The Sphere: The Phantom of the West Rim

  She was amazed, though wondered how he could done this, creating magic to protected her in such distance without scepter, even a Magi like her couldn’t done such thing. But it seemed he could no longer hold this magic, many times the dragon tried to break the curtain, it must be drained his power so much.

  Suddenly a knife spinning in the air and pierced the dragon in the back, made the beast turn around in rage toward them.

  “He saw us, is it good?” asked Rey

  “Just calm down!” said Scarlett.

  Scarlett throws two knives on the either side of her and at once she created electrical fence like Marius had, but smaller and more like glowing-blue string.

  Suddenly the Fell Drake ran toward them. So fast and ferocious it was that it made his heart pounded to his body shuddered. He wants to run but great fear ensnared him till he couldn’t move a leg. On the other side Scarlett seemed calm as if she wants to welcome the beast.

  The dragon leaped to them but at the same moment Scarlett vanished with Rey into blue haze and so the dragon strikes nothing but the glowing string, and like a lightning rod all the blue flash gathered into the knife and spread through the body as if a lightning stroke the dragon beast. The dragon roared and trembled in pain till at last it stumbled.

  “What’s that?” asked Rey pointing to the dragon and shortly after he realized that there’s someone who weren’t there. “Hey, where’s Aska?”

  “That was Aska!” said Eorin.

  “But why did he attack us?”

  “Over valia, normally when it happened you will only experience an uncontrollable burst of energy. However the Volk Tribes were different, they don’t use Sphere for magic but to shapeshifting, so when that happened their shape will control their bodies, in other word that one wasn’t our friend anymore but a wild beast.” said Scarlett.

  The Fell Drake began to rise and roaring in rage. Seemed Aska have completely disappeared inside, swallowed up by the fury of mighty dragon beast.

  “I‘ll take care of your friend. You two go outside, prevent the battle!”

  “But Aska ...?”

  “Trust me! I won’t scar him. I will save your friend from that beast.” replied Scarlett firmly.

  Scarlett has said something very impossible, for she knew any Volk Tribe who had been conquered by his own beast almost impossible to transform back. A great feeling or will of their human side would bring them back, but she heard none about that ever happened. She did it few moments ago and her voice couldn’t get through him instead the beast willingly to kill him. The only thing and most common way to bring them back was by suffered them with great pain, not few of them were killed in the process. Is Scarlett going to hurt her friend to dying that it might kill him? Seems not, her sword still sheathed tightly on her waist and her gesture look relaxed for someone who intends to draw her sword at the last moment. On the contrary Eorin saw a smile spreads on her face, a smile of confidence as if she could fulfill what she just said – to bring back her friend.

  “What are you waiting for? Go, now!” cried Scarlett.

  “Ok!”

  Both of them go and Scarlett put herself forward to protect them. The yellow eyes of dragon beast stared at her fiercely with spiky brows lifted and the air seems heavy by its breath.

  “What are you waiting ugly lizard? Come to me right now.” Scarlett challenged the beast.

  The dragon beast ran and leaped to attack her. Scarlett getting down to evade and in the slightest chance she touched the limb of the dragon and at once brought that beast teleported into the height off to both of them falling down.

  All of sudden a fear of death arose in him, the greatest fear among human, so great it was that his fear defeated the will and instinct of the Fell Drake. And in the fall the wingless dragon shouted, not with ferocious roar but the scream of a boy who were afraid of falling. The Fell Drake faded away like dust banished by winds and instantly turned into a boy who screamed hysterically. Nothing was between him and the ground under and the death just need to wait for second.

  And behold! Above him, Scarlett dive down swiftly follows him. The red-haired woman soon grabbed him on the neck and brought him teleported into the castle. Both of them tumbled and crash something when they suddenly appeared inside the castle. Scarlett felt a pain in his back while Aska dazed as if he didn’t know what had just happened.

  “What happened?” said Aska look confused, but a moment later he felt a pain on his shoulder. “Ouch, who’s put the knife on my shoulder?”

