird time for all of us. I had to be about three or four at the time. Lady Lucia was the one who convinced Max’s father, Lord Nathanial, to take me in. She used to bake fresh bread for us. She called me “Lilline.” Then one day that just stopped. Then there was standing before the wooden box that held her lifeless body. Then it was watching Lord Nathanial on his hands and knees, torn apart to the core of his soul. I remember wiping Max’s tears and hugging her close to me.
I still remember when we went to school together for the first time. A young boy stole Max’s comb. He pushed her down, and I remember the hot feeling I got in my chest. I unleashed barrages of fierce punches on this child. I remember the men in white, arriving as they always did. Carrying me away and hooking me up to their machine to drain the bursts of power that overcame me.
I remember when Max and I used to run through the halls. She would pretend to be a villain, and I would be the valiant hero, tasked with defeating her. She had heart, for sure. But that didn’t last forever.
“Maybe I don’t have what it takes,” Max said. I remember that too. She said that when Lord Nathanial started talking to her about ruling the Shadow Kingdom as its queen. We were fourteen years old.
“It will be fun, Max,” I said. “Everyone will love you.”
“You should know by now, I don’t care about any of that.”
I remember when Max first started skipping school. We were about sixteen years old. I tried my best to keep her focused. One day Lord Nathanial caught her. He took both of us to the throne room and lectured us for hours on what it meant to be royalty.
“Do you understand?” he asked at the end of his lecture.
“No,” Max answered. “I don’t understand. I’ll never understand. My mother spent her entire life caring for others. In the end she died. She died young and sick. I can’t see a reason to uphold these values when I could be dead at any moment anyway.”
“It’s not about that, Maxine,” Nathanial said. “I understand how you feel. I miss your mother very much. But she regretted not one moment of her life. She married a man she loved. She gave birth to the most important person in her life. Just because her life ended doesn’t mean it was not worth living. You just need to find something that makes your life worth living.”
“I will watch over Lady Maxine in the future, your lordship,” I said sheepishly. “I will ensure that she doesn’t miss lessons again.”
I had never seen such a genuine smile from Lord Nathanial.
“Lilly, you have protected my daughter from many things over the past several years,” he said. “I thank you for taking her into your care.”
“I don’t need you to babysit me, Lilly.”
“Max, I’m not trying to smother you. I just want to make sure you get the best out of life. That’s what friends are for.”
Max scoffed and turned away, but through her scowl, I could see her holding back a grin. That was enough for me.
After that, Max didn’t skip school anymore. But she never grew to like it either, going through the motions every step of the way.
I remember when one of our big dances approached and a handsome gentleman asked me to go with him. I remember Max’s scowl. The way her red eyebrows sat flat and low over her blank eyes. She was envious of the boy. So I accommodated. I said no. The two of us would go together as we always had.
I remember when we slow danced together, and she leaned in towards me. I held her tight, and for the first time in our lives, Max asked me a very big question.
“Lilly, what do you want to do? After this is over I mean?”
“We can go back to the palace if you want.”
“That’s not what I mean. Someday I’m going to take the throne, Lilly. I’m going to live in that palace for the rest of my life. But what about you? Don’t you want anything more than that? Don’t you want more than me?”
I remember her face starting to swell and her breaths becoming more heavy. I kissed her on the cheek and she looked at me with puzzled eyes.
“Maxine Avengard, I am going to become your general. I will lead your army, and protect you with everything I have. I don’t quite know how to fight yet, but I’ll learn. I will learn and I will unleash hell on anyone who opposes you. We’ve been together for as long as I can remember. How could I want anything more than you?”
I had never seen Max turn so red. She looked down and started to mutter.
“What did you say?”
“I said, there’s an instructor in the palace who can show us some sword skills. If you wanted to learn how to fight. I’ve never really been interested in combat myself, but if you’re going to fight to protect me, then I’ll protect you too.”
I remember meeting our instructor, Rayne. The days we spent just learning the stances. The forms. Never once even swinging the blade.
