TWO OF A KIND

by Ulquiorra9000

Chapter 34

"Okay, that didn't upset my stomach quite as much," Mizuki commented as she, Morrel, and the others touched down on the rocky hills of Akoum the next day. Overhead, writhing, howling air currents churned the clouds and tossed everyone's hair about.

"I guess it's because you're more used to flying now," Morrel offered as he folded up his kitesail. Nearby, Sherbal similarly packed up his kitesail, a sour expression clear on his long, pale face.

"It will be slow going now," the Kor told everyone. "The Roil is acting up and disrupting wind currents, so we'll have to hike from here. Dead Man's Crags should be close by nightfall. Watch yourselves, people. This neck of Akoum isn't exactly friendly."

With that, Sherbal huffed and started along a winding dirt road, with the rest of Kamsa's Gliders and the others following closely behind. As he hiked under the warm Akoum sun, Morrel turned to Zoira. "Do you think Azrael's minions might get ahead of us if we have to walk all the way there?"

Zoira chewed on her lower lip. "I'm really not sure, but I can say that walking all the way to the Shard's location is making me uncomfortable."

"You think you're uncomfortable?" Mizuki made a face. "Try walking on this rough terrain without shoes!"

She's pretty insistent about going barefoot, Morrel thought, glancing at Mizuki, who winced slightly with every few steps. But she says that going without footwear enhances her nimble movement. Whatever works for her.

"Oh, and by the way," Zoira added as the group walked near a rocky cliff. "Um, Morrel... sorry about last night."

"What?" Morrel blinked. "Don't worry about that. I was prying, and it was rude."

"Maybe," Zoira cracked a grin, "but you hardly even know me after all this time and there's no harm in telling about myself."

"Go on..."

Zoira's face fell a little. "Well, for one thing, my fire magic is unusual among elves, especially among my people, the Tajuru. In my small, remote village, I was the only one with magic power that strong, and the elders assigned me to the village's protector."

Thoughts of Grixis and Jund invaders ambling onto Akrasan soil crossed Morrel's mind. "What were you asked to protect your village from? A rival village?"

"Nothing so complex." Zoira shook her head. "My village had angered a small but powerful tribe of vampires that had moved from Guul Draz. Many vampire gangs wander Zendikar, even here in Akoum. Anyway, these vampires had used strange magic to control local surrakar, and they staged regular raids to plunder my village. The elders performed a ritual to draw out my inner fire magic, and the whole village was counting on me to protect everyone."

"What then?" Mizuki insisted.

Sorrow crossed Zoira's face. "My magic was too strong and chaotic. My abilities are specialized in summoning creatures from other places of the Multiverse, as you've seen. But when that power was drawn out, it went out of control. Burned down my entire village. All my fault."

Morrel recoiled. "Don't blame yourself. You didn't try to do anything wrong."

Unexpectedly, Zoira's smile returned, a little tightly. "Relax, Morrel. I've already thought about it a lot, and it's not really anyone's fault, not in particular." Her face settled again. "Still... it's not a pleasant thing you remember, you know. All my friends and family vaporized when my latent fire magic was released at once. I had a fiancee, too. Gone with everyone else."

Morrel averted Zoira's gaze. Is that why she acts to cheery and carefree? To bury those memories? What sort of woman was she like before that incident? "I'll be sure not to ask about this again."

"Your kindness is welcome," Zoira said warmly. "But like I said, please relax. If anything, it's my fault for not warning you about this topic. You were bound to be curious." She took a deep breath. "The bottom line is, I now have the power to summon fire monsters and I'm going to use every ounce of that power to help defeat Azrael. His scheme to reuse the Sphere of Ages will cause untold destruction and loss of life, even if he doesn't know it. I won't let that happen. You've got my word on that, kids."

Morrel straightened his back. "Understood."

"Yeah, me too," Mizuki added. Her eyes widened slightly. "Hey, when you had your fire magic drawn out... is that when your Spark activated?"

"Her what?" Morrel blurted.

