Slayers: Dark Future
Adrian's Story
My name is Adrianathas Kansaki, Adrian for short. I was raised in the island country of Semora. Don't worry, you've probably never heard of it. It was a small elven kingdom destroyed nearly 60 years ago by the demon hordes. I was 30 at the time, a young boy being raised by my older brother Eon. My brother was young, about 80 years old, and very talented. He wasn't built like a regular elf though. He was strongly built and nearly six feet tall. He also had red hair and dark green eyes, like the color of leaves in the spring and fall.
He was an expert warrior and marksman. Trained to combine weapons with magic, as he was said to be the most powerful magic-user in the kingdom. He taught me how to use a sword, and a bow, and how to fight with honor. He also taught me magic. He taught me to create water and fire from nothing. He was my hero and, to this day, I would do anything for him.
Wait! Don't get me wrong, we had parents. My father was the speaker, our country's ruler, with my mother at his side. Our parents were there, but they had no time for us, being at war and all. Our country was constantly under attack by the demon armies of Burmack, a very powerful Mazoku. My father was continuously leading the army around the country, trying to save us all from the unholy army. My mother was also busy. On top of her regular duties as the speaker's wife, she also had to take over my father's daily duties like running the courts, implementing wartime measures, and meeting with...well, everybody. So Eon and I had to fend for our selves.
The day my country was destroyed, both sides of the fight had called a truce. It was the Day of Remembrance for the elves, and the Day of the Deathwalk for the Demons. It commemorated the battle my ancestors fought centuries ago. The world's three 'holy' races battled against the combined armies of the Nine Hells. In the end, no side won. Both armies were destroyed by a mysterious magical blast that, to this day, is unexplained.
On that day, every year, we celebrate that army's sacrifice. I can't remember when I woke up that day, or what I ate for breakfast, or what I was wearing, or even how the town was decorated, but I do remember that I was excited. My father had come home from the front for the day and Eon was going to teach me a new spell. I was small then, about four feet tall. My short blonde hair feeling warm in the sunlight as I walked from the royal palace to the city gate, stopping every once in a while to talk with the people who stopped me in the streets. I met my brother outside the city's fortifications.
Massive stone walls towered over us, blotting out the sun. The walls surrounded our square shaped city, protecting us from would be invaders. The walls were as thick as Eon was tall, and covered with metal spikes of similar length. Imposing towers were scattered along the inside of the wall, like monstrous sentinels, waiting for the enemy. The gate was nearly as tall as the walls, made of thick granite that took ten men to raise it. The gate hung suspended over our heads, creaking occasionally, being blown by the strong morning winds. If that gate closed, no army in the world could open it. The city was safe and well guarded, except today. There was one guard, which was very unusual. During a time of war, there was supposed to be two guards at every gate. I was suspicious, and so was my brother.
"Who's supposed to be on shift with you soldier?" Eon demanded, looking the guard over. He was a tall man, a head and a half taller than my brother and muscular too. He dwarfed my brother, which was strange because Eon was rather tall for an Elf and rather muscular to boot. The guard had piercing gray eyes and dark, dark green hair, peeking out from under his helmet. "Are you new here soldier?" Eon inquired. "I don't think I've ever seen you before"
"I was just transferred here from the 103rd Regular Infantry, my Prince." The guard stammered. "Quarath was on guard duty with me, but he is escorting General Edalphis to the palace. He will be back momentarily."
Eon gave the guard a thoughtful look and the nodded, "All right, carry on." The Guard saluted Eon and Eon saluted back. I didn't know what story Eon had heard, but I didn't believe him. To me, the guard was exploiting the only crack in my brother's marble personality: he was too trusting. But, as Eon always taught me, 'Don't make accusations unless you can back them up with hard evidence', and I didn't have any.
"I know you don't believe him Adrian, but he was telling the truth." Eon stated.
"Really? How do you know?" I skeptically implored
Eon looked down at me like only a big brother would. "I saw Quarath and General Edalphis on my way here."
"Really?"
"Really." Eon laughed and then stopped. "Oops, I left our equipment in the guardhouse. I'll be right back, don't move."
Eon turned around and ran back to the guardhouse. After a few seconds, he emerged with his sword, short bow, and a full quiver of arrows. "Lets go!" he cried. Winds gushed around us and he flew off to the west. I quickly cast a Reiwing spell and followed.
That day we raced to our usual spot and, as always, I won. I knew Eon probably let me win but I played along. Our training ground was nestled in the Keromi Forest, thousands of ancient Aspen trees glittering green in the spring dawn. We would practice archery and fighting in the woods, among trees, rocks and other natural obstacles. We practiced magic in a clearing at the east side of the forest, where the forest met the Kerillose Mountain range. Our spot in particular was surrounded by giant Aspens and a 20-foot rock, cracked and black with scorch marks. We landed at the edge of the clearing and walked over to a makeshift table we had made. It was a stump, the remains if a once great Aspen tree, twelve feet around and five feet in diameter.
Eon took a book out of his bag and set it on the table. It was a thick, well-worn tome; its pages were yellow and cracked. Its binding was night blue, like all of Eon's other books, decorated with silver runes and symbols. Eon flipped through the saffron pages until he found what he was looking for.
Fireball
My heart skipped a beat. Eon was going to teach me the fireball spell. Learning this was a prerequisite to becoming a professional magic-user. I was amazed that Eon had that much faith in my magical abilities. Sure, I had been training for fifteen years, but fifteen years to an elf is a heartbeat. Eon had spent 70 hard years training; forty before he learned the fireball, but then again, Eon didn't have himself as a teacher.
"Go ahead, read it and try to cast it." Eon said as he sat down on a nearby stone. I peered into the book and started to read the neatly written passages.
Category: Shamanism/ Fire
An upgrade for the Fire Shamanistic spell Flare Bit, a ball of flame appears between the hands of the caster which can the be thrown. Upon contact with an object, the ball detonates; spreading flames around a radius exactly five (5) times the ball's diameter. Increased concentration yields a larger diameter. Two variations of the spell are as follows:
Fire appears around the target surrounding it, and then implodes.
Fireball may detonate on the Command Word "Break".
Effective Counter: Flare Seal, Windy Shield, And Holy Barrier
After the description, neatly inked in Eon's graceful High Elven script the following words were written.
Note: Caution is necessary when using this spell in an enclosed space or forest because the spell affects a wide area.
