Link Fangirl01: Acrhon actually has a really sad back story, but I won't be going into it in detail in this tale. For now he is evil incarnate and we hope to see him returned to the hell from whence he came…
Yina The Darkness Selatrop: Thank you very much for the compliments, they are quite flattering. It was a fun exercise getting my roommate to translate that for me and I learned a little about Spanish language from it, Muchas Gracias.
Author's Note: I actually don't have much to say this time… Chapter's coming faster now for sure, got my bike back, so more work now, yay, making money!
Chapter 21: The bloody dance of death.
It was a good thing that Ush jumped in when he did, Lucian was numb, partially because of the amount of power he had just consumed and partially because he hadn't known how much power actually resided in his young body. He didn't really register Ush's motions or words right away, he just stared at his still glowing hands, that all came from him.
He felt a hand on his shoulder "You okay?" Cleophee asked gently.
"I-," Lucian paused on the word for a moment "I don't know."
"Well let's get you out of the line of fire alright," Cleophee said pulling the eliatrope back towards her bulwark.
Evangalyne fired many arrows in rapid succession, her firing rate nearly matching those of the soldier's rifles, but despite the slightly slower speed, her arrows did far more damage that the bullets and lasers flying too and fro.
Ush was a force of nature, a black whirlwind of destruction raining blood all around him, when his swords did not move, his cards flew out in deadly swirl of blades. The various creatures of Achron's forces were not prepared for his fury as the lithe demi-god expertly dodged their attacks only to destroy them with a counter.
Lucian looked like he was going to fall asleep, this wasn't good, he had used up too much of his wakfu all at once Cleophee knew she had to do something, she reached into her bag hoping she still had a few potions. She was glad to see two small blue potions, she opened one lifting Lucians head to allow the liquid down his throat.
The boy's eyes snapped open and awake he stared at her for a moment not fully comprehending his state, then sat up straight.
"What happened?" He asked urgently
"You used up too much power on that attack," Cleophee replied "it nearly drained you."
Lucian stood, he flexed his muscled testing them "But I'm fine now?" he wondered aloud.
"I gave you a potion." Cleophee said with a smile "I always carry a few."
Lucian blushed a little, he wasn't entirely sure why "But I can fight now, right?"
"Yeah," Cleophee said "Just be careful not to consume too much energy at once."
"Okay!" Lucian said, he hopped back into the fray teleporting towards Ush and his whirlwind of death.
Cleophee caught herself blushing she slapped her own cheeks embarrassed He's an infant Cleo knock it off! She thought to herself, still she was unable to completely remove the thoughts in her mind.
Eva signaled her and the two advanced, they had made fast work of the boarding squad, now they pushed into the enemy ship, Evangalyne and Cleophee using their bows to cover Ush and Lucian as they moved.
The two were perfect parakleats what Ush didn't see, Lucian used his potals to cover, and what Lucian couldn't cut down, Ush continued to kill. The ecaflip demi-god passed a duo of daggers to Lucian.
"Use these," He said "That way you won't overdo it again." Lucian blushed again, but this time it was out of embarrassment, he had caught on too? Nonetheless the Eliatrope gratefully took the daggers using them to fight the beasts in the ship. Ush and Lucian jumped and flipped, both of them were lithe and fast, nearly impossible for the enemy to hit, until the reached the end of the corridor.
The ship opened into a deep darkness that they couldn't see much in, but they did hear a roar from within. The twins fired flame arrows to light the way, they didn't do much of anything, just becoming visible dots of light in the dark.
The captain pulled out an odd looking gun with a large barrel, almost like a shotgun, but this was a pistol, more like Remington's he fired it onto the dark and incredibly bright light issued forth lighting up the innards of the ship. Lucian wished he hadn't.
Beyond the corridor were more beasts and monsters, but there was one that towered above the rest. He looked like his very skin was made of stone and he wielded an enormous axe, large horns protruded from his head and his glowing orange eyes peered from the shadow in which he still crept. He roared again, this time he seemed angry at the light that had rudely appeared before him.