  The habit and words of him, Scarlett doesn’t even need a second to recognized that it was him. The shape of the dragon beast was gone from him, yet fears still on her as the light in his Sphere still glowing though it slowly fainted.

  “You know whose knife is?”

  “Marius, that bastard, I’ll bite him once this is over.”

  “Yeah, bite him. Chew him up if necessary.” said Scarlett innocently, while she was the one whom throw the knife at him.

  ***

  Blitzberg pressed Marius’s chest with the tip of his sword and he look pleased by the pain shows on his face.

  “I will miss you Marius, have good sleep.”

  As he ready to lunge his triple-edged sword to take his life, suddenly he halted with frown. The pain grew about his back to chest and then he fell to his knees. He glanced down and his eyes caught a gleam of reddened steel. Who? How? Asked him in his thought as he saw the sword that pierced his chest, for he knew no one behind to stab him. And before he got the answer, Marius rose and stood before him.

  “How you …?” said Blitzberg wondered.

  “I used the cheap sword not because I’m stingy but only with the common steel I could do this.” said Marius. He revoked the knife in his waist without touched it as if the knife was moved by an invisible force.

  “Thunderbird Sphere, how you mastered it? Even I couldn’t do such thing in perfect.”

  “Neither do I, I just levitated it and retracted it to myself. Unfortunately you stood between us, so I’m sorry if my blade got you.”

  Marius walked with a limp while held his waist. Then he took Succubus Sphere of Blitzberg hand. “Wait here! I call for help.” said Marius, while patting his shoulder.

  However Blitzberg do not want to swallow such a bitter defeat. He rose and with all remaining power he had he trying to done the last magic, a little lightning ball levitates over his palm but strange purple haze radiate from it and every flash out of it tore the stone floor and pillar around him.

  Marius halted hearing the clapping sounds of his magic. Prideful but near death he believed Blitzberg wouldn’t cast a common magic to attack him, it might be something deadly or worse, it could kill them both. Marius turned around and there, like a god of thunder, Blitzberg raised his hand to attack. But Marius sprang forward and quickly cast a magic to him, it was shapeless and colorless magic but very powerful, a great magic of Bhayu the Windlord of the South. And like all winds gathered to Blitzberg it swirls and sucked everything around including his magic. The tempest repelled him to hit the baluster and at the same moment great blast of lightning shook the ground and air with wild blue flashes tore up the dimness, and the rumble of thunder broke the silence and echoed in the entire castle.

  The blast crumbled the wall and balcony, razed the floor beneath to the lower level and created a huge hole which shows the shadows of the marshes outside.

  “Can’t you wait till help coming?” Marius mocked.

  Chapter 25

  Power of the Heart

  Rey and Eorin running down on the walk-wall and soon they halted in their surprise as they found outside castle has completely changed. They have no longer seen the black marshes stretching away into the shadow of the woods but wet and dirty concrete field like road that had been swept by flood and just receding.

  “What happened? Where the marshes?” said Rey confused. “I’m pretty sure there were marshes here. We had betting our life with huge serpent
to cross it.”

  “It’s Stoneyard, Royal Forces standard procedures. Stone elemental bombs dropped on shallow-water area. Caused marshes, wallow or another still-water covered by concrete plate to create an ideal field for battle and also getting away dangerous creature like huge serpent you talked about. The stone plate will perish into sand and sank after 3-4 days, so we shouldn’t worry to step on it now.” said Eorin. “We should more concern about them who set it.”

  Eorin keenly stared into the shadow under the night. And there, far away against them two airships look flying low above the gloomy forest. Huge and fierce it was like black cloud floating in stillness with the sounds of mills and engine like a rumble of thunder in the distance. Slowly a faint glimmer of blue light kindled and spreads over the black plains like flying fireflies, and so they could see countless number of black figures marching swiftly upon the black plains and arrayed themselves into few squares. She couldn’t estimate the exact number of them in the distant darkness, but it seemed they could easily sweep all the enemies behind the old walls.