After the notes came the incantation. Written in the spidery language of magic, the incantation could be translated into any language by anyone who had sufficient power to use it. Anyone who didn't would only see gibberish. To my astonishment, the symbols of the incantation started to rearrange themselves into High Elven.
"Oh, source of all power, light which burns beyond crimson, let thy power gather in my hand. FIREBALL!"
I read the incantation over and over to myself until I had it memorized. Confidant, I walked to the middle of the clearing. I could feel my brother's eyes on me the whole time, watching me, perhaps judging me, I didn't know. I faced the towering rock face, its scorched surface almost mocking me. I closed my eyes, raised my hands and began to chant.
"Oh, source of all power, -" I could feel the magical energy surging through me with every heartbeat. "-Light which burns beyond crimson, -" my hand grew warm and I could feel the familiar rush of energy. "Let thy power gather in my hand." I could feel the magical energy coursing through my veins as I concentrated on my target.
"FIREBALL!" I cried as I felt the energy leave me and my foot start to get very hot. My next cry was one of more surprise then pain. The ball of fire I had made, a very, very small ball mind you, had not flown from my hand and struck the rock face as it was supposed to, but instead fell from my hand and on to my shoe, which also contained my foot.
I must have been a sight to behold, jumping around, cursing and swearing, driving my foot into the soft soil trying to put out the magical fire eating away at my leather boot. When I finally got the fire out I looked to my brother, who was calmly sitting on his rock, and tried to ask what went wrong.
As if in response to the question I was about to ask, Eon stood up and walked toward me. Wordlessly, my brother walked over to where I had tried to cast the spell and stopped. Eon raised his right hand stared at the rock face. Suddenly, a small, crimson ball of fire appeared in the palm of his hand. As I watched in awe, the flame grew bigger and bigger until it was at least six feet tall. I saw my brother's eyes narrow and the invisible force used to push the ball away blew me back. As soon as the ball impacted with the rock face, it exploded, sending small chunks of rock flying.
When the smoke cleared, there was a huge crater in the center of the face, the rock looked as if it had been melted. The rock around the crater was the blackest black I had ever seen. The grass surrounding the face and the moss that used to cover some surrounding rocks was burned away, leaving only a charred surface behind.
Eon looked at me as if expecting something. "Well?"
"Well What?"
"Try it again."
"But I don't know what I did wrong."
"Easy, you were concentrating on gathering energy, not forming it. With out a form, all the energy escapes and what's left falls harmlessly to the ground." Eon walked closer and knelt down to look me in the eye. "Want a tip?"
I nodded dumbly.
"Pretend that the energy is water, coming from a hose. Then pretend the ball is a waterskin. Fill the ball with the energy like you would a waterskin and then release it."
I stared at my brother for a long moment and then thought 'What the heck, it's worth a try.' I turned back to the rock face and started chanting again.
"Oh, source of all power, -" I could feel the magical energy surging through me with every heartbeat. "-Light which burns beyond crimson, -" my hand grew warm and I could feel the familiar rush of energy. "Let thy power gather in my hand." I concentrated on filling the waterskin up with water.
I told my feet to get ready as I cried out the evocation word: "FIREBALL!"
To my surprise (and relief!) my foot stayed the same temperature. Instead I felt a surge of energy rushing from everywhere inside me to my hand and out. I opened my eyes to see a crimson ball flame being hurled at the rock face by an invisible wind. The fireball hit the rock face and exploded into a cloud of flame. I yelped with joy and started jumping up and down. Eon came over and patted me on the head. "I knew you could do it kid, I-" Eon stopped and looked around.
"What's wrong?" I asked, looking at Eon's ashen face.
"Can't you feel it?" My brother said, looking to the sky. "Something's very wrong."
I forced my self to calm down and look around. Elves have always been in tune with nature, and most of us can tell what the weather will be or if something is wrong. Now I felt like something was wrong. Something about the wind and the clouds.
"The clouds!" I exclaimed, looking into the sky. Eon nodded in grim agreement. Although it was now half past noon, no sun could be seen. An hour ago, there had been no clouds to be seen anywhere, now there were clouds as dark as a demon's soul.
Slowly but surely, the wind began to pick up and the light started to fade. Soon after, it was pitch black. Then the rain started. Sheets of ice hard rain pelted us, as if the heavens gave way and sent a flood down to the earth. Soon after that there was thunder that shook you insides with every clap and unnatural green and red lightning. I looked around and saw everything through a red haze. My infravision had kicked in.
Then the ground shuddered, rocked by an explosion from the east. And again. And again. "The City!" Eon cried.
"No! Eon no! Not the city! It's not an attack, not now. There's a truce." I was crying now. I knew the truth, but I just didn't want to admit it.
Eons looked at me, then to the east, and then back to me. He took off his bow and unstrapped his quiver of arrows. "Stay here. Don't leave until I come get you or the explosions stop." Eon ordered sternly. "Understand?"
I nodded, whipping the tears from my eyes with the sleeve of my olive green tunic.
"Good, take these and use them to protect yourself." My brother started running for the east and then stopped. "Don't go anywhere!" He ordered one last time, and then took off with his sword drawn.
"Be careful." I whispered, choking back my tears.
The explosions continued for hours. Some of them were small, some were large, and some were so big that I fell of my seat on our table. About five hours later, there was silence. The explosions had stopped. Excited, I strapped my brother's quiver, slung his bow over my shoulder, and took off towards the city.
As I cleared the forest, I saw the farmland around our city drenched in blood. Bodies littered the fields, some elven, some horribly disfigured animals and men. Some were hacked and slashed, and others were horribly burnt, or encased in ice.
My only thought was that they couldn't have gotten through the front gates, but as I landed, I was proved wrong. The city was burning. The great wooden buildings of my city were all being burned way. I looked around for an answer, and then I found it. Quarath's body lay sprawled on the ground, face in the blood soaked mud. Sticking out of his back was a jeweled silver dagger, the kind the town guard had been issued.
I was right all along, that guard wasn't supposed to be there. He was either a traitor or...a demon. A demon in elven form. And if there was one of them, there could be more in the town and...even...in...the...palace!
I took off in a dead run through the burning city. Smoke burned my eyes and lungs as I sprinted to its center. When I arrived were the palace used to be, I nearly died. Our home had been burnt to the ground, the rubble still smoldering as I arrived.