"Insects," The beast uttered angrily "All of you, INSECTS!" the beast charged forward, his horns down and ready to impale anyone who got in his way. Ush flipped up and landed on it's head while Lucian disappeared into a portal, reappearing behind it, from here he could see a large stony tail protruded from the back, maybe he could use it?
Lucian summoned a wakfu blade and slashed at the tail, it was surprisingly fleshy and cut easily. The beast roared in anger "Putrid, disgusting insects!" he yelled swinging his arm around and bashing Lucian into the darkness behind him. The boy reached up looking for something to grab hold of to help him stand. He felt what seemed to be a metal bar of some kind and pulled, he managed to stand up, but the par pulled down at the same time disorienting him.
A low humming was heard and lights began to flicker on overhead, slowly but surely they lit up the whole cavernous inside of the ship. Lucian smiled uncomfortably as he looked on at the army of large, stony horned beasts that awaited them.
He laughed nervously "Hey guys." He said
Unlike her lover, Eliatrope was better suited for a support role in battle, which she filled as she fought alongside Rip Van winkle. The blonde boy fought with another immortal, the Red clad enemy manipulated gravity in order to cause unnatural disasters. He was getting tired of the blonde lightning rod disappearing and reappearing and had begun to target the Azure goddess. Rip wasn't having it, he was doing well at defending her while zapping the crimson clad immortal.
The gravity user would grab asteroids and other space debris and throw them at the pair, Rip often caught them in a field of electricity, and used that power to rip them apart at the atomic level disintegrating them. He would also use lightning bolts to electrocute him then disappear through Eliatrope's portals.
That is until Eliatrope was slashed by an unwelcome scythe across her back. The azure goddess screamed in pain and disappeared into one of her portals reappearing on the other side of Rip.
"Move on Melthor," The voice of the Death Bringer resounded in her ears. "I will send these to lady death myself."
Melthor grunted angrily "Whatever." He said moving on to another battle.
"Now for revenge unworthy pigs!" Mortis yelled as he rushed towards them.
"Eliatrope!" Rip yelled "Go heal, I'll take Mortis!"
The azure goddess flew aside and began to pull energy from the krozmos to heal the cut on her back. The cut however seemed reluctant to do so.
Rip called down the thunder of the gods upon his hammer once more and his hair splayed out as he glowed a brilliant golden yellow.
"You'll have to use your full power this time," Mortis said with a smile "if you want to win"
"My full power is beyond you Death Bringer," Rip Van Winkle says, his power intensifying "Light always banishes darkness!"
The two clashed in a mesmerizing battle that drew the attention of several of the other combatants. The bright lights flashed across the sky as the primordial powers of light and darkness clashed in a brilliant battle. Eliatrope watched as Rip's hammer Mjolnir as it clashed with Mortis' scythe.
In order to keep up with Rip's power Mortis was forced to remain corporeal, his ability to become dust useless as he was faced with the atomic altering powers of the boy before him. Nonetheless Mortis' power was massive in its own right. His black power slammed into Rip's yellow power again and again, a smaller scale version of the battle between Aetherians above.
"I will not waver this time child!" Mortis said angrily
"Nor will I, slave to death!" The two collided again.
This was the third time Adamai had attempted to breath in a zero oxygen and again he had failed. Why? Why was it so easy for Percedal and Yugo to figure this stuff out, it had taken him hours to figure out how to create a field around himself. And now he still couldn't figure out his how to turn matter into air.
"Worry not Adamai," Jack said calmly "Your power is the power of destruction, it is difficult to use it to convert or create."
Adamai growled angrily "It's not fair!" he said "Why did I have to be born with this power?"
"One should not question such things." Jack said "It leads down a dark path, one you nearly walked down already."
Yugo placed a hand on his brother "Don't worry Adamai, you'll get it."
