Link Fangirl01: I was actually really nervous about that one, because the chapter was running long and was going "Damn it all, I still have more to do!" I actually wasn't able to fit in everything I wanted, but some of that will make the trasition to the next few chapters, Yugo's not quite ready to fight Achron yet… but we are oh so close!
Author's note: I have been looking forward to this chapter since like, chapter 14 or so, this is part where we truly see what the brotherhoods are up against, and it is not a pretty sight. This fight will last a bit though, I really want to try and follow as many characters as possible throughout the fight, but let me know if you think I'm running it too long, I don't want to do a Dragonball Z five minutes = fifteen episodes later thing…
Chapter 20: Enter The Devil.
Red lights and alarm claxons blared loudly Chibi and Elely were crying and screaming in fits of panic and fear. The golden knight placed his hands on both of them and they went quiet, falling fast asleep, but that was only one problem, and based on Seraphin's description, it was certainly the least among them.
"Rosaline, you'll have to delegate that teaching role!" Seraphin said quickly.
"I got that." Jack replied.
"You sure honey?" Rosaline said sweetly.
Jack kissed her and pet her hair "We both got jobs to do baby, and lives in the balance, go do yours."
"Okay!" Rosaline said quickly jogging to the command deck.
Lucian watched the exchange with a twinge of envy, he caught himself wishing for such a relationship with Cleo. The Cra was indeed stunningly beautiful and strong and kind. Unfortunately another alarm brought his thoughts careening back to the present and the all to inconvenient truth that he didn't have time for such thoughts.
Ush appeared near him with Ruel Stroud, Amalia and Evangalyne. "Lucian, we are to be marines in this conflict."
"Um… Marines?" Lucian asked.
The Ecaflip placed his hand over his face and tried hard to remember how old Lucian really was and how unlearned that made him. "We are to be soldiers that defend our ships and board our enemies ships." Ush defined the term.
"Uh, okay, so… Where's Cleo?" The Elitrope asked
"We go to her next," Ush uttered and summoned several cards that grew rapidly in size whisking around each of them, the cards spun and suddenly Lucian and Company found themselves elsewhere. A room where Cleophee was raging about not getting any rest.
"How did you-" Lucian began.
"A trick I picked up from my mother," he replied "Cleophee, we are to be Marines, come."
"'Bout time I got to kick some ass!" Cleophee said half angrily half excitedly.
Jack stood before the small group of powerful entites with his hands behind his back. Here the alarms were a distant sound, this sector of the ship was cut off from them for now.
"Speace battle is not the same as battleing on terra firma," Jack said
"Terra Firma?" Adamai asked
"An aetherian term," Jack explained "It means Firm earth, but in space combat is generally used to refer to planets."
"Okay," Yugo said "So I actually fought in space once, you have to fly and keep your balance right?"
Jack raised an eyebrow "You can convert matter to air?" he asked.
"Uh…" Yugo stared blankly "I'm not sure what that means."
"You can breathe in space?" Jack asked, rephrasing.
"Well yeah, isn't that normal?" Yugo asked.
"No it is not," Jack said "But it does make training that much easier."
Percedal's hand shot up "I can breathe in space too." He said
"Yeah," Yugo said "Dally was with me in that fight."
"I see," Jack said "And you young Adamai?"
"I have never fought outside the confines of the world of twelve." The dragon answered.
"Then we shall gauge your ability first," Jack said, he reached over to a lever and pulled it generating a zero gravity field that caused the three to float from the ground.
"Um, Actually," Yugo started "I kinda wasn't really using my own power to fly." The eliatrope was spinning near helplessly in the air, floating towards the ceiling.
Adamai struggled trying to figure out how much movement to give his wings, without anything pulling him downward the difference was quite disorienting. He was a little jealous of Percedal who floated perfectly balanced like an expert. Jack floated balanced as well, but foe him it seemed this was normal.
"Well Percedal, Let's see if you can breathe." Jack said, he reached out his hand and the air about Percedal grew thinner and thinner until there was none left. the god floated there unaffected, it seemed he was able to breathe fine despite the lack of air. The slight puff of power that was generated around his mouth was proof enough for jack that he was breathing in space without any effort, ready for mid space fighting.
"It seems you don't really need any instruction Percedal," Jack said "You are free to go if you wish."
"No," Percedal said "If I can help them in any way, I'd very much like to."