I had no time to look around as I heard a noise behind me. Footsteps. I unslung my brothers bow, fitted an arrow to it, and aimed in the direction that the footfalls were coming from. Out of the smoke came a figure. He was tall and muscular and not elven. I could see his ears through his dark green hair and they didn't come to a point like mine, instead they were smooth and rounded like a human's. He was dressed in silver armor that had my family's crest on it. He looked at me with his piercing gray eyes and I felt my soul shrivel up and hide.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here? I see our little princeling has somehow survived the battle." He sneered. I drew back the arrow and aimed for the man's chest. "Oh please, put that toy away. It's useless against me." The guard gave a shrill, distorted, inhuman laugh and then ripped off his silver breastplate.
He began to grow, his clothes ripping and falling away from him as he grew to well over nine feet tall. His bulky muscles began to shrink until his limbs were long and drawn out. His fingers and toes gnarled and razor sharp talons exploded from their tips. His chest and torso got thinner and longer, and three jewels pushed through the skin of his chest. One was small and red, right in the middle of his chest. The other two, positioned to either side of the red one, were as large as a man's head.
Green hair grew, standing on end, in a straight line from the top of his head, straight down his spine and ending where his buttocks used to be to form a bushy, horse-like tail. His face stretched out to form a snout and his eyes bugged and turned red. Where there had once been normal teeth, there now was row upon row of serrated teeth. His skin turned a pale green as all sign of human gender disappeared.
This wasn't a regular human, or even a regular demon; it was a Mazoku, the demon lord Burmack. My hands were trembling and my palms were sweating. I could sense tremendous power emanating from him and I felt the need to run away. I let the arrow fly and it shattered on contact.
"Was that supposed to hurt, little prince?" The demon lord cackled in delight.
My only option now was to run away, to find Eon and get him to kill this monster. I raised my palm to Burmack and cast the only spell I could think of.
"Inferno Array!" I yelled. Small balls of light flew from my open palm and towards the monster. They exploded and sent a screen of smoke into the air. I took off again, running away from the demon lord. I didn't get ten feet away from him when another Mazoku stopped me. This one was identical to Burmack, except for shorter.
"Just where do you think you're going kid? Not away I hope. Your the only living elf left on this island." The newcomer said with a devious grin. The new demon raised its taloned hand in the air and was prepared to bring it down on me when Burmack spoke up.
"Don't kill him Joylock, he's my entertainment." The towering Mazoku said. "Go find your own my brother, this one's mine."
Joylock gave his brother a sidelong glance and stepped back. As he did, a voice echoed throughout the ruins of the city. "Gaav Flare!" A column of crimson fire darted through the air and hit Joylock, square in the chest. As the shorter Mazoku was sent head over heels on to the ground, I ran to the side and hid behind a half burned beam.
A Figure dropped out of the air and landed on the ground in front of Burmack, sword flashing in the firelight. "Leave my brother out of this Burmack, your fight is with me!" Eon stood fearlessly in front of the towering demon, sword in hand. His clothes were covered in blood; some red, some black. Some from others, some his own. He wasweary from long hours of fighting and spell casting and could barely stand straight before his opponant. "I thought I told you to stay put!" he said in a low voice, looking me straight in the eyes.
Before I could respond, our houseguest spoke up. "As much as I love family reunions," Burmack sneered. "We have a fight to finish." Burmack lurched foreword at my brother, hoping to catch him off guard. Eon was ready though, and dove out of the way, already preparing a spell.
"Elmekia Flame!" my brother yelled, pointing at the towering Mazoku with his open palm. A pillar of green light shot from my brother's hand towards Burmack. The demon sidestepped the blast with ease and swung one massive, taloned hand in his direction.
Eon leaped into the air and chanted another spell: "Bram Blazer!" A beam of gleaming blue light exploded from Eon and struck Burmack in the chest. The demon lord was pushed back a few feet but, to both me and Eon's astonishment, remained unharmed
"That spell of yours packs quite a punch, boy." Burmack marveled, "but it's nowhere near powerful enough to defeat me." Burmack opened his mouth wide and a ball of flame appeared in it. The ball launched out of the demon's mouth and flew at an incredible speed towards my brother.
The ball grazed Eon's left arm and flew harmlessly into the night. My brother winced in pain as the nearness of the ball made his skin burn and boil. Eon stood for a moment, hanging motionless in the air. Then, confidently, Eon drew his sword. It was a long, single edged blade with an ornate ivory handle, carved in the shape of a dragon's head.
Eon held the sword in front of him in the battle stance he had taught me years ago. "Your day has come, demon!" was the only thing he said.
"Oh come now Prince Eon, your mortal weapons can't hurt me." Burmack laughed. "Look what happened to this little whelps arrow." He sneered, gesturing the broken shaft of the arrow.
Eon looked dully at the arrow, and then back to Burmack. "You will pay for all the lives you took today, in blood. Light-Blade!" Eon's sword erupted in white fire, wrapping itself around the metal blade of Eon's sword.
"The Sword of Light." I heard myself say in awe. The Sword of Light was a legend among my people. Long ago, during the war against the Nine Hells, our side was losing. Our magic couldn't stand up the Mazoku. None of the opposing army's Generals had ever been killed even when they were all that was left of their army. Mortal weapons had no effect on them and most magical spells didn't even phase them, they where just too strong. The races of Earth faced total annihilation at the very dawning of their greatness.
One day, the greatest general from each of the three races went to a temple and prayed for any kind of help the Karyuuou would give. They all fell asleep in prayer and, when they woke up, a sword had appeared in front of each general. When they touched it, a voice spoke to them. 'To ye who hold this sword, the light will come forth at your request.' Hearing this, they asked: 'Light! Come forth!' The swords flared to life, erupting in white fire. The Generals took this sign back to their armies and courageously led them into battle.
Demon army after demon army fell to the might of the world's combined forces. A year later victory was in sight. The Demon armies had gathered on what is now called The Plains of Death. They were small in number and their supply lines had been cut off. The world's armies marched foreword to claim victory. If all had gone well, the demon army would have been banished, but all didn't go well.
In the middle of the battle, a magical explosion wiped out both armies, leaving very few survivors. It was thought that the Swords of Light where destroyed in that blast, but at that moment, I realized that at least one hadn't, and hope burned brightly in my eyes.