“Maxine, you are simply too aggressive,” Rayne said. “You’ll never be a calculated fighter if you’re always leaning towards your opponent. You have to let your opponent’s movements dictate your own. You have to be reactive, rather than proactive.”
“I’m not going to die fighting, Rayne,” Max shouted. “I want to stay in control of the fight.”
“You’re only in control if you always know what’s coming next,” Rayne answered.
I was picking it up faster than Max. My life had always been a chain reaction. The men in white and their machines, that they used to drain my rare energy taught me not to use my powers. Waking up one day and having no parents taught me to keep the ones you love close to your heart. Meeting her. Falling in love with Max. That taught me to wield my heart in my blade and protect her with everything I had.
I remember seeing a side of Max that I never had before. Our final lesson had Max and I facing off against each other. We had to take that precision, and that reactive nature, and apply it in the most decisive match yet. I remember the way Max bolted towards me, still maintaining her proactive nature, in spite of Rayne’s warnings. I parried each of her strikes, keeping her moving closer to my reach. Max’s downward slash gave me all the opportunity I needed to guard and shift, pivoting, while causing her to stagger forward. With a swift kick to the back she fell to the ground.
I reached to pull her up but as she stood, she shook my hand away and returned to her stance. With her aggressive form I was able to predict and avoid all of her attacks. But she kept swinging. Something in her form was changing as each strike missed. I watched her focused expression turn into a vicious grin, her eyes filled with vengeful lust. Each of her strikes, just a little bit harsher than the last, lined with a warrior’s energy. I guarded one last strike with my own blade, but the sword broke against her fierce swing, flying into the air and landing beside me, sticking into the ground. My sword dissolved into black smoke, and I was now at the mercy of her decision. Then she did it. She pointed her blade at me.
I remember when I lost control. Just as they had when I was younger, my eyes changed when I felt the danger. The symbols appeared on my body and that same burst of power from my young days returned to me.
I can’t remember. I can’t remember what I did after that. I just remember feeling like I was going to lose, and waking up in the same machine. I remember the fear. Looking at my hands to see small blood stains. I remember looking around the room, shaking, afraid. Where was she? Where was Max? I jumped out of the incubation chamber and dashed for the palace entrance.
I remember the way the guards met me at the gate, with their spears pointed towards me. I remember the way Rayne looked at me when she gave the order. The guilt in her eyes. That her own training regimen led to this. I was a danger to the crown. A danger to Max. The guards charged at me, and using the very reactive style Rayne taught me, I dodged their strikes and incapacitated them with my blade. Then I ran again. Around the palace perimeter, searching for a way in.
I remembered a special entrance that Max and I used to get into the palace when she’d leave school. It was a small window under the bridge. I climbed through the window and made my way to the infirmary where she was laying. That’s when I saw what I had done.
I remember when Max lost her eye. Watching her lay in the bed with the patch, clutching her wound with shock filling her remaining eye.
“Why would you come here?” she asked.
“Max, I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened to me. All I ever wanted was to protect you. I’m so sorry.”
“That was both of us. I got caught up in the moment, and I almost hurt you. It was only right that you defend yourself. Besides, not like there was much around here to look at anyway.”
“This isn’t funny, Max. I’ve ruined your eye.”
“You should know by now, I don’t care about anything like that. Lilly, they’re not going to let you stay.”
I remember what Max gave me. She reached into her drawer to retrieve a golden necklace, with a black gem in the center.
“Rayne couldn’t stop you when you were having that burst. You defeated her in a single strike. You’re too strong to exist in this kingdom. But I’m not going to do this without you. I want you to have this necklace. This is my promise to you, Lilly. Get yourself out of here. Go somewhere safe and start a new life. When I take the throne, I will find you. We’ll do this again.”
“How ironic, that you would be the one protecting me. I love you, Max. You’re going to make a great queen someday.”
“You just make it out so you can live to see it.”