  Suddenly the old gate below fell to the ground with a thud and broke. There was a pause as the dust rising, and faintly they heard sounds of trampling feet. Row upon row the black figure marching out of the gate, no yells or any words to boost morale came out of them, they marching in dread silence as if they’re walking phantom.

  “We’re late, the battle about to start.”

  “Not too late for me,” said Eorin “Come on, let’s go!”

  “Wait! I had better way, and faster.” said Rey, as he looking at the old chain, it was stretched down, slanting and sunken into underground. It was the remaining of a drawbridge, seemingly. The pair on the left side of the gate was broken and hanging on the wall while the bridge itself seemed was long buried under the ground. The winds blowing cold and the chain shaking in shiver, so was Rey. He shuddered only by looking at the swaying old chain as though it could be broke by a touch. “For a second thought I don’t think it was better idea.”

  “But faster.” said Eorin.

  They prepared a piece of cloth. Then they jumped and slide down along the chain. Alas, before they ever step on the ground the chain was broken first. Rey who’s on the fore got swung and dragged on the ground while Eorin with a good reflex quickly cast ice magic to stick her handhold and then jumped down smoothly. Their sound alarmed the enemies and few of yellow eyes turned on them at once. No warning or cries came from the silent enemies they just shot them with a flash of yellow light sprang out of their hand. Quickly they evade and the shot passed between them to the wall cracked.

  “Looks like we’re invited.” said Rey.

  “Let’s not make them disappointed shall we.”

  They both ran forward into the Black Phantoms. With the Sphere Coral Imp she borrowed from Rey Eorin cast a lightning magic into them. Skillful she was as the girl with magic; forks of blue flash sprang out of her hand wildly and with her scepter the lightning sprang like white flame from the ground, with one move he could take down 4-5 enemies. Meanwhile Rey guarding on her side, strike with his dull granite sword and fireball, though it doesn’t much helped.

  The stream of Black Phantom drew to them now and they saw more the yellow eyes stared at them. More and more the Phantoms came to them in an endless row with deadly yellow light flashed everywhere around them.

  “Captain, look!” said one of the soldiers.

  The captain turned, wondered and surprised, as he saw the light streaking upon the black field. And though it was faint in the distant shadows but he could assume that there were two peoples countering all those black soldiers.

  “Prepared yourself!” said the captain without turned his eyes from the battle across.

  Both of them had reached their limit but vain it seemed their effort to stop them. How many times she stunned them to down those Phantoms seem never run out of number. Even those who had been down began to rise. The girl may great to shape her magic but it seemed her lightning was less powerful than the one Marius had, so was they rose quickly than expected.

  Suddenly she stumbled by her own weariness. At once the closer enemy hit her with a fist and shot her. Eorin fell and her bracelet broke as it protected her from the shot till all her Spheres scattered on the ground.

  "Eorin!" cried Rey. He ran and get into Eorin immediately. The girl he put on his arm and somehow unwittingly he created blue transparent dome to shield them both.

  Then he looked at her. The girl injured and fainted, lied helplessly on his arm. The darkness fell once again upon that place, and the shadows of enemies drew closer and surrounded them. Fear and anger was rose in him when he looked at the Phantoms whom hurt that girl but at the same time he felt pity for them. He realized the enemies they faced now weren’t meant to do this, neither to attack nor hurt them, they just being used by someone for something that they don’t willing to do.

  For a moment he just sat there and guarding Eorin. The world around him seemed voiceless, only shadows under the night beset them with their yellow eyes stared at them. He looked around and he laughed desperately, seeing the people they tried to save was trying to kill them. Now nothing he could do but wait them to break the blue curtain that protected them.

  However, even with shadows beset them, and the hatred and desperation darkened his heart there’s one light still remain. He looked at it wonderingly. The Sphere lied on the dark ground like the last light of hope among the darkness. It was Coral Imp Sphere which Eorin used before to create lightning. Although the girl was fainted and the Sphere was let off her hand but it’s still glowing as if the girl’s will still strong inside it.

