Oddeye's Legacy
Chapter 1 - In the Beginning
"My Lord," a low voice spoke, not quite a whisper but barely audible. A rasp of a voice, hissing coldly from beneath curled lips.
"Geshp?" This bellow, in comparison to the former voice, was huge.
"My Lord. You have won. Darksol and Lucifer have fallen. Their armies have raised white flags."
"So they have. I am so tired of battling."
"They're defeated, but not dead, my Lord. Darksol seeks council with you, but Lucifer has gone into hiding." a little green man now made himself visible.
It was very late, and the sky was dark. The towering shadow of some enormous figure blotted out many of the stars, and spoke to the little green man.
"Let him come. I will speak to him, and then I will crush him. And I will find Lucifer, and crush him as well. I've not time for their games." the figure bellowed.
"I understand. And what will you do now?"
"I am the king of all devils. I will kill all who oppose me, I will destroy the god Volcanon and his sister Mitula, and I will purge this planet of the Creator and make it mine forever." the large creature explained. It sat upon the isle known as Grans, on the south eastern edge, near the ocean. This was the place called Arc Valley, the center of all evil power in Rune.
"I see. And what of your minions and myself?" The little man grimaced as he prepared for the answer.
"You will help me, of course. And we will find ways to take the lands of the Gods. I do not need to lift a finger for them, your power is nearly equal to Volcanon's. You and Cameela should have no trouble with either of them." The huge monster lifted it head to the sky. "And I will wait for the God of Wisdom to come when his children fall, and I will drive him from Rune with all my power. It will take some effort, but I will be the victor."
"I understand. So, what comes first?" Geshp pondered the question himself.
The Devil King took some time to answer, but finally his moved his face toward Geshp so that he became more visible to the little green man. One of his eyes was a milky white, damaged and scarred from the recent battles with the other devils.
"Bring Darksol to me." Zeon's mouth remained slightly agape, as it always did, after he had finished speaking.
"Yes, my lord." And with that Geshp disappeared into the darkness of the night.
Hours had passed, and on the eastern horizon the light of the coming sun turned the sky a magnificent scarlet. Zeon knelt near the shore, peering toward the horizon, his mouth agape and his eyes squinting as the sun looked back at him. Suddenly, Geshp appeared behind his master, his face full of terror.
"My lord!" Geshp coughed, but before he could say more, a ball of dark energy struck him down. With a heavy thud he hit the ground, and Zeon turned to his minion quickly, his eyes wide.
"What is this!?" Zeon bellowed. "Who's there!?"
"Zeon, you're a fool." A voice came out of the darkness. "We surrendered and you ceased your attack. You should have crushed me when you had the chance, because now it will haunt you forever."
"Darksol!? You really think you can fight me? Then you are the foolish one." Zeon dug his claws into the earth in anger.
"I am done fighting. You have won your title. You are the king of all devils." Darksol appeared before Zeon, the sunlight gleaming off the horns upon his helmet. Of the devil lords, Darksol had always been the most human looking. His eyes glowed red from beneath his helm as he approached Zeon's towering figure.
"It was in your arrogance that you have erred, Zeon." Another voice came from the darkness, and from nowhere, another being appeared. A large, birdlike figure stood before Zeon, it's wings outstretched and its red eyes bore into Zeon with a sort of burning hatred.
"Lucifer. You have come as well. So you wish for me to kill you both?" Zeon laughed heartily.
"You shouldn't laugh, Zeon." Came yet a third voice from the Devil King's back. Zeon looked over his shoulder quickly, and his eyes widened. There, floating in the glorious rays of the rising sun, was the god Volcanon.
"What!? What is going on!?" Zeon spun around and tried to crush Volcanon with a huge, fetid claw, but the god disappeared, reappearing at Lucifer's side.
"Brother." Lucifer whispered to Volcanon, his head cocked to one side.
"Do not speak to me." Volcanon spat. "Once this is finished you will leave this world for good, else you'll have me to deal with."
Lucifer scoffed, but turned his attention back to Zeon, who'd already turned back the face them. Zeon's eyes were wide with rage, and he was breathing heavily.
"So you've all come together against me!? I'd never have guessed, but even together you cannot defeat me!" Zeon clawed his way toward them, but before he could move very far, Lucifer spread his wings and Darksol raised his arms. From them both came a black funnel like shape of energy. At first, it seemed as if they were attempting to drain Zeon's power, but, in reality, they were channeling all of their own energy into him. Zeon's power began to grow immensely, and as he realized he was not being attacked, but strengthened, he laughed with glee.