Eon descended at Burmack with a speed born out of rage. He thrust straight at the Mazoku but missed as the demon lord sidestepped. Eon landed on his knees, and swung the flaming blade behind him, hoping to catch the demon off guard. Burmack jumped the attack and threw a bolt of energy at my brother.
The bolt struck Eon harder than any arrow could. It flew straight through his shoulder, splattering blood on the charred ground. Eon was on his feet again, charging at the immense demon. He attacked Burmack with a fury of diagonal slices. Burmack dodged all but the last strike, as the sword found its target.
The flaming blade struck the Mazoku in the shoulder, but did no damage, resting harmlessly on his shoulder. Burmack laughed, an evil, screeching laugh and grabbed my brother's arm with his taloned hand. I saw Eon wince in pain as the talons dug into the soft flesh of his upper arm. My brother kicked his assailant in the chest and the demon continued laughing. He flicked his wrist and Eon cried out in pain as Burmack's talons tore Eon's muscle.
Eon dropped his sword and, as it fell, the white fire died. Burmack kicked the sword away. It landed in front of me and I reached out my hand to pick it up. At my touch, the white ivory handle turned into pitch-black ebony. I picked up the sword and was contemplating how to use it when my brother cried out in pain again. Burmack thrust his taloned hand into my brother's torso, his talons searing his flesh like a knife through butter.
"It's your turn to pay, boy. Any last requests?" the Mazoku mockingly inquired.
Eon looked at Burmack and then at me. "Yes, I do." he choked, blood trickling from his mouth. "Today you killed my people, my parents, and now you will kill me. I asked only this: spare my brother."
Surprised, Burmack gave me a thoughtful glance and then looked back to my brother. "Why should I? Why should I spare him when he is the last of your pitiful race?"
"He is just a boy. He's harmless and he is not the one you seek." He said weakly. "I am."
Now Joylock, who had recovered from my brother's attack, spoke up. "How do we know that your brother isn't the Lightbringer? This could be a trick!" the smaller Mazoku snarled.
"I had the sword, didn't I?"
"But-"
"Fine," Burmack said to his brother's surprise. "I'll spare him, but on one condition." A cruel smile appeared on Burmack's inhuman lips. He threw my brother carelessly to the ground and backed up. "Beg me. On your knees."
Eon struggled to get to his knees, blood flowing from his open wounds. "Please, spare my brother." He choked.
"No, Eon!" I said, angry with my brother for giving up.
"Spare my worthless brother." Burmack corrected.
"Please, spare my worthless brother."
"Spare this worthless boy!" Joylock corrected.
I saw Eon grit his teeth and looked the Mazoku in the eyes. "Please, spare this worthless boy." The two demons laughed in perverse delight and Eon shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Well," Burmack said gleefully. "Since you said please..." In one lightning fast swipe, the towering Mazoku slit my brothers throat with his razor sharp talons.
"Eon. No. " I whispered as my brothers lifeless body fell to the ground. Tears filled my eyes and my very being ached.
"I'll kill our little princeling." I heard Joylock say as if he was a million miles away.
"Why?" The murderer asked. "What harm can he do?"
"He might be the Lightbringer!"
"No, I doubt this harmless little boy is the Lightbringer. Besides, he can provide me with four hundred years of entertainment."
"But the legend said-"
"The legend says that a virtuous, self-sacrificing elf is the Lightbringer; the late Eon Kansaki fits the bill perfectly. With him, this world's hope dies."
I didn't hear the rest of the conversation as my mind was filled with other thoughts. First, Burmack had slaughtered my people. Next, He killed my parents. Now, he had killed my brother. I could feel the ebony hilt of my brother's sword bite into my flesh. It was the only thing that was real. Only revenge mattered now. I swore then and there that I would kill these demons. If not this day, then they would die on another, by my hand.
As the brothers continued bickering, I stared at Eon's sword, The Sword of Light. The power Mazoku slaying blade that I now possessed. If I could use this sword... 'No.' my sense of reason interjected. 'If it didn't work for Eon, how I the Nine Hells was is supposed to work for me?' I ignored reason. It had to work; I had to avenge my people.
"Light-Blade." I said, the arguing Mazoku still ignoring me. Nothing happened. "Light-Blade!" I cried. Still nothing. The two Mazoku looked up at me and started to snicker.
"So," Burmack sneered. "The boy can't even use such a pitiful magical artifact. Kid, your brother would be ashamed; if I hadn't killed him that is."
Right then and there, something broke inside of me. My brother was always proud of me; he'd never been ashamed. Rage filled every corner of my soul. A power welled up from somewhere deep inside of me, power such as I had never known. He would die!
"Grrrr, LIGHT-BLADE!" I commanded the sword. White fire erupted from the sword with such force that I was nearly knocked over. Taken aback, the two Mazoku brothers could only stare.
With all my might, I lunged at Burmack. Taken by surprise, Burmack quickly tried to dodge my attack, but he was not fast enough. A diagonal cut appeared on Burmack's chest, from his right shoulder, through the jewels imbedded in his flesh, down to his left hip. Black blood oozed from the cut, running down the demon's twisted legs.
I swung again, aiming for the Mazoku's head, but was caught in the stomach by Burmack's foot. I collapsed to the ground, the sword falling from my hand, the light extinguished. A drop of black blood hit the ground next to me, burning a hole in the already scorched earth.
"Kill him!" I heard Joylock plead with his brother.
"No, This one will be most entertaining. Let's watch him, to see how he lives with the shame and the pain of not being able to avenge his people." With a maniacal laugh, Joylock and Burmack disappeared into the darkness. As I fell into unconsciousness, I begged my brother for forgiveness.
The next day when I awoke, it was still raining. Red and green lightning still lit the sky and thunder exploded overhead. A few days later, I picked up my brothers bow, arrows, spellbook, magic sword, and a book I had found on demons, and left my country on a journey of vengeance. In front of me was the world, behind me were four gravestones.
Here lies the memory of the Somoran Elves
Our trust betrayed on the Day of Remembrance
We learned the ultimate lesson,
At the cost of the ultimate price.
Kranalas Kansaki
Father, Last Speaker of Semora
280 A.P.- 480 A.P.
Leirathalasa Kansaki
Mother, Wife of the last Speaker of Semora
294A.P.-480A.P.
Eondralan Kansaki
Hero, Brother, 'Lightbringer'
400A.P.-480A.P.