I remember Max’s kiss. I remember my tears as they fell down my face, and the realization that I might never see her again. I remember holding her hand. I remember her trembling slowing down to an abrupt stop. I remember her determined smile, and the fire it started in my heart.
I will continue to wait. I will wait as long as I have to for Max to find me. I still remember, and I pray I never forget.
Top Left: Crimson Bottom Left: Phantom Middle: Hades Top Right: Jade Bottom Right: Dark Seeker
A journey back to the dawn of life would reveal a realm of pure darkness. No land or skies. Void wrapped around the infinite universe and housed a war between three beings of pure energy. Their conflict was illuminated by the distant gaze of Inferno’s Star. The first of these beings was a spirit of flame, known simply as Phantom. The second, a silhouette of shadow with a chilling aura bore the title of Dark Seeker. These companions faced onward to life’s greatest foe. The final being, their enemy, Hades. Hades wore the vivid colors of a swallowed world in his aura. Green emerged upon his flesh while trails of blue followed behind its aura.
A journey back to the dawn of life would reveal a realm of pure darkness. No land or skies. Void wrapped around the infinite universe and housed a war between three beings of pure energy. Their conflict was illuminated by the distant gaze of Inferno’s Star. The first of these beings was a spirit of flame, known simply as Phantom. The second, a silhouette of shadow with a chilling aura bore the title of Dark Seeker. These companions faced onward to life’s greatest foe. The final being, their enemy, Hades. Hades wore the vivid colors of a swallowed world in his aura. Green emerged upon his flesh while trails of blue followed behind its aura.
“Marvelous,” Hades started. “Just as God intended. The three of us, battling for the essence of life itself. You won’t hold Superbia back. He will have his perfect world.”
Phantom burst with rage, light and heat burning around it.
“Hades,” he bellowed, “your unmitigated lust to wake your deity has ravaged our realm. We will not be subjugated by Superbia, nor will we be destroyed by you.”
Hades changed its posture, leaning and propelling forward with a loud bang behind itself. As he prepared to lunge, the Dark Seeker roared with loss and rage churning its insides.
“Hades, you’ve claimed your last soul. We will have our loved ones back!”
Both Phantom and Dark Seeker charged forward, lunging at Hades. Hades’ glow expanded as a dark brown wall emerged before him. Hades used its astral force to project the wall toward his enemies. As the foul beast lunged for Phantom, it lashed out, generating manifestations of its energy and striking its foe. Phantom snapped back as its fire exploded in a wave around its body.
“My flames will incinerate the pages of your destiny, Hades,” it cried out.
As the flames settled and Hades returned to an attack stance, mists of Dark Seeker’s power surrounded the battlefield. Hades slowed its movements as the frost paralyzed its body.
“This is the power of the mighty Hades? I expected more from you. Where is the power that you used to slay my brethren? Where is the strength that you used to massacre all that I love?”
Hades screamed, piercing the void with a burst of energy so intense it shattered the ice around itself. Pieces of Dark Seeker’s form dissolved and melted into space.
Hades generated more energy above itself, this time taking the form of a dark brown sphere. The sphere expanded, reaching indescribable magnitude. The Phantom and the Dark Seeker gathered their own power as they sought a method to destroy the sphere. Hades launched the sphere in their direction but the Dark Seeker lunged forward and unleashed a wave of mist onto the object. Ice shrouded the entire sphere, and it came to a complete stop.
The three spirits took the battle to the surface of this sphere. With each movement forward, Phantom’s radiating heat melted the ice into the round rock.
“Credit is given where due, Dark Seeker,” Hades said. “You are capable of greatness. Become one with me and we can create whatever we desire.”
“You are a fool, Hades. You obsess over power that does not belong to you. If you revive Superbia, if you reset the universe, you’ll only bring about ruin. Even you are not immune to the consequences of your own actions.”
Hades materialized sharp brown rods around itself and launched them toward its opponents. Phantom incinerated the projectiles with yet another burst of light. The spirits found themselves skating along the surface of the sphere, trails of aura lingering behind them as they clashed. The ice and fire crashed against Hades and its barriers.