"Yes, in fact," Zoira responded. "And Morrel, every Planeswalker is born with something called the Spark. A sufficiently traumatic experience, mental or physical, will activate it and the carrier will become a Planeswalker."

"Mine activated when that lizard Kami cursed me with its power," Mizuki said. "Remember me telling you that?"

Morrel scratched his head. "Something like that. I don't remember you telling me about Sparks, though."

"No big deal," Mizuki shrugged. "But that's the only way to become a Planeswalker: have a Spark, and get it activated. By what I've been told, some folks are born with one but spend their entire lives without ever using it. Damn shame, huh? Being a 'walker is so great."

Excitement and curiosity bubbled in Morrel's gut. "Makes me wonder if I have one, too? Then I could go anywhere!"

"Oh, I dunno," Mizuki figured as the group hiked up a road on a rusty red mountain. Three jade-green birds swooped by overhead. "With all that we've done, you would have had a Spark activated if you have one. Sorry to say it, but I really don't think you were born with one."

Morrel's shoulders fell. "Oh. Unlucky, then."

"Only about one in a million people is born with one anyway," Zoira added, slapping Morrel's back. "The odds were way against you anyway."

"I suppose..." Morrel said bashfully. Well, there goes that idea. But still, I don't mind traveling with Mizuki as my guide through the Multiverse. Her Spark is good enough for me. He glanced at Mizuki for a second and felt a thrill of gratitude. She's done a lot of work for both of us.

Mizuki looked back and made a teasing smile. "You're looking at me rather intently."

"I – no I wasn't."

"You kind of were..."

"It's nothing," Morrel insisted, looking away quickly. "Just your imagination."

With a sly smile, Mizuki waved a hand in dismissal. "Whatever. But I'm not done with you yet."

"What does that mean?"

"You'll see..."

The sun climbed higher into the sky as Sherbal led everyone higher up the mountain range, and Sherbal periodically checked the air conditions with a small flag, always lowering it in disappointment. "The Roil is lingering here. We might not be able to fly until tomorrow at this rate. In that case, I'll find a shelter for us to camp at for the night. Stay close, everyone." At some point, after Zoira muttered a comment or two about the Roil, Morrel inquired about it. According to Zoira, the Roil was a global phenomenon that continuously shifted and altered the weather and geography of Zendikar one area at a time, making settlement-building and travel dangerous and tricky. "And for some darned reason I can't figure out," Zoira had added, "those hedrons never seem to mind the Roil. They just hover in place like they always do, not bothered by anything."

I wonder who or what built those hedrons, Morrel wondered idly as he looked up at the floating constructs. So vast and strange, how they float up there. I wonder if... what? A sudden cacophony made everyone jump, and both Mizuki and Morrel recoiled in shock. Loose rocks cascaded down the side of the mountain as a huge, red-skinned lizard the size of a large elephant and twice as long came thundering down the mountain. The scaled beast's huge claws raked at the rock, sparks flying from the point of contact. Morrel stared. That lizard has a leather harness and reins on its head. There's somebody riding it! There he is! Is that... a goblin?

Indeed, a shouting, gleeful long-eared goblin hung on to the lizard's reins, tugging on the leather cords to direct the beast's movement. Pushing hard off the mountain wall, the lizard sprang through the air and landed on the mountain path with a thud, blocking the way further up the mountain.

"Halt there, travelers!" shouted the goblin, waving a short sword. "Hand over all your valuables and you'll yet live! Chop, chop. I'm hungry and the food caravans will be leaving soon! Need to fill belly!"

Morrel tried not to laugh at the sight of this goblin. There's eight of us and one of him! Even with that lizard mount, he has no idea what he's getting himself into. "My fellow, this is ridiculous. Move along and we can all be on our way. There doesn't need to be any trouble here."

"But there does! Trouble brings profit!" giggled the goblin. "Who do you think you be, little human down there? You can't barter with me! Give over stuff!"

Sherbal sighed, taking hold of his double-hook weapon. "Then you leave me no choice. Prepare for death, goblin!"

"Pardon me, Sherbal," Morrel said slightly impatiently, stepping forward to confront the goblin's mount. White mana coalesced around his hands. "I can handle this."