"Stay and what awhile then." Jack said. It was amazing how calm he was considering the trouble they were in, soon evil incarnate would descent upon them and all would more or less be lost if they could not stop it. But here the immortal floated calmly as though such things were a world away and of no bother to him.
"The first thing you must do my pupils," Jack said is learn to use you natural energy force to create a field around you." The immortal reached back to the lever and pulled it again. The gravity returned and the dofus twins smashed to the ground in an incoherent mess.
Yugo rose and shook his head "Ouch." He said.
"What was that for?" Adamai said angrily.
"It was simply the reinstatement of gravity." Jack said "Something you'll have to get used to."
"Fine." The dragon said with a huff.
"So how do we make a field?" Yugo asked
"It's very similar to using your wakfu sword." Jack said "You must imagine something surrounding you, like armor, leaves, a blanket, anything really even clothes."
Yugo pondered that for a moment, then he closed his eyes and concentrated, much like when he was first learning wakfu he concentrated on all his parts slowly expanding to the area around him. Then he imagined cloth covering him over from top to bottom, he held his arms out and leaned back, but he didn't fall, he felt his feet leave the ground. It was as though he was covered in something warm, but not too hot. He opened his eyes and looked around.
"Well done Yugo." Jack said, now I'm going to turn off the gravity again, try to keep yourself concentrated when I do."
Yugo watched Jack reach for the lever again and mentally prepared himself for it. The lever pulled down and the gravity left, he felt a jolt in his cloth covering but remained still. He looked at his hands, they were covered in a blue glow, like when he was using the eliatrope dofus. He had had no idea he had this power without them. He couldn't help but smile. He flew around the room making loops and barrel rolls before swooping low and in front of jack.
"Alright," Jack said "Now for breathing."
"Y'know, I am still here," Adamai said indignantly as he struggled in vain to master his own aura.
"I'll be with you momentarily Adamai," Jack said "I think you will need a little work still."
Jack reached out his hand towards Yugo, The eliatrope felt the air get thinner and thinner, he couldn't breathe, blackness began to encroach on his sight.
"You have to imagine air coming from the space around you Yugo." Jack's voice said, it sounded clear, like it was in his head.
Yugo tried, he sucked inward, at first there was nothing, then just a little, enough to beat back the black at the corners of his eyes, he tried again, and a gush of air filled his lungs quickly, bringing him to full consciousness. He sucked a few more grateful breaths before he felt the air around him returning to normal.
"Well done." Jack said pulling the lever again and returning gravity to normal, Yugo continued to float.
"Now then Adamai," Jack said "I am told that your stasis energy will be a little harder to work with.
It wasn't long before responses were sent, Seraphin quickly deployed with the Arma Lumin to the site of Achron's tear in the Krozmos. With him went six of the gods, The Great Dragon and Eliatrope, with the promise of backup from Jack and his pupils these were the ones who left for the battle first.
They weren't even halfway there when they were intercepted, Deum Tenebrea stopped their advance, the dark fleet of the Achronian empire hot on their heels. Above them floated fifteen or so Deum Tenebrea and at their center was was a man with the most hateful and evil eyes Eliatrope had ever seen.
"Is that-" the azure goddess began.
"Yes," Seraphin said darkly "That is Achron."
The man had grey skin, his eyes glowed an unnatural and unsettling yellow. He wore black metal sandals that resembled those of a shogunate samurai, his shins were covered in steel plate armor and from his waist hung a tattered kilt with Oriental armor around it. Bronze armor covered portions of his torso leading up to his right shoulder. A paudron armored his shoulder and armor ran down his right arm. The rest of his torso and left arm were bare, showing his grey skin and his ears were long and pointed.
"You have come for another dance Seraph," Achron said "I would be flattered, but quite frankly your antics annoy me to no end."
"Antics?" Seraphin said angrily "These are not antics, this is the defense of innocent lives!"
"Innocence died so long ago Seraph," Achron said darkly "There are none innocent, no not one."
"I won't let you slaughter another universe on your pyre!" Seraphin yelled.
"You don't have a choice golden knight!" Achron spit out seraphin's moniker like it was disgusting. He flicked his finger towards a nearby star, in next to no time the star's light was extinguished as though it never existed, the darkness expanded taking with it the entire solar system that surrounded the once blue star, in moments thousands of years of life vanished as though it never was.
Eliatrope grabbed her head and screamed "Billions, Billions dead!" she screamed "You won't get away with this!" she screamed again.