Each successive strike aligned further than the last until finally, they delivered the perfect synchronized blast. A combination of ice and flame that left a crack in Hades’ being. Hades, now filled with rage, unleashed a wave of energy so fierce and dense the ground shook until trillions of wooden spires emerged from the surface. Its shout shook the foundation of the battlefield, sprouting lush green upon these planetary appendages. Hades sought an advantage as it disappeared into the lush of the world’s first forest.
“The mighty Hades runs? Imagine this,” the Phantom roared. “After everything you claimed to stand for. You wish to dominate all, yet when you face opposition you run and hide? No ruler goes unchallenged, Hades. All the more reason why the position does not suit you!”
“On the contrary, Phantom,” Hades began. “Only a fool stands and fights when they find themselves outmatched. What you deem pride, I would call rash foolishness.”
“Well how far can your cowardice take you, Destroyer?” Phantom snapped. The fiery spirit materialized a spark and expanded, creating a flame large and wide enough to incinerate the entire forest. As heat incinerated each and every tree, Hades fell back, overwhelmed my the smog’s weight. The fallen trees and the ash they created shrouded Hades, burying it beneath the aftermath of the attack.
Hades emerged from the ashes and lunged toward Phantom, unleashing a shriek that echoed throughout the entire void. Dark Seeker attempted to move, but Hades’ sphere gripped him, trapping him in the ground. Hades finally pinned Phantom, dark power overwhelming it with every strike. A barrage of violent attacks all lead up to a final blow delivered to the center of the flame.
Phantom unleashed the largest flame it could muster, severely burning Hades. Hades dropped to the ground as it screeched in agony. Phantom unleashed a series of flaming spheres at Hades. Each attack burned brighter, smashed harder, expanded the crater beneath.
In a state of vulnerability, Phantom remembered those that Hades consumed on its quest for power. Phantom remembered the Crimson Spirit, whom it had loved. Phantom remembered reaching for Crimson’s touch as it fell into the abyss that was Hades. With this grief overpowering it, each attack grew stronger. Hades’ form distorted as its shape shattered. Phantom approached Hades, preparing one final strike. As the energy between the two spiked, another jagged spire tore through the ground and impaled Phantom.
“No,” The Dark Seeker cried out. “Phantom, retreat, now!”
“Prepare to become a part of Hades,” Hades shouted. “Goodbye, Phantom.”
Hades took hold of the Phantom’s very essence. Hades then opened its mouth and the inside flashed with a bright yellow light. The flames of Phantom dissolved as the spirit faded into the aura of Hades.
“Mark my words, Hades. Even you, with strength this great, can never truly extinguish the flames of the Phantom.”
As the Phantom fully vanished, a faint red aura surrounded Hades. The beast slammed its body to the surface as its mass expanded. Hades growled ferociously as its celestial shape continued to expand. Dark Seeker looked in shock as Hades reached the size of a titan.
“You are the last spirit I have yet to consume. When I feed on you I shall become a truly omnipotent being. How can you hope to defeat me without the help of your precious friend? The Phantom is part of me. The only way for you to be reunited with those you love is to follow their path. We can awaken god together, Dark Seeker.”
Dark Seeker trembled in a state of terror. Looking in horror the being of darkness finally attempted to escape. Dark Seeker’s speed increased as it skated along the surface. Dark Seeker’s mind was shrouded in an overwhelming sense of fear and isolation; being the last of its kind. As Dark Seeker focused its mind, the image of its comrades burned brighter through its mind. The beautiful Crimson Spirit that stood against Hades. The Jade Spirit that was its lover. Even the Phantom Spirit that was its best friend and bravest ally. Dark Seeker had lost all of them to Hades. When things seemed to be at their worst, something happened to the Dark Seeker. A golden aura surrounded it, encasing it in a warm glow. The Dark Seeker could feel its aura radiating with every passing second. Feeling this increase in strength, the Dark Seeker charged toward Hades.