The lizard grunted and pawed the ground with its talons, raking gouges out of the mountain path. "Good, good, gold-haired boy! Give me your valuables first!" the goblin demanded.

Without a reply, Morrel frowned slightly and thrust out his hands. With a surge of white mana, a huge ethereal ring flashed into existence, removing the goblin's giant lizard mount from reality. The goblin wailed in shock as he fell from the air, tumbling onto the mountain path. "No more! I leave you alone!" the goblin shouted earnestly, scampering down the mountain road and out of sight. Trying not to smile in amusement, Morrel released the Oblivion Ring and the giant lizard returned in a flash. Left riderless, the lizard trotted down the mountain path with its tail swishing back and forth.

"Now that was interesting," Mizuki elbowed Morrel with a smile. "You didn't even have to hurt them!"

"And I wouldn't," Morrel added. "There was no need for violence."

"More Bant stuff, I see..."

"You bet."

*o*o*o*o*

Sherbal hoped that the Roil's air currents would die down to allow for kitesail flight, but the tortured air currents remained hostile to flying. Instead, Sherbal led his party over the mountain range and to the forested section of Akoum, the soil richly fertilized by lava and a cycle of burnings to renew the soil's nutrients with dead plant matter. Once again, Sherbal's expert knowledge led him to what he wanted: a small explorer camp set on the forest's edge, a series of tents, huts, and campfire rings. By now, the sun sank over the horizon, and although Morrel was uncomfortably reminded of the previous evening's affairs, no sign of Eldrazi made itself clear, and everyone seemed at ease.

"Sleep tight, kids," Zoira winked as she rolled out her hut's bedroll. Nearby, a small hedron sat in the soft earth, half-buried and covered in moss, dirt, and scratches from animal claws. "I'm turning in early. Awaken me if something happens."

"Of course," Morrel nodded. "Sleep well." He, however, didn't feel tired yet and instead sat on a wide wooden bench outside his and Mizuki's tent, wondering whether to offer a prayer to the angels as per his traditions. Can Asha and the other angels even hear me from here? Morrel wondered with a slight shiver. I used to think that Bant was the entirety of existence and that the angels had jurisdiction over everything. Now I know that all that is one piece of a much larger picture. But doesn't that make Bant more precious? That it's unique among the places I've seen? He laughed at himself. Maybe I really am tired. My mind is getting wonky.

"Not tired yet?" Mizuki put in with a small smile, wandering over to Morrel and settling next to him.

Morrel shook his head, then shrugged. "Not sure. On this Plane, being drowsy and vulnerable is dangerous, but I have to sleep sometime, right?"

"Yup." Mizuki folded her hands in her lap, looking over at Morrel. "Thinking about Bant, were you?"

"You could tell?" Morrel asked. Jeez, I must be easy to read. "I must have been making my I'm-feeling-homesick expression or something."

"Yeah, you were." Mizuki leaned on Morrel, wrapping her arms around his left arm and hugging tightly. "You looked happy."

Morrel swallowed, feeling his heart race. "Actually, happy that nothing bad has happened since that Eldrazi. We need a little break from the chaos around here."

"Yes, and this camp is nice enough," Mizuki commented. "For a wilderness refuge, at least." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, I bet you'd rather be here with me than cooped up in that Akrasa castle. Am I wrong?"

"What I said earlier is still true: traveling to all these wild Planes is exciting," Morrel said honestly. "Heck, maybe I am jealous of your and Zoira's and Veldor's Sparks. So much freedom..."

Mizuki stifled a giggle. "Oh, please. You have me! Isn't that good enough for you?"

"Yes, but..."

"Then tell me you like me, Morrel," Mizuki smiled. "Friend, guide, fighting partner... I'm really there for you, you know. Don't you like me?"

"Sure I do," Morrel told her gently, lowering his voice as his heart started to pound in his chest. "You're the most dependable person I've met, and..."

"Ah ha! Then you do like me!" Mizuki said triumphantly. She made a sound of content. "That makes me happy to hear."