'With him, all hope dies.'
Adrian's Story
My name is Adrianathas Kansaki, Adrian for short. I was raised in the island country of Semora. Don't worry, you've probably never heard of it. It was a small elven kingdom destroyed nearly 60 years ago by the demon hordes. I was 30 at the time, a young boy being raised by my older brother Eon. My brother was young, about 80 years old, and very talented. He wasn't built like a regular elf though. He was strongly built and nearly six feet tall. He also had red hair and dark green eyes, like the color of leaves in the spring and fall.
He was an expert warrior and marksman. Trained to combine weapons with magic, as he was said to be the most powerful magic-user in the kingdom. He taught me how to use a sword, and a bow, and how to fight with honor. He also taught me magic. He taught me to create water and fire from nothing. He was my hero and, to this day, I would do anything for him.
Wait! Don't get me wrong, we had parents. My father was the speaker, our country's ruler, with my mother at his side. Our parents were there, but they had no time for us, being at war and all. Our country was constantly under attack by the demon armies of Burmack, a very powerful Mazoku. My father was continuously leading the army around the country, trying to save us all from the unholy army. My mother was also busy. On top of her regular duties as the speaker's wife, she also had to take over my father's daily duties like running the courts, implementing wartime measures, and meeting with...well, everybody. So Eon and I had to fend for our selves.
The day my country was destroyed, both sides of the fight had called a truce. It was the Day of Remembrance for the elves, and the Day of the Deathwalk for the Demons. It commemorated the battle my ancestors fought centuries ago. The world's three 'holy' races battled against the combined armies of the Nine Hells. In the end, no side won. Both armies were destroyed by a mysterious magical blast that, to this day, is unexplained.
On that day, every year, we celebrate that army's sacrifice. I can't remember when I woke up that day, or what I ate for breakfast, or what I was wearing, or even how the town was decorated, but I do remember that I was excited. My father had come home from the front for the day and Eon was going to teach me a new spell. I was small then, about four feet tall. My short blonde hair feeling warm in the sunlight as I walked from the royal palace to the city gate, stopping every once in a while to talk with the people who stopped me in the streets. I met my brother outside the city's fortifications.
Massive stone walls towered over us, blotting out the sun. The walls surrounded our square shaped city, protecting us from would be invaders. The walls were as thick as Eon was tall, and covered with metal spikes of similar length. Imposing towers were scattered along the inside of the wall, like monstrous sentinels, waiting for the enemy. The gate was nearly as tall as the walls, made of thick granite that took ten men to raise it. The gate hung suspended over our heads, creaking occasionally, being blown by the strong morning winds. If that gate closed, no army in the world could open it. The city was safe and well guarded, except today. There was one guard, which was very unusual. During a time of war, there was supposed to be two guards at every gate. I was suspicious, and so was my brother.
"Who's supposed to be on shift with you soldier?" Eon demanded, looking the guard over. He was a tall man, a head and a half taller than my brother and muscular too. He dwarfed my brother, which was strange because Eon was rather tall for an Elf and rather muscular to boot. The guard had piercing gray eyes and dark, dark green hair, peeking out from under his helmet. "Are you new here soldier?" Eon inquired. "I don't think I've ever seen you before"
"I was just transferred here from the 103rd Regular Infantry, my Prince." The guard stammered. "Quarath was on guard duty with me, but he is escorting General Edalphis to the palace. He will be back momentarily."
Eon gave the guard a thoughtful look and the nodded, "All right, carry on." The Guard saluted Eon and Eon saluted back. I didn't know what story Eon had heard, but I didn't believe him. To me, the guard was exploiting the only crack in my brother's marble personality: he was too trusting. But, as Eon always taught me, 'Don't make accusations unless you can back them up with hard evidence', and I didn't have any.
"I know you don't believe him Adrian, but he was telling the truth." Eon stated.
"Really? How do you know?" I skeptically implored
Eon looked down at me like only a big brother would. "I saw Quarath and General Edalphis on my way here."
"Really?"
"Really." Eon laughed and then stopped. "Oops, I left our equipment in the guardhouse. I'll be right back, don't move."
Eon turned around and ran back to the guardhouse. After a few seconds, he emerged with his sword, short bow, and a full quiver of arrows. "Lets go!" he cried. Winds gushed around us and he flew off to the west. I quickly cast a Reiwing spell and followed.
That day we raced to our usual spot and, as always, I won. I knew Eon probably let me win but I played along. Our training ground was nestled in the Keromi Forest, thousands of ancient Aspen trees glittering green in the spring dawn. We would practice archery and fighting in the woods, among trees, rocks and other natural obstacles. We practiced magic in a clearing at the east side of the forest, where the forest met the Kerillose Mountain range. Our spot in particular was surrounded by giant Aspens and a 20-foot rock, cracked and black with scorch marks. We landed at the edge of the clearing and walked over to a makeshift table we had made. It was a stump, the remains if a once great Aspen tree, twelve feet around and five feet in diameter.
Eon took a book out of his bag and set it on the table. It was a thick, well-worn tome; its pages were yellow and cracked. Its binding was night blue, like all of Eon's other books, decorated with silver runes and symbols. Eon flipped through the saffron pages until he found what he was looking for.
Fireball
My heart skipped a beat. Eon was going to teach me the fireball spell. Learning this was a prerequisite to becoming a professional magic-user. I was amazed that Eon had that much faith in my magical abilities. Sure, I had been training for fifteen years, but fifteen years to an elf is a heartbeat. Eon had spent 70 hard years training; forty before he learned the fireball, but then again, Eon didn't have himself as a teacher.
"Go ahead, read it and try to cast it." Eon said as he sat down on a nearby stone. I peered into the book and started to read the neatly written passages.
Category: Shamanism/ Fire
An upgrade for the Fire Shamanistic spell Flare Bit, a ball of flame appears between the hands of the caster which can the be thrown. Upon contact with an object, the ball detonates; spreading flames around a radius exactly five (5) times the ball's diameter. Increased concentration yields a larger diameter. Two variations of the spell are as follows:
Fire appears around the target surrounding it, and then implodes.
Fireball may detonate on the Command Word "Break".
Effective Counter: Flare Seal, Windy Shield, And Holy Barrier
After the description, neatly inked in Eon's graceful High Elven script the following words were written.
Note: Caution is necessary when using this spell in an enclosed space or forest because the spell affects a wide area.
