Chrono Ephemeris
Chapter 2
1000 A.D.
Shortly after Crono and company return
Breathing….heavy, harsh, strained breathing….
Slash, slash, zap!
More breathing….more breathing…
Slash, zing, woooooooooorrrr
A warrior is in the darkness of Guardia Forest, fighting for his life. A trickle of his blood is fleeing down his face, and medals of sweat are pouring from his brow.
"Face me, coward!" he cries out to the purple darkness.
Another claw tears the skin on his cheek, a mockery of his spirit. He swings his scythe through the air, hitting nothing. He followed the scythe with a blast of dark energy from his right hand that scared the space around him atomless. He is weak now, dropping to one knee.
"I said face me!" the warrior demands again.
Now, the devil is in the details. It's time for the truth to come out. But what mockery of life lies within the darkness of Guardia forest tonight? What blue-black eye of eternity will gaze upon the warrior? A mist steams from the darkness, and forms into a shape.
"Now, Magus, you see me?" the shape speaks out loud, smartly. "You see me now?" laughing like a prince. "I am here, and I have followed you. I told you I would follow you, and here I am. Oh I hate your persistence, but you have driven me to this measure. How is it they say….I'm on you like white on rice? Yes that sounds right. And now I am finished punishing you for tonight. You will suffer my wrath some other time of my choosing." The figure clacked his nails together. "Arise."
Magus rose to his feet, looking like a tiger ready to pounce.
"What do you want?" Magus asked with ferocity.
"I only want what you want: an end. An end to what has plagued me and my people. An end to time. An end to my enemies. An end—"
"I have seen the end of time, and you don't want it." Magus interrupted.
"An end," the figure continued, "to you."
Magus responded, "I will not die by your hands. You are a coward, and your devices will never trump the intuition of a person, or the blade of a warrior, or magic, or sorcery, or even the power of Lavos!"
He was almost babbling, but he was sure he was making his point clear.
"Magus, Magus, Magus….it's not my devices that will, how you say, trump, you. It's everything about me. I have everything that I need, and when things come together…" he cackled softly, "Lavos wouldn't be able to come within two galaxies of my power."
Magus was suddenly aware he had dropped to his knees again.
"What sorcerery is this that you bring me to my knees?"
The figure answered not. He only raised a clawed right hand. With all his might, he slammed his open palm into Magus's cheek. Magus hit the ground, stinging with pain.
It seemed like forever had passed. The figure was the parent asking their child that one awkward question: did you do it or not?
"Don't toy with me, you rejected toy."
To be continued….