Morrel couldn't contain himself. "What's this all about? You know I'm your steadfast companion. Have you been having doubts? We've talked about this before..."

"I don't doubt anything," Mizuki told him fondly. "And I know we've talked about this before, but there's still all kinds of stuff I've wanted to tell you, but I haven't... well, worked up the courage for yet."

"Do you have some other life tale you haven't shared?" Morrel teased. He felt his skin tingle from where Mizuki leaned on him and tried not to blush. Why does she have to be so cute?

"No, dummy." Mizuki let go of Morrel's arm and instead took his hand in hers. She fidgeted. "Listen, um... oh jeez, I dunno how to put it. Bluntly, or some other way?"

Morrel watched her intently, heart still pounding. What's she going to say? Is it about... no, it can't be. Can it?

Mizuki nervously ran her free hand's fingers through her soft black hair. "Look, Morrel, I... you're not just a friend to me, or just a travel companion." She started to blush. "I really like you. You make me feel safe, and make me feel wanted, like I'm really somebody. And, um..." a smile tugged at her lips. "Over these last few days, I-I've fallen in lo -"

Something silver flashed through the air like an arrow, striking the wall of the hut with a solid thunk. Both Morrel and Mizuki recoiled away from each other, the object having traveled right between them. Morrel leaped to his feet, adrenaline suddenly coursing through him. A throwing knife rested in the wall of his hut, but it was more crude, and probably more sharp, than his own knives. The handle was made of a dark, twisted wood and the blade was serrated. Who the hell threw that?

"Vampire raid!" someone shouted, a human man hurrying out of his hut with a sword in hand. "Defend yourselves!"

Morrel's ears perked when he heard the rustling of unseen people or things moving swiftly through the foliage in the increasing darkness. Mizuki glared this way and that, her right arm swelling to full size. She flinched when a Kor explorer was suddenly tugged into the darkness, a hideous, rasping intake of breath coming a second later. Bright red blood suddenly leaked from the foliage and the Kor slumped lifelessly back into view, two large holes on the side of his neck.

From the tree branches leaped a number of humanoid creatures, some wielding knives and others brandishing short swords. Morrel raised his arms to defend himself, but the beings moved with alarming speed and grace. Vampires... I've almost never even seen such things, let alone fought them! I have to stay on guard or I –

Morrel didn't have time to finish the thought: a rope snare sprang from the treetops and seized his ankles, hoisting him into the shadowy lower branches of the trees. Scrambling to get himself upright on the tree branches, Morrel looked up just in time to see a brawny man clad in light leather armor lunge at him with two curvy swords flashing in the air. Morrel narrowly ducked the blow, letting the vampire's blades cut the rope traps off his legs. Morrel brought himself right before the vampire, too close to hit with the swords. The vampire snarled back at Morrel, red and black paint marks on his face and his eyes hard and dark. His lips curled back to reveal two long, sharp canines, sending a shiver down Morrel's spine. Refusing to be intimidated by such a monster, Morrel jabbed his elbow at the vampire's upper chest, knocking it off-balance. Pressing his advantage, Morrel whipped his fists through the air, catching the vampire on its jaw, throwing its head to the side. Another jab at the stomach collided with a fleshy smack.

Much to Morrel's surprise, the vampire smiled cruelly and bashed Morrel's forehead with the pommel of its left sword, causing a wave of pain and a flash in Morrel's vision. My blows would easily disable a normal being! Morrel realized. But then again, I guess this is the power of vampires!

The vampire raised its swords again but instead of attacking Morrel, it lightly drew its blades against its own chest, drawing trickles of red blood. Suddenly huffing and growling at the scent of blood, the vampire lunged again, jabbing its blades right at Morrel's face. Morrel backed away from the blows and conjured a blue-gold mana shield, letting the vampire's further blows rain uselessly on the barrier.

A heavy kick from behind collided with Morrel's lower back, throwing the Bant battlemage off-balance. What was that? Another vampire? A snarl of bloodlust confirmed the second vampire's presence right before it tackled Morrel with its brawny form, knocking the both of them out of the tree branches and to the ground below. Morrel grunted as the second vampire pinned him to the ground like a predator, the vampire's sharp teeth exposed as it lowered its jaws to Morrel's neck.