After the notes came the incantation. Written in the spidery language of magic, the incantation could be translated into any language by anyone who had sufficient power to use it. Anyone who didn't would only see gibberish. To my astonishment, the symbols of the incantation started to rearrange themselves into High Elven.
"Oh, source of all power, light which burns beyond crimson, let thy power gather in my hand. FIREBALL!"
I read the incantation over and over to myself until I had it memorized. Confidant, I walked to the middle of the clearing. I could feel my brother's eyes on me the whole time, watching me, perhaps judging me, I didn't know. I faced the towering rock face, its scorched surface almost mocking me. I closed my eyes, raised my hands and began to chant.
"Oh, source of all power, -" I could feel the magical energy surging through me with every heartbeat. "-Light which burns beyond crimson, -" my hand grew warm and I could feel the familiar rush of energy. "Let thy power gather in my hand." I could feel the magical energy coursing through my veins as I concentrated on my target.
"FIREBALL!" I cried as I felt the energy leave me and my foot start to get very hot. My next cry was one of more surprise then pain. The ball of fire I had made, a very, very small ball mind you, had not flown from my hand and struck the rock face as it was supposed to, but instead fell from my hand and on to my shoe, which also contained my foot.
I must have been a sight to behold, jumping around, cursing and swearing, driving my foot into the soft soil trying to put out the magical fire eating away at my leather boot. When I finally got the fire out I looked to my brother, who was calmly sitting on his rock, and tried to ask what went wrong.
As if in response to the question I was about to ask, Eon stood up and walked toward me. Wordlessly, my brother walked over to where I had tried to cast the spell and stopped. Eon raised his right hand stared at the rock face. Suddenly, a small, crimson ball of fire appeared in the palm of his hand. As I watched in awe, the flame grew bigger and bigger until it was at least six feet tall. I saw my brother's eyes narrow and the invisible force used to push the ball away blew me back. As soon as the ball impacted with the rock face, it exploded, sending small chunks of rock flying.
When the smoke cleared, there was a huge crater in the center of the face, the rock looked as if it had been melted. The rock around the crater was the blackest black I had ever seen. The grass surrounding the face and the moss that used to cover some surrounding rocks was burned away, leaving only a charred surface behind.
Eon looked at me as if expecting something. "Well?"
"Well What?"
"Try it again."
"But I don't know what I did wrong."
"Easy, you were concentrating on gathering energy, not forming it. With out a form, all the energy escapes and what's left falls harmlessly to the ground." Eon walked closer and knelt down to look me in the eye. "Want a tip?"
I nodded dumbly.
"Pretend that the energy is water, coming from a hose. Then pretend the ball is a waterskin. Fill the ball with the energy like you would a waterskin and then release it."
I stared at my brother for a long moment and then thought 'What the heck, it's worth a try.' I turned back to the rock face and started chanting again.
"Oh, source of all power, -" I could feel the magical energy surging through me with every heartbeat. "-Light which burns beyond crimson, -" my hand grew warm and I could feel the familiar rush of energy. "Let thy power gather in my hand." I concentrated on filling the waterskin up with water.
I told my feet to get ready as I cried out the evocation word: "FIREBALL!"
To my surprise (and relief!) my foot stayed the same temperature. Instead I felt a surge of energy rushing from everywhere inside me to my hand and out. I opened my eyes to see a crimson ball flame being hurled at the rock face by an invisible wind. The fireball hit the rock face and exploded into a cloud of flame. I yelped with joy and started jumping up and down. Eon came over and patted me on the head. "I knew you could do it kid, I-" Eon stopped and looked around.
"What's wrong?" I asked, looking at Eon's ashen face.
"Can't you feel it?" My brother said, looking to the sky. "Something's very wrong."
I forced my self to calm down and look around. Elves have always been in tune with nature, and most of us can tell what the weather will be or if something is wrong. Now I felt like something was wrong. Something about the wind and the clouds.
"The clouds!" I exclaimed, looking into the sky. Eon nodded in grim agreement. Although it was now half past noon, no sun could be seen. An hour ago, there had been no clouds to be seen anywhere, now there were clouds as dark as a demon's soul.
Slowly but surely, the wind began to pick up and the light started to fade. Soon after, it was pitch black. Then the rain started. Sheets of ice hard rain pelted us, as if the heavens gave way and sent a flood down to the earth. Soon after that there was thunder that shook you insides with every clap and unnatural green and red lightning. I looked around and saw everything through a red haze. My infravision had kicked in.
Then the ground shuddered, rocked by an explosion from the east. And again. And again. "The City!" Eon cried.
"No! Eon no! Not the city! It's not an attack, not now. There's a truce." I was crying now. I knew the truth, but I just didn't want to admit it.
Eons looked at me, then to the east, and then back to me. He took off his bow and unstrapped his quiver of arrows. "Stay here. Don't leave until I come get you or the explosions stop." Eon ordered sternly. "Understand?"
I nodded, whipping the tears from my eyes with the sleeve of my olive green tunic.
"Good, take these and use them to protect yourself." My brother started running for the east and then stopped. "Don't go anywhere!" He ordered one last time, and then took off with his sword drawn.
"Be careful." I whispered, choking back my tears.
The explosions continued for hours. Some of them were small, some were large, and some were so big that I fell of my seat on our table. About five hours later, there was silence. The explosions had stopped. Excited, I strapped my brother's quiver, slung his bow over my shoulder, and took off towards the city.
As I cleared the forest, I saw the farmland around our city drenched in blood. Bodies littered the fields, some elven, some horribly disfigured animals and men. Some were hacked and slashed, and others were horribly burnt, or encased in ice.
My only thought was that they couldn't have gotten through the front gates, but as I landed, I was proved wrong. The city was burning. The great wooden buildings of my city were all being burned way. I looked around for an answer, and then I found it. Quarath's body lay sprawled on the ground, face in the blood soaked mud. Sticking out of his back was a jeweled silver dagger, the kind the town guard had been issued.
I was right all along, that guard wasn't supposed to be there. He was either a traitor or...a demon. A demon in elven form. And if there was one of them, there could be more in the town and...even...in...the...palace!
I took off in a dead run through the burning city. Smoke burned my eyes and lungs as I sprinted to its center. When I arrived were the palace used to be, I nearly died. Our home had been burnt to the ground, the rubble still smoldering as I arrived.