Percedal landed on the ground and began to ponder possibilities. He watched intently as Adamai tried again, and failed again. He wasn't good at thinking, he was much better at acting, but he couldn't think of an action that would be of any help to the dragon right now either, what was iop to do?
"That's enough for now Adamai," Jack said "take a few hours for a break. and then come back."
"No!" he yelled "I can do this!"
Jack walked up to him and grabbed him by the head, lifting the small dragon to eye level.
"Look me in the eye and tell me," Jack said "That you can really keep this up indefinitely."
Adamai looked at him angrily, his frustration evident in his eyes, but Jack could see more than that, he saw how tired the poor dragon was, despite his determination Yugo's brother was reaching his limit. And because of that Adamai did not answer.
"There is no shame in ignorance or inability," Jack said "Only in the refusal to dispel such things. You are near your limit, come back when you have rested." With that he let the dragon go, Adamai used his wings to slowly descend to the ground. He stalked out of the room frustrated and upset, Percedal sighed and followed with Yugo at his heels.
Adamai continued to stalk forward towards his quarters, he paid no mind to the alarm claxons or the blaring warning being screamed over the com system about boarders. He had little to no interest in such things, in fact if some dark powered idiot was stupid enough to attack him now, he would show them why they should fear the power of a dragon.
"Adamai," Yugo's voice called from behind him, Adamai did not want to hear what his brother had to say at the moment, he knew Yugo only wanted to encourage him and help him do better, but he was starting to get a little annoying, it didn't help that his eliatrope brother had mastered his power so easily. It had been like this when he had taught him how to harness wakfu energy in the first place. He had been amazed at how quickly Yugo had caught on, far more quickly than him.
"Yugo, why don't you go see about that alarm," Percedal's voice said confidently "I think I can help now, but I don't you can." Adamai tited his head enough to watch the interaction, Percedal was frowning, he seemed to understand something Yugo didn't, and that understanding wasn't a happy one per se.
"But-" Yugo started
"I've made up my mind Yugo." Percedal stopped him before he could retaliate.
"Alright, I'll help the alarm people," Yugo said, mot of them still weren;t all that used to this technology, to them every alarm was the same, little to no differentiation.
"And how do you think you can help?" Adamai said as Yugo left to answer the alarm.
"I think I know what's stopping you," He said "But it's not my area of expertise exactly."
Adamai crossed his arms "Well then, what is it."
"I think you don't think the same way Yugo and I do." Percedal said "See it can't just be your power of destruction, my power is the power of wars and battles, carnage, or something like that. And I did it effortlessly."
Jack watched the two from a nearby alcove, cloaked to the naked eye, and to their other senses as best he could. This was interesting, he had expected Yugo to be the first to leave, but Percedal rushed out behind the dragon instead, the iop was very close to figuring out the problem, but he still had a few more steps to make it. Jack was quite impressed, he had taken the red head for a bit of fool outside of battle.
"I don't think right?" Adamai said "That's just rude, what do you care how I think"
"That's not what I meant!" Percedal said "I just don't know the words, it's like a way of thinking, but your way of thinking can change depending on your mood, I think."
"You mean my mindset?" Adamai said with hint of forgiveness in his voice.
"Yes!" Percedal said "That's it, You're mindset, it's all, I don't know, kind of dark, not really very happy I guess, too serious? I'm not sure what to call it."
"You think I should be more open," Adamai said "like Yugo."
Percedal supposed open was about as good a word as any he was going to get, too bad cosmic god powers didn't come with cosmic god knowledge to match.
"I guess, if that helps you understand it," Percedal said "I think maybe relaxed or accepting might be a better word."
Adamai planted his face in his hand and shook his head "Percedal, Thank you," He said "But I think I'll have to figure this out on my own."
"Well, Alright then," Percedal said "I'll go join Yugo for a bit."
"That went well," Rubilax said from Percedal's hip.
"Shut up." The iop god answered
Jack smiled, Percedal knew exactly what the problem was, he just didn't know how to articulate it. But the iop god had done enough, Adamai could easily figure this out now, he just had to put his mind to it, and unlike Percedal, Adamai's mind was quite sharp, and full of articulated knowledge.