A quartet of thick black mana tendrils shot through the air, impaling the vampire in its shoulder and throwing it right off Morrel. As the vampire tumbled to the ground, Morrel sprang to his feet and saw Mizuki standing a dozen feet away, her left arm raised to eye level. "Saved your neck. Literally," the Kamigawa Planeswalker jibed. Two more sword-wielding vampires descended from the treetops, baring their fangs.

"All our camps keep getting attacked," Mizuki commented, watching over a dozen vampires do battle with the camp's inhabitants. "What a pain!" She raised her giant right arm as the vampires charged, but her arm came up too slowly to block the vampires' blows. One vampire slashed his blade across the thick black skin of Mizuki's right arm, drawing blood. The other vampire jabbed his swords at Mizuki's chest, forcing her to dodge. She raised her right arm again and swung it in a heavy blow, but the two vampires easily evaded the slow attack. The vampires placed themselves on either side of Mizuki and raised their swords to strike.

Blood pounding in his ears, Morrel hurled a throwing knife into the should of one vampire, making the monster grunt in surprise and back off, not lowering his swords. The other vampire, distracted, swung a slow blow that Mizuki narrowly evaded. Morrel lashed his foot through the air at the wounded vampire, and the vampire raised his sword pommel in a block. Morrel's foot bounced off the vampire's sword but the kinetic energy still rattled the bloodsucker's guard. Morrel threw a right jab at the vampire's chest, which the vampire sidestepped. The vampire bared its fangs and stabbed at Morrel's head, determined to hack off the battlemage's head. Morrel slipped past the attack and seized the vampire's thick arm, diverting the vampire's momentum. The vampire stumbled forward as Morrel tugged at its arm, then Morrel kicked the vampire's knee to force the bloodsucker to the ground. One more kick to the temple knocked the vampire out of the fight.

"Raaaah!" Mizuki used her giant arm to bash a vampire's guard, and her talons raked the bloodsucker's chest, drawing bright red blood. The vampire stumbled back but still managed to jab its sword forth, grazing Mizuki's shoulder.

Morrel hurried to the fight, throwing a kick that knocked the vampire's sword arm away. Angered, the vampire whirled around and jabbed Morrel right on the face, stunning the Bant battlemage for a second. Morrel reeled back from the powerful blow, slowly raising his arms. I won't lose to creatures like vampires! What are these guys after? Don't tell me they're working for Azrael!

Before either Morrel or Mizuki could make a move, a trio of flaming saber-toothed cats bounded through the forest, pouncing on nearby vampires with claw and fang. The bloodsuckers howled as the fire cats shredded them with flaming claws, and Zoira walked into the fray a minute later, her hands ablaze with fiery red mana. "Thought you guys could use some help!" she called out.

"Thanks for that," Morrel told her, retrieving his thrown knives. "Are there any left?" All around him were slain Kor, human explorers, and vampires.

Zoira lowered her arms and her fire cats settled on their haunches. "Doesn't look like it," she said. "But don't lower your guard yet. Vampires almost never give up when there's blood to be had."

"Understood." Morrel turned to Mizuki, who was wincing at the stinging pain of her giant right arm's wounds. "Mizuki? You seemed to be having trouble..."

"Yeah, it's because of that damned Roil's mana torrents," Mizuki said tightly, flexing her cursed arm's fingers shakily. "It's making the Kami mana of my right arm go haywire. It feels heavy and numb. And my mana tendrils are difficult to summon here." She made a face. "Zendikar isn't too kind to my curse. In fact, this place is aggravating it."

Morrel made a placating face. "We're doing all we can to rid you of that curse. You'll just have to hang on until then." I wish I could do more to help her, but counteracting curses is way beyond me.

"True," Mizuki said, sounding half-convinced. "Though I wouldn't mind getting a move on first thing in the morn – ugh!"