I had no time to look around as I heard a noise behind me. Footsteps. I unslung my brothers bow, fitted an arrow to it, and aimed in the direction that the footfalls were coming from. Out of the smoke came a figure. He was tall and muscular and not elven. I could see his ears through his dark green hair and they didn't come to a point like mine, instead they were smooth and rounded like a human's. He was dressed in silver armor that had my family's crest on it. He looked at me with his piercing gray eyes and I felt my soul shrivel up and hide.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here? I see our little princeling has somehow survived the battle." He sneered. I drew back the arrow and aimed for the man's chest. "Oh please, put that toy away. It's useless against me." The guard gave a shrill, distorted, inhuman laugh and then ripped off his silver breastplate.
He began to grow, his clothes ripping and falling away from him as he grew to well over nine feet tall. His bulky muscles began to shrink until his limbs were long and drawn out. His fingers and toes gnarled and razor sharp talons exploded from their tips. His chest and torso got thinner and longer, and three jewels pushed through the skin of his chest. One was small and red, right in the middle of his chest. The other two, positioned to either side of the red one, were as large as a man's head.
Green hair grew, standing on end, in a straight line from the top of his head, straight down his spine and ending where his buttocks used to be to form a bushy, horse-like tail. His face stretched out to form a snout and his eyes bugged and turned red. Where there had once been normal teeth, there now was row upon row of serrated teeth. His skin turned a pale green as all sign of human gender disappeared.
This wasn't a regular human, or even a regular demon; it was a Mazoku, the demon lord Burmack. My hands were trembling and my palms were sweating. I could sense tremendous power emanating from him and I felt the need to run away. I let the arrow fly and it shattered on contact.
"Was that supposed to hurt, little prince?" The demon lord cackled in delight.
My only option now was to run away, to find Eon and get him to kill this monster. I raised my palm to Burmack and cast the only spell I could think of.
"Inferno Array!" I yelled. Small balls of light flew from my open palm and towards the monster. They exploded and sent a screen of smoke into the air. I took off again, running away from the demon lord. I didn't get ten feet away from him when another Mazoku stopped me. This one was identical to Burmack, except for shorter.
"Just where do you think you're going kid? Not away I hope. Your the only living elf left on this island." The newcomer said with a devious grin. The new demon raised its taloned hand in the air and was prepared to bring it down on me when Burmack spoke up.
"Don't kill him Joylock, he's my entertainment." The towering Mazoku said. "Go find your own my brother, this one's mine."
Joylock gave his brother a sidelong glance and stepped back. As he did, a voice echoed throughout the ruins of the city. "Gaav Flare!" A column of crimson fire darted through the air and hit Joylock, square in the chest. As the shorter Mazoku was sent head over heels on to the ground, I ran to the side and hid behind a half burned beam.
A Figure dropped out of the air and landed on the ground in front of Burmack, sword flashing in the firelight. "Leave my brother out of this Burmack, your fight is with me!" Eon stood fearlessly in front of the towering demon, sword in hand. His clothes were covered in blood; some red, some black. Some from others, some his own. He wasweary from long hours of fighting and spell casting and could barely stand straight before his opponant. "I thought I told you to stay put!" he said in a low voice, looking me straight in the eyes.
Before I could respond, our houseguest spoke up. "As much as I love family reunions," Burmack sneered. "We have a fight to finish." Burmack lurched foreword at my brother, hoping to catch him off guard. Eon was ready though, and dove out of the way, already preparing a spell.
"Elmekia Flame!" my brother yelled, pointing at the towering Mazoku with his open palm. A pillar of green light shot from my brother's hand towards Burmack. The demon sidestepped the blast with ease and swung one massive, taloned hand in his direction.
Eon leaped into the air and chanted another spell: "Bram Blazer!" A beam of gleaming blue light exploded from Eon and struck Burmack in the chest. The demon lord was pushed back a few feet but, to both me and Eon's astonishment, remained unharmed
"That spell of yours packs quite a punch, boy." Burmack marveled, "but it's nowhere near powerful enough to defeat me." Burmack opened his mouth wide and a ball of flame appeared in it. The ball launched out of the demon's mouth and flew at an incredible speed towards my brother.
The ball grazed Eon's left arm and flew harmlessly into the night. My brother winced in pain as the nearness of the ball made his skin burn and boil. Eon stood for a moment, hanging motionless in the air. Then, confidently, Eon drew his sword. It was a long, single edged blade with an ornate ivory handle, carved in the shape of a dragon's head.
Eon held the sword in front of him in the battle stance he had taught me years ago. "Your day has come, demon!" was the only thing he said.
"Oh come now Prince Eon, your mortal weapons can't hurt me." Burmack laughed. "Look what happened to this little whelps arrow." He sneered, gesturing the broken shaft of the arrow.
Eon looked dully at the arrow, and then back to Burmack. "You will pay for all the lives you took today, in blood. Light-Blade!" Eon's sword erupted in white fire, wrapping itself around the metal blade of Eon's sword.
"The Sword of Light." I heard myself say in awe. The Sword of Light was a legend among my people. Long ago, during the war against the Nine Hells, our side was losing. Our magic couldn't stand up the Mazoku. None of the opposing army's Generals had ever been killed even when they were all that was left of their army. Mortal weapons had no effect on them and most magical spells didn't even phase them, they where just too strong. The races of Earth faced total annihilation at the very dawning of their greatness.
One day, the greatest general from each of the three races went to a temple and prayed for any kind of help the Karyuuou would give. They all fell asleep in prayer and, when they woke up, a sword had appeared in front of each general. When they touched it, a voice spoke to them. 'To ye who hold this sword, the light will come forth at your request.' Hearing this, they asked: 'Light! Come forth!' The swords flared to life, erupting in white fire. The Generals took this sign back to their armies and courageously led them into battle.
Demon army after demon army fell to the might of the world's combined forces. A year later victory was in sight. The Demon armies had gathered on what is now called The Plains of Death. They were small in number and their supply lines had been cut off. The world's armies marched foreword to claim victory. If all had gone well, the demon army would have been banished, but all didn't go well.
In the middle of the battle, a magical explosion wiped out both armies, leaving very few survivors. It was thought that the Swords of Light where destroyed in that blast, but at that moment, I realized that at least one hadn't, and hope burned brightly in my eyes.