  Rey took it. Though the glow slowly faded but as he touched it he could feels Eorin’s will to save them. At once the burdened heart became lighter, and the desperation conquered by hope and spirit arose in him. His will grow stronger along with Eorin’s will and so the fading glow in the Sphere shining back, glows brightly than before. Then a great power emerged on him suddenly, the stone blade he thrust firmly into the ground and at once a white flash sprang from the earth and burst like a wave of lightning to strike all the Phantoms there.

  The darkness came again upon abandoned land after that. Rey looked around. The enemy stood still under the shadow of the night with all yellow eyes pointed on them. However the blue dome has no longer protected them, for no power left on him anymore. For a moment there was ominous silence, like a battle about to begin or death to wait. And suddenly, as they waiting for terrible fate, all the Phantoms around them fell altogether to the ground.

  ***

  Eorin opened her eyes and wondered where she is, and soon with dreadful shock she wakened and siege but she found no peril to fight, instead she was surprised as he saw all the Phantoms were lied everywhere on the ground.

  “Glad you’re all right.”

  Eorin turned to the voice and there she found a young man bent down and hold on his broken sword.

  “Rey!” cried Eorin as she get to him.

  “Amazing trip, huh.” said him. He smiled at her but his eyes look exhausted, and shortly after he fell and fainted.

  “Rey! Rey!” called Eorin as she shook him but none of her calls could through his consciousness.

  Suddenly the cold air came whistling and in the gloom she saw a glint of sharp steel ran curved from her neck to a black figure under the moon.

  “Speak your name?” said the figure with threatening voice. “Speak or …”

  “Stop!” commanded a voice.

  Then a man went forward from the crowd. He was tall and stern, and as a sign of command he wore rectangular spaulders on his armor. He didn’t unsheathe his sword but his eyes observed keenly behind the helmet. “Halt your sword soldier!” he commanded, and the soldier put his sword off from Eorin’s neck.

  Then he walked over to Eorin while put off his helmet. He was short-haired and young, maybe as young as Scarlett but he looks well-respected among others. And when he get close enou
gh, he bent down and speak face to face with the girl.

  “I don’t know who you are but it’s clear for me that both of you are not one of them.” said that man looking all Phantoms lied around. “My name is Juntari, Captain of 3rd Legion of Khatar. Could you tell me what happened here?”

  Eorin then explains about what happened, about the assault on the villages, about the Phantoms and who they really are. Almost all of them didn’t believe what Eorin told them until some of them removed few of those helmets. Some soldier recognizes those faces and confirmed that they were missing villagers.

  As everyone stunned in surprise and confusion, without their notice, one of the fallen enemies began to move his fingers.

  ***

  In the old throne Marius rested himself for a brief time. Pain and weariness were all over his body. He checked his wounds, looks bad but seem he could hold on for one battle as long as he doesn’t fought against the expert like those Brothers anymore.

  The last brother has dead, swept by the blast of his own lightning. But one enemy still left and there’s something he have to do. He raised his hand and he saw the Sphere glinting in the faint light. Succubus, the queen of foul creature and the mastermind of all Necron sealed inside the crystal ball, powerless and motionless on her hand. But somehow an eerie feeling came upon him when he looked at the creature as if some malevolent filled his head with screams of pain and agony.

  “That old man was right. I should be a singer or a movie star, lived in a penthouse and dating a model.” said Marius sighed.

  Marius then took something out of his clothes. It was a dagger with strange shape. The blade was blunt and had some inscription on it, and at the tip of the hilt there’s a ring at the size of Sphere. The Succubus Sphere he attached on it.

  To the middle of the hall Marius went. And as he walked he caught a glint near the big hole to the night outside; the triple-edged sword of Blitzberg trapped among the rubbles and sparkling under the moonlight. By his power the sword he summoned to his hand.

  “Just finish this and get some drink.” said Marius as he took a deep breath.

  With a strong thrust he stabbed the dagger into the floor and at once a light flashed out of the Sphere like a spark of gunpowder. Swiftly and tensely he back away and pointed his sword toward the dagger. A glint came into his eyes and though it look fainted but Marius saw that the Sphere was empty; nothing have sealed inside the crystal ball now.