She fell to her knees, her mismatched hands clawing at the earth in strain. Morrel felt it too: a heavy, thick presence infused itself into the very air, weighing down Morrel's mind and body. He fought against the pressure, unwilling to be subdued by such a wicked-feeling presence. Still, he ground his teeth as he slowly started to bend his knees from the pressure.

"What... what is this?" Zoira gritted as she fell to her hands and knees, her fire cats howling from the pressure. A loud humming of corrupted mana flooded Morrel's ears, making it hard for him to hear Zoira's next words: "Guys, it's coming from outside the forest, whatever it is!"

"Should we... ugh... run?" Mizuki bit back. The air wavered and distorted from the power permeating it. "Into the forest?"

"There's no need for that," boomed a deep, confident voice in Morrel's mind. By the expressions they made, Zoira and Mizuki heard it too. "Come out here and meet me outside the forest, or you'll only suffer more. Don't be afraid. You cannot run very far anyway as long as I maintain this pressure field."

The pressure eased a little, and Zoira struggled to her feet, her face streaked with sweat. "Morrel, Mizuki, follow me," she said heavily, marching her way to the forest edge, her fire saber-tooth cats trotting with her. "I bet we've met another of Azrael's minions. This is our chance to take him out!"

True, but this pressure... what kind of hideously powerful being are we dealing with here? Morrel wondered with dread. And these vampires were just a prelude. I bet this new guy used them just to test us and kill off the other explorers first. He shook his head. Get it together. You've fought off Azrael's goons before. You can do it again!

"Let's go," Mizuki said doggedly, following after Zoira through the forest, her giant right arm dragging behind her. "These people are making me angry!"

"Well, that should motivate you, then," Morrel commented lightly as he tagged along. Once he and the others broke out of the forest, they emerged onto a wide, earthy cliff bathed in the blazing evening sun. The jagged mountains, bluffs, and hedrons of Akoum formed an impressive panorama all around, but Morrel's attention was focused on the single being standing in the middle of the cliff.

"There you all are," the newcomer welcomed them with a mocking grin. "For a minute I was afraid that you would run away after all."

"Run? Please," Mizuki snapped back. She warily eyed the stranger. The man easily towered over her, even taller than Veldor. A shock of blond hair stuck up on his scalp, similar to the hairstyles of soldier drill instructors Morrel had seen back at home. His face was heavy and somewhat square, his hard gray eyes alight with wicked glee. Over his powerful chest he wore a suit of studded black leather armor with no sleeves, revealing brawny arms. On his feet he wore heavy combat boots and a small gray cape fluttered on the man's left shoulder.

He must be a heavy melee fighter, Morrel figured. No visible weapons or tools. I'll bet he uses red and green mana like Rohkan did. The sword-wielding Vedalken came to Morrel's mind Is this guy Rohkan's replacement?

"Zendikar is a dangerous place," the stranger remarked. "You all would have been better off to never come here. That Sphere shard is as good as mine."

"Trust me, Zendikar's wilderness is easy enough for me to handle," Zoira retorted, more fire magic coalescing on her hands. Her fire cats growled. "And you will be, too!"

The stranger laughed. "You have spirit, Zoira," he told her. "Oh, and how rude of me. My name is Nihil, a compatriot of Azrael. And you kids must be Morrel and Mizuki. The defensive spellcaster and the girl with the cursed arm! I've been wanting to meet you both for a while."

He talks a lot, but he must have the power to back it up, Morrel thought nervously, dropping into a defensive posture. I can't underestimate him! I'll use everything: barriers, martial arts, my crystal spell...

"Enough nonsense," Zoira declared, taking a step forward. She raised her arms a little. "Friend of Azrael, you're going to regret taking us on! Morrel, Mizuki?"

Mizuki raised her cursed arm as best she could. "Yeah."

Zoira turned to Morrel, who nodded his readiness.

Nihil shrugged and raised his hands in preparation to brawl. "Then let's begin, everyone!"

*o*o*o*o*

Cards in this chapter... Kitesail Apprentice, Goblin Roughrider, Grappling Hook, Oblivion Ring, Forest (Vincent Proce), Vampire Lacerator, Tendrils of Corruption