Eon descended at Burmack with a speed born out of rage. He thrust straight at the Mazoku but missed as the demon lord sidestepped. Eon landed on his knees, and swung the flaming blade behind him, hoping to catch the demon off guard. Burmack jumped the attack and threw a bolt of energy at my brother.
The bolt struck Eon harder than any arrow could. It flew straight through his shoulder, splattering blood on the charred ground. Eon was on his feet again, charging at the immense demon. He attacked Burmack with a fury of diagonal slices. Burmack dodged all but the last strike, as the sword found its target.
The flaming blade struck the Mazoku in the shoulder, but did no damage, resting harmlessly on his shoulder. Burmack laughed, an evil, screeching laugh and grabbed my brother's arm with his taloned hand. I saw Eon wince in pain as the talons dug into the soft flesh of his upper arm. My brother kicked his assailant in the chest and the demon continued laughing. He flicked his wrist and Eon cried out in pain as Burmack's talons tore Eon's muscle.
Eon dropped his sword and, as it fell, the white fire died. Burmack kicked the sword away. It landed in front of me and I reached out my hand to pick it up. At my touch, the white ivory handle turned into pitch-black ebony. I picked up the sword and was contemplating how to use it when my brother cried out in pain again. Burmack thrust his taloned hand into my brother's torso, his talons searing his flesh like a knife through butter.
"It's your turn to pay, boy. Any last requests?" the Mazoku mockingly inquired.
Eon looked at Burmack and then at me. "Yes, I do." he choked, blood trickling from his mouth. "Today you killed my people, my parents, and now you will kill me. I asked only this: spare my brother."
Surprised, Burmack gave me a thoughtful glance and then looked back to my brother. "Why should I? Why should I spare him when he is the last of your pitiful race?"
"He is just a boy. He's harmless and he is not the one you seek." He said weakly. "I am."
Now Joylock, who had recovered from my brother's attack, spoke up. "How do we know that your brother isn't the Lightbringer? This could be a trick!" the smaller Mazoku snarled.
"I had the sword, didn't I?"
"But-"
"Fine," Burmack said to his brother's surprise. "I'll spare him, but on one condition." A cruel smile appeared on Burmack's inhuman lips. He threw my brother carelessly to the ground and backed up. "Beg me. On your knees."
Eon struggled to get to his knees, blood flowing from his open wounds. "Please, spare my brother." He choked.
"No, Eon!" I said, angry with my brother for giving up.
"Spare my worthless brother." Burmack corrected.
"Please, spare my worthless brother."
"Spare this worthless boy!" Joylock corrected.
I saw Eon grit his teeth and looked the Mazoku in the eyes. "Please, spare this worthless boy." The two demons laughed in perverse delight and Eon shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Well," Burmack said gleefully. "Since you said please..." In one lightning fast swipe, the towering Mazoku slit my brothers throat with his razor sharp talons.
"Eon. No. " I whispered as my brothers lifeless body fell to the ground. Tears filled my eyes and my very being ached.
"I'll kill our little princeling." I heard Joylock say as if he was a million miles away.
"Why?" The murderer asked. "What harm can he do?"
"He might be the Lightbringer!"
"No, I doubt this harmless little boy is the Lightbringer. Besides, he can provide me with four hundred years of entertainment."
"But the legend said-"
"The legend says that a virtuous, self-sacrificing elf is the Lightbringer; the late Eon Kansaki fits the bill perfectly. With him, this world's hope dies."
I didn't hear the rest of the conversation as my mind was filled with other thoughts. First, Burmack had slaughtered my people. Next, He killed my parents. Now, he had killed my brother. I could feel the ebony hilt of my brother's sword bite into my flesh. It was the only thing that was real. Only revenge mattered now. I swore then and there that I would kill these demons. If not this day, then they would die on another, by my hand.
As the brothers continued bickering, I stared at Eon's sword, The Sword of Light. The power Mazoku slaying blade that I now possessed. If I could use this sword... 'No.' my sense of reason interjected. 'If it didn't work for Eon, how I the Nine Hells was is supposed to work for me?' I ignored reason. It had to work; I had to avenge my people.
"Light-Blade." I said, the arguing Mazoku still ignoring me. Nothing happened. "Light-Blade!" I cried. Still nothing. The two Mazoku looked up at me and started to snicker.
"So," Burmack sneered. "The boy can't even use such a pitiful magical artifact. Kid, your brother would be ashamed; if I hadn't killed him that is."
Right then and there, something broke inside of me. My brother was always proud of me; he'd never been ashamed. Rage filled every corner of my soul. A power welled up from somewhere deep inside of me, power such as I had never known. He would die!
"Grrrr, LIGHT-BLADE!" I commanded the sword. White fire erupted from the sword with such force that I was nearly knocked over. Taken aback, the two Mazoku brothers could only stare.
With all my might, I lunged at Burmack. Taken by surprise, Burmack quickly tried to dodge my attack, but he was not fast enough. A diagonal cut appeared on Burmack's chest, from his right shoulder, through the jewels imbedded in his flesh, down to his left hip. Black blood oozed from the cut, running down the demon's twisted legs.
I swung again, aiming for the Mazoku's head, but was caught in the stomach by Burmack's foot. I collapsed to the ground, the sword falling from my hand, the light extinguished. A drop of black blood hit the ground next to me, burning a hole in the already scorched earth.
"Kill him!" I heard Joylock plead with his brother.
"No, This one will be most entertaining. Let's watch him, to see how he lives with the shame and the pain of not being able to avenge his people." With a maniacal laugh, Joylock and Burmack disappeared into the darkness. As I fell into unconsciousness, I begged my brother for forgiveness.
The next day when I awoke, it was still raining. Red and green lightning still lit the sky and thunder exploded overhead. A few days later, I picked up my brothers bow, arrows, spellbook, magic sword, and a book I had found on demons, and left my country on a journey of vengeance. In front of me was the world, behind me were four gravestones.
Here lies the memory of the Somoran Elves
Our trust betrayed on the Day of Remembrance
We learned the ultimate lesson,
At the cost of the ultimate price.
Kranalas Kansaki
Father, Last Speaker of Semora
280 A.P.- 480 A.P.
Leirathalasa Kansaki
Mother, Wife of the last Speaker of Semora
294A.P.-480A.P.
Eondralan Kansaki
Hero, Brother, 'Lightbringer'
400A.P.-480A.P.
'With him, all hope dies.'