"Don't take too long Adamai," Jack said turning his head to watch the battle beyond the fleets "I don't know how much longer Seraphin can hold out."
A Razor's edge of dark power slashed forward and golden knight ducked beneath it avoiding a likely mortal blow. Achron struck out with a blast of dark energy next, pushing the younger Aetherian back and away from him.
"You never win little Seraph," Achron taunted "And you never will."
The golden knight rushed forward and summoned his strength, he stopped a little short spreading his hands out, slowly two blades began to form within them, one a brilliant white with a golden glow, the other the deepest black, with a red glow.
"Tenebrus and Luminari," Seraphin said "The powers that cut the cloth's of the heavens!"
Achron raised an eyebrow, the boy had managed to find Tenebrus? That was interesting, the ancient sword of Xero himself… Achron smiled, this would be fun now, the boy in fact had the power to harm him, and battles meant so much more when you put yourself at risk.
"Well little Seraph," Achron said "Do a little hunting while I was away?"
The golden knight did not answer, he simply appeared right behind Achron with the intent to run him through. The dark Emporer would have none of that however. He flipped up and balanced on Seraphin's blade with a single finger.
"You didn't think it would be that easy now," Achron said with a smirk "Did you?"
Seraphin quickly recalled Luminari and slashed with Tenebrus nearly nicking the Dark Lord's armor, but again Achron's speed was nothing to be scoffed at and his pwer was unrelenting.
"Maybe I should end another Star," Achron said "Perhaps then you'd get the point."
"No one is undefeatable!" Seraphin yelled, it was at this point that Achron noticed a sabre sheathed at the golden knight's hip, how intriguing that he hadn't used it, even more so that he hung it at his hip, rather than summoning it like his other blades.
Seraphin was a blur of light and dark as he struck out against the Dark Lord, the Emperor that had ended countless universes and destroyed more lives than he could put a number to. This evil, this absolute evil had to end, someone had to end it, and he was the only one left who had the strength to fight him. He couldn't lose, not again, not this time, no more lives would be destroyed because of his shortcomings!
"You should really consider your fighting style little Seraph," Achron said brazenly "You'll never beat me this way, we've tried it countless times, and I always win."
Seraphin stopped his advance, Achron was right, he wouldn't win this way, he stood straight and dispelled his swords. He murmured something under his breath and his form began to change, his stature became smaller and his eyes closed, as his shoulder length hair shortened and changed to more sandy blonde color. His armor dissipated replaced with a black and gold coat that reached down to his knees, his body covered by a uniform rather than armor. Six pure white wings grew from his back flowing like water before the eyes of the dark lord. Seraphin's eyes snapped open, his Iris's red as blood, his gaze holding nothing but death.
"And what form is that?" Achron asked, genuinely curious, he hadn't seen the little Seraph use this for before, though it made his nickname all the more fitting.
"One from a long time ago," Seraphin answered "Before Kain betrayed us to you, It is called Uriel, the angel of revenge."
Seraphin reached to his hip and unsheathed the blade within, Achron knew it the moment he saw it, the runes and forms etched on the blade, the shiny silver finished he had rubbed it to with care. This was Luminex, the blade of Leonus, the filthy Aetherian who had sealed him and left him to rot for millennia.
"You know this blade Achron." Seraphin said "It ended your threat once, and will do so again."
Achron's eyes bulged in unfettered rage "NONE WILL END MY WRATH!" He screamed at the winged form below him "Most definitely not a relic from an enemy long gone! I hope you have made peace boy, because that was straw that broke camel's back!
With his words gone from him, Achron charged.
Author's note: A little backstory on our visitors, and a little more work with Adamai, I think Adamai is an interesting character, and I also think that I haven't done enough with Rubilax or Az (though the latter probably won't be involved in the final battle). Yugo's still not ready to face Achron yet, but almost there, maybe a chapter or two more, I'm excited, are you?