“You would still oppose me? This will make swallowing you far easier than I thought it would be,” Hades said before striking Dark Seeker.
The Dark Seeker flew low to the ground avoiding Hades’ strike and charged directly into it. Hades clutched the impacted area and fell forward. The Dark Seeker flew toward Hades and delivered a slashing strike, launching the evil spirit into the atmosphere. The Dark Seeker ripped toward Hades but was blocked by a brutal and decisive strike. As the Dark Seeker went crashing into the ground, it created a pillar of ice and latched to its side, landing on the ice pillar and gently sliding down to the surface. It used the ice to project itself back into the atmosphere with Hades.
“This is it, Hades,” Dark Seeker shouted. “The end of this battle is upon us. I will destroy you and all that you are.”
Hades charged down upon the Seeker, and with its substantial size created a quake that launched the two across the surface. Dark Seeker managed to stop its own momentum. Upon stopping, it created a large ball of ice and launched a barrage of shards. The shards of ice slashed through Hades.
“Is that the last of your power?” Hades asked as it unleashed waves of fire upon Dark Seeker. Dark Seeker continued to fly away from every wave; dodging, surviving. Suddenly, however, a voice echoed throughout its soul. A familiar voice forged in fire.
“Have we fallen for naught?”
“Phantom,” Dark Seeker internalized its words. “The Destroyer is more powerful than we can hope to match. I cannot stand against this beast. Not alone.”
“You are never alone, Dark Seeker. We are all one. We are all pieces of the universe. Show Hades the might of those it would destroy. Use the power we share to end this war!”
The Dark Seeker slammed the ground as the yellow aura expanded around it. Dark Seeker started to grow as well, expanding to the size of Hades.
“I am forever tied to those I love, Hades. Prepare to perish beneath the might of all of the spirits.”
Dark Seeker subdued Hades with a full-bodied charge, and, as the large titan fell to the ground, the giant ice shard impaled it. That ice melted and the water filled the crater beneath. Hades kicked the Dark Seeker, and he fell into one of the other craters. Dark Seeker then launched itself into the skies with ice, which would melt and fill the crater shortly after, creating the oceans.
The two landed on opposite sides of the surface. The two engaged in one final charge towards one another. Hades delivered a deadly strike to Dark Seeker. As this strike connected, Dark Seeker created a large blade of ice and impaled Hades. This strike created a massive shockwave and melted ice spread across the surface.
The two dropped to the ground, and this battle was truly over. Hades and the Dark Seeker dissolved slowly. Hades fell through the surface and changed shape, becoming spherical as it melded with the core of the sphere. Finally the flames of the Phantom lit brightly around it creating a burning core. Dark Seeker shed tears, even in triumph. These tears would bring life to blades of green across the sphere. An entire sphere once completely barren was now covered in green and blue. But it was still empty.
From within the center, the flames of the Phantom rose to the surface. These flames didn’t burn any of the matter on this sphere, however. These flames took the shape of new spirits. Spirits of creatures that would swim throughout the oceans, or dance upon the grass, or grow from the dirt. What arose from this battle was neither chaos nor the Hell that birthed it. The battle between Phantom, Dark Seeker, and Hades created the world.
I felt the cold touch of Lucia’s frail hand as it brushed my stubble. I sat on the bed, dropping my armor and wiping the dirt from my arms. She hated when I got the bed dirty, but she let me today. She knew what I was dealing with.
“Yet another day on the battlefield?” She asked. “Is it not unbecoming of a leader to hold a grudge so strong he refuses to let his knights fight?”
She was right. I picked up the armor that I had shed from my torso and examined it, running my finger along a large gash at the center.
“Why are you looking so intently?” Lucia asked. “You’ll simply get replacement armor before your next departure.”
“I want to see where the cracks are,” I said. “I need to find the flaws to my form.”
“You have warriors who will fight beside you,” she said. “You alone cannot stop the beasts.”
“It’s not about stopping them,” I said. “It’s about proving how far I’m willing to go for my people.”