"Hahahaha!! Your attacks do nothing but empower me, you fools! I am the king of all devils now, and with the title comes unrivaled power! I should cru…!" Before Zeon could finish his sentence, the ground beneath him began to tremble. Within an instant, his body was flattened against the earth, and he roared in pain.
"We're giving you our power on purpose, idiot!" Darksol gasped. "You were a bumbling fool to the end, Zeon! You may be the strongest, but you are by no means the most intelligent, and it has been your undoing!"
"What…is this!?" Zeon thrashed with pain, tearing up the ground beneath him. Cracks appeared under his body as the earth began to open.
"Arc Valley, where evil power gathers…" Volcanon whispered. He had not fully understood his brother Lucifer's plan when he'd approached him, but it was now clear. With the addition of Lucifer and Darksol's power to Zeon's, he was being mercilessly pulled into Arc Valley. And though the other devil lords would now be incredibly weak, they will have sealed their greatest enemy away. It was a win-win situation for both the god and the devils, and eventually Darksol and Lucifer would regain their power, and the fight for the most powerful devil would be between them, instead. Volcanon hoped to take advantage of his brother and Darksol's weakness after Zeon had been put away, killing them both and freeing the world from their presence once and for all.
Zeon pounded his fists into the ground as the earth opened up beneath him and he was pulled ever deeper into the chasm. Soon, the hole had grown much wider and deeper, Zeon's body having been pulled hundreds of feet into the ground. He screamed with pain as he was dragged into the depths of Arc Valley.
"Now!" Darksol bellowed, and both he and Lucifer surged the last of their energy into Zeon's body.
"Quickly…" Lucifer gasped as he fell to the ground. "Brother, before he returns to the surface. He will be stricken with all this new power, immobile until his body becomes accustomed…" Lucifer collapsed, unconscious.
"You must seal his power before he reemerges." Darksol was leaning on one knee, his expression pained as he tried to speak.
Volcanon rose above the chasm within which Zeon now resided. He could hear the great devil growling with rage, but he had yet to climb back out of his prison. Volcanon raised his beak to the sky, his enormous wings blotting the sun as he outstretched them.
"Father, lend me your strength." Volcanon's beak glowed magnificently as he produced a set of gems from it. One, a red jewel, and the other, colorless like that of a diamond. They were identical in shape and size, and attached by a short chain of some unknown, unbreakable metal. From the colorless jewel came a groan and a flash as Zeon's power was instantly encased within it, turning it a dark blue. Volcanon instantly choked on the pendants, spitting them aside with disgust as the dark power emanating from the jewel radiated upon him.
"Good…" Darksol coughed, picking the pendant from the ground. The other jewel, though, flashed brightly, and he dropped it quickly as if it had burned him.
"Leave it. I'll endure and take it with me and put it someplace safe." Volcanon looked down into the chasm were Zeon lay. An enormous groan erupted from the hole, cracking the earth around it even more.
"We must leave here. He'll never stop complaining now that he is powerless." Darksol said weakly. "I do thank you, Volcanon. I am not a fool. Without you, this would not have been possible."
"Save your breath." Volcanon spat hotly. "You honestly think Zeon was the only one I came to take care of?" Volcanon quickly turned to Darksol, and from his beak erupted a large, meteor-like ball of fire and rock, which promptly shot in Darksol's direction. With what little strength he had left, Darksol avoided the blast.
"I see. That's too bad, God Volcanon. Someday, you'll be out of the picture, too. Until then, farewell." And Darksol was gone. Another bellow came from the Zeon's prison, and Volcanon turned to face Lucifer. To his surprise, though, his brother has also disappeared. Disappointed, the god scooped up the jewels in his talons, and took his leave of Grans and headed back to the heavens, until he'd be needed again.
Zeon's cries tore Grans asunder. With each moan his voice grew louder and more pained, and the mountains crashed and fell around him, further burying him within Arc Valley. His power was gone, and he was forever sealed there. In order to keep Zeon from rising, Volcanon had a shrine erected atop Arc Valley, and placed the jewels there. As long as the jewels were together where they'd been left, Zeon's power was in check. The Jewel of Light's power would balance the great strength of the Jewel of Evil, and everything would be well.