"What power have you to end my wrath little god?" the dark aetherian uttered "Deum Tenebrea! Edo Edi Essum!
"What did he say?" The Great Dragon asked
"It means," Seraphin said "Consume Devour and Destroy!"
No sooner the words left his mouth than the Deum Tenebrea charged and the epic battle began. Seraphin rose above the din of the others, he had but one target, only one. Let the Deum tenebrea fight his Arma Lumin, he would not be distracted by such things.
"You are tenacious, I'll give you that." Achron said
The bronze clad aetherian was on him in less than a second, but Seraphin's speed met his own and their powers clashed, gold and black the power of justice and the power of destruction. Their speed was beyond anyone's ability to see or watch, not even immortals were fast enough to see. They clashed again and again as the battle roared below.
"What a beautiful light your dogs guard," Achron said darkly "A light to be extinguished! Deum Bellum! Destroy this maggot's fleet!"
"No!" Seraphin yelled angrily, he wanted to return and defend them, but he knew that if he left the battle with Achron for even a moment his darkness would consume all around him. No one had ever fought Achron and lived to tell of it, no one but him.
The Great Dragon wielded the power of destruction itself, needless to say, even the Deum Tenebrea found difficulty in subduing him. He battled with a blade made entirely of stasis energy, The immortals found it difficult to regenerate tissue struck by it and they began to be more careful when engaging him. Achron yelled something and the fleet disappeared, a black and purple streak careening towards the worlds of twelve. The Great Dragon wanted to rush back to join them, but he knew his fight was here.
An all too familiar scythe swung low and nearly relieved him of his legs, but the dragon deftly dodged the black metal blade. The aetherian would not get away alive this time, Jack had shown him how to hurt these beings, and it was time to cash in on that knowledge.
The hooded aetherian swung again, he was clearly agitated, angry at his previous loss, he moved fast, faster than before, but this time The Great Dragon was ready for his speed. Rip van Winkle, though young and apparently new to being immortal had invented a little trick to help him keep up with the rest, he used electricity, allowing it to surge through his body he could caus himself to move at light speed without thinking, now The great dragon had access to that power. Converting his stasis energy into lightning he too moved at the speed of light, no aetherian could move faster without intense training.
The two exchanged several blows, Mortis grew more frustrated, The Great Dragon was enjoying it. He slashed and cut, the aetherian's wounds were slow to heal thanks to energy of his blade. Nonetheless he was regenerating, and fast enough to be problematic, he wouldn't be able to keep up this speed forever, he had to wear the death bringer down. He summoned another sword and made his move, Rip made it look easy, but in fact it was very difficult, you had to know exactly what you were to do or it would backfire. He used the electricity to command his body to respond to Mortis' movements. And he used his blades to counterattack, he slashed and hacked, but mostly his striked were blocked by the damned sythe, it could change size to suit the aetherian's needs, irritating.
Another person appeared behind him a shapely woman in black, showing off most of her skin, likely a battle tactic to distract male combatants. It wouldn't work on him.
"Is this the one who gives you so much trouble my dear?" the woman asked mortis in a motherly tone.
"He is but one my lady," Mortis answered "The other battles with Melthor."
"I'm sure he can handle such things my dear." The woman replied "Allow me to end this one's life myself, and he can join all in the everlasting peace and unity of my embrace."
So this was the death that Mortis served, she worked for Achron? What kind of being was this dark aetherian to command such forces as the personification of death herself? He had to remind himself that this death was likely a personification from another universe, it was hard to think in such terms, he had never known an existence outside the one in which he was born. If this one was older, more ancient than him, he may be in terrible trouble.
"Yes my lady," Mortis answered "I will find the blonde brat."
Mortis flew off, presumably to find Rip, and left The Great Dragon to contend with this demonic woman. Her eyes were pure evil, she wanted something badly enough, she'd do anything to get it. They glowed red as she looked down on him.
"You are a creator deity," She said simply, Seraphin had called him that once, he had no idea what it meant. "I can see why Mortis has trouble with you, unlike me, he has difficulty wrapping his mind around life and growth. You are an entity of destruction, healthy destruction you ensure nothing grows so far that it hurts itself, am I right?"
She hit that nail on the head, it was clear she had some experience with entities like him before, and she likely knew what to do to fight him. He waited patiently for her to make the first move as lightning crackled around his form.
"I'll take your stunned silence as confirmation." She stated bluntly "Well then, lets get on with it shall we?"