“Your people already know how far you’re willing to go, Nathanial. Shadola knew what he was doing when he picked you,” she said. “He trusted you more than anyone else. My brother died believing you could protect our people. I choose to believe the same.”
I felt tears welling up again. It was so scary, seeing her this way. I brushed my hand along her pale face and leaned forward, kissing her, letting the tears fall.
“I don’t want to do this without you,” I said.
“I’m not going anywhere,” She said, now crying with me. “I am going to survive, Nathanial. I am going to live, and we are going to raise Maxine into a strong young woman, together.”
As I slept that night I tossed and turned, feeling the pain of Lucia’s sickness in my gut. I stepped out of bed and walked into the throne room. I equipped myself with a new suit of armor and departed for the courtyard. The large open space with its blue grass, moving with the gentle breeze was home to the last three dragon attacks. I could feel the energy of the beast approaching. I extended my hand, allowing the energy to flow through my arm until I felt warmth gathering in my palm. My large two-handed axe materialized out of my own dark energy. The blade looked like it was forged by Hell’s own blacksmith. A large glossy black blade attached to a long rod with encryptions throughout.
The dragon landed in front of me, with its long black claws, stabbing into the ground. A long scaly tail and glowing red eyes. But this time it wasn’t alone. Standing on its back, was a young girl. As she jumped down from its back, her white hair parted from in front of her eyes. She had to be about fifteen years old, far older than my daughter. But still very young. Why was she out here fighting?
“Are you the one who keeps sending these dragons?” I asked.
“It’s one dragon, fool,” she said. “Yeah. I was the one who sent him. Have to take out your stupid palace somehow, right?”
“What do you mean one dragon?” I asked. “I’ve fought and killed several. Who or what are you?”
“I’m not gonna tell you Cragnore’s secret,” She said petting the dragon on the snout. It appeared to enjoy it. Creepy.
“So Cragnore is the dragon,” I said. “What does that make you?”
“You’re persistent. My name is Rayne,” she said. “I’ve been sending Cragnore to get a decent read on the type of fighter you are. My poor baby was sliced into pieces by you on numerous occasions. But this works for me. I can finally make you experience the sorrow you put us through. Lord Nathanial Avengard, in the name of the inquisitors, I shall finish you off!”
“Inquisitors?” I asked. But there was no time. She ignored me and materialized her thin sword of darkness, targeting me with full force and speed. Children aren’t this precise. That’s all I could think as I struggled to guard each of her attacks. She was so nimble, and decisive. Several attacks were aiming for vital points. Finally I was able to overwhelm her with a fierce axe swing that shattered her guard. She stumbled back and fell to the ground and I pointed my axe at her.
“Are you calm enough to talk now?” I asked. “I have no intentions of murdering a child. I just want to ask you some questions.”
“Murdering children is what you do,” Rayne said. “You don’t care if you’re killing women, children, animals. None of that matters to a scumbag ruler like you!”
“You’re in no position to be barking at me, pup,” I said. “I demand to know why you pursue my land.”
“Your land?” Rayne asked with a look of fury in her eye. “The inquisitors were your people too. My mother and father were your people. Yet your army wiped them all out.”
What? What she said was true, the inquisitors were supposed to be destroyed. They were a menacing group of elite assassins and they were after my head. So I bit back. I protected the throne with everything I had.
“You should know that the inquisitors were in no way innocent,” I said. “They targeted me and my family. I had no choice but to wipe them out.”
“You always have a choice. We all do,” Rayne said. “For example, I’ve made the choice to sever your head.”
Cragnore swung its long tail, violently slapping me away from Rayne. She climbed to the back of the dragon immediately.
“I’ve learned a lot from you today,” she said. “I know exactly how I’m going to kill you. I’ll be back.”
Limping home, a defeated man, I removed my armor once again. As I ran my fingers along the gashes, I felt rage curdling inside of me. I had to kill the inquisitors. But how could that girl be so proficient at such a young age? I mean, they were the enemy, right? I was doing my job. The gashes in the armor were located around the chest, meaning somewhere during this battle she must have broken or passed my guard. Would I want Maxine to grow up without parents? If I took a strike to the heart, she’d have to endure that pain. Pain that nobody should ever have to go through.
The next day I returned to the same spot at the same time, and sure enough, Rayne was waiting for me. Sword, Cragnore, and all. I materialized my axe and took my stance, and she readied herself as well. Each of her strikes maintained the same level of passion. But every single time she fell, she would jump to Cragnore and retreat. Days went on with me fending her off, and fighting harder to let go of the guilt that surrounded me. She didn’t deserve this. She wasn’t fighting with technique or sword skills. She was fighting with all of her heart’s passion. She was unleashing her heart. She was being vulnerable. That was it. After days of fighting Rayne, I finally realized what I had to do. I returned to the courtyard the following day, and she was waiting for me as normal.
“What is with you?” I asked. “Why do you refuse to reason with me?”
“You killed my parents,” she said. “You killed all of the dragons. You wiped out my people, and yet you look at me as a criminal? You are the bad guy Nathanial Avengard. I, Rayne the Shadow Tamer, shall claim your life in the name of the inquisitors.”
That’s it. I dropped my chest plates to the ground and wore simply my long shirt and pants, while still wielding my axe.
“You removed your armor?” She asked.
“Correct,” I said. “I understand now. The flaw to my form. I was going to save this for later.”
I pulled a piece of red fruit from my pants pocket and tossed it in Rayne’s direction. She simply slashed it in half with her sword and watched it drop to the ground.
“You bring me food?” Rayne asked. “You can’t wash away your transgressions with such a pitiful bounty.”
“I have no intentions of making you forgive me. I just wouldn’t want you to fight on an empty stomach.”
“Probably poison,” she said spitting on the ground.
“I have been checking every single day after fighting Cragnore,” I said. “I look closely at
my armor to see where the damage is. I look to improve my form so I can avoid taking damage. But sometimes, damage is necessary. Sometimes we have to take damage to grow. I understand the flaws now. If I remove the armor, I’m allowing myself to be vulnerable. You deserve that Rayne. After everything I’ve done to you and your family, I want to fight you in a way that allows us to understand each other.”
“That’s honorable,” she said. “Unfortunately, I’ve moved beyond wanting to reconcile.”
Her words hushed our surroundings. The two of us simply stared at each other with our energies rising. Cragnore stepped forward appearing as though he was going to defend her. But then, he bent down extending his neck, and started eating the fruit off the ground. I saw Rayne’s eyes widening at her pet’s gesture. Tears filled her eyes, and she shook her head in denial for a second, stepping back and staring down at her hands. Then she let out a chuckle and looked directly at me with a somber smirk on her face.
“Do you want to know Cragnore’s secret?” Rayne asked. “I can summon and rebuild him as many times as I wish no matter what happens to him. The only way to kill Cragnore is to kill me. He is an extension of myself. As such, he expresses what I feel. I think he trusts you, but I can’t imagine why. I don’t know what would make him feel so safe near you, who killed our family.”
I looked her in the eyes, and walked forward crouching down to her level. Maintaining eye contact, tears started to fall down my face.
“My wife is dying,” I said. “She’s been sick for a long time, and I don’t believe she’ll ever recover. Watching her deteriorate right in front of me, I can only imagine what I put you through. I thought I was doing what was best for my people, but you are one of my people. Rayne, you can have a future in the palace. Live among me and my family. I will adopt you, and teach you how to fight properly. I will build a whole new wing just for Cragnore to explore and play. I can help you become a truly great warrior.”
I knew what I was feeling. I knew what I owed this girl. Tears started to form in her eyes, but that didn’t change her angry expression. She refused to accept my offer. She knew there was some pain she was supposed to be feeling. She just couldn’t bring herself to fight me anymore. She dropped her sword and it shattered into pieces, dissolving into black smoke. I could hear her tears, but all I could feel was Cragnore, licking my face.