She was faster than Mortis, appearing suddenly very close to him, her fingers outstretched to touch him, it took too long for him to react, this new power was still to new for him to control it right. Her fingers were cold, they drained vitality from him until he was able to back off in a flash of light speed. She was quick to catch up but The Dragon wasn't going to let her touch him again. Her nails extended like little knives and she rushed forward.
Alarms were blaring again, this time a voice accompanied them "Proximity alert, Proximity alert."
"What does that mean?" Lucian asked.
"The enemy ships are coming," Ush replied "We must get ready!"
"Where do we go?" Cleophee asked "I've never done this before!"
"Follow!" Ush yelled. The group complied following Ush quickly to another area of the ship, as they passed transparent walls they could see how the battle among the stars was progressing. Onyx ships flew in and cut between the golden vessels of Seraphin's fleet, large projectiles and beams of light were exchanged between them and they tried to take each other down. In the distance White lights clashed with red, Seraphin and his Arma Lumin as they clashed with Acrhon's Deum Tenebrea.
They watched as several red armored soldiers jumped from one black vessel to into a golden one, blasting open doors to reach the insides.
"That's what we're fighting," Ush said sternly "We will repulse them, then attempt to take their vessel for our own."
"Got it!" Eva said.
"How are we supposed to do that?" Lucian asked.
"We defeat them all," Ush replied "Now come!"
The ecaflip demi-god led them down a narrow corridor with several nooks carved for cover. Ush directed them, pointing each member of their group to a place, there were already members of Seraphin's military there. An Iron door stood at the end of the hall.
"You're the locals?" The captain asked "We're mostly mortals here, a few minor deities, and you?"
"These are mortals, and I am a demi-god." Ush said "but do not underestimate these mortals, they have stood at death's door and come out victorious."
"We have as well," The captain said "But the monsters we fight are the demons beyond that threshold."
The door began to creak and the sound of machines being brought up to the other side was heard.
"Stand fast!" The captain said, his men taking positions behind the bulwarks, waiting for the door to break.
"Lucian you stand in the middle," Ush ordered. "Prepare to fire that beam attack of yours. Cleo, Eva, you prepare flame arrows to light his path!"
"With all due respect sir demi-god-" The captain was cut off before he finished
"With all due respect," Ush countered "I pirated for years before joining my brotherhood, I know what I'm doing."
The captain looked at him for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders and turned forward. "Men, support fire for the demi-god's big hitter!"
The door began to glow along it's edges as the forces of the Deum Bellum used their machines to break it down. Afer several tense moments, the door groaned and fell forward, before it the ground, Ush reacted.
"Sisters!" Ush said, the two siblings knew their roles without asking firing thei flame arrows into the black void beyond. The flames lit up an awful sight, row after row of monsterous creatures ready to pounce upon the unwary. All clad in crimson armor, the army of blood and bone, the Deum Bellum.
Ush didn't even speak, Lucian just reacted, as soon as he saw the group his fear took hold for a moment, he summoned the portals and overlapped them. Then the fear was gone as the beam fired forward and slammed into the first row of beasts. The blue energy ripped through their bodies and tor into the next, continueing down their hall as Lucian poured his hear and soul into a single attack, he somehow widened the beam, but wasn't sure how, as it continued back into the ship. The soldiers didn't support him, there was no need.
After what seemed an eternity to Lucian, but was only a few minutes in reality the beam stopped, both armies stood still, the soldiers in awe of their new ally and the beast in utter terror at the child's ability.
Ush stepped into the hall and brandished his swords, their tips scraping against the floor.
"That was but a mortal of our realm beasts!" Ush said with confidance and flare, his eyes narrowing upon his enemies "Now you shall taste the power of a demi-god!"
Author's note: This took forever! But I will not apologize, all my friends are headed home for the summer and they all wanted to party before they were gone, so the last few days have been spent in blurry drunken stupor stumbling from party to party, lots of fun, but no work time. The only break I got was to get my bike up and running, she seems to working okay, but I'm not changing her name yet.
To many friends I say goodbye as they return home to pursue their dreams, I will be among them soon, another graduate pouring his soul into a new chapter of life. And I am half drunk and tired as write this note, so good night to all and enjoy your time with friends, it is all too brief an encounter before we go our separate ways and leave the past behind. Listen to me talking all deep, I hope you enjoyed, next one should come faster now.