The majestic red flags wisped vibrantly in the meadow on the edge of Crescere’s capital. Horns began to blow and echo across the span. The Red Mage Army marched towards the gates of Alexandros. The massive metal gates made way for the army to enter as they reached the outer perimeter.
Once inside, the commoners on the streets cleared a path ahead of their procession. Izanami rode on Amyntas’s back, leading the army through the city and towards the castle. The commoners were shocked at what they saw. After all, in Alexandros and throughout the entire kingdom of Crescere, Red Mages were mythological beings in bedtime stories… but, now, here they were in the flesh, in front of their eyes. More and more commoners drifted into the streets as they watched in curiosity. The Red Mage Army valiantly marched down the streets in their traditional battle garb.
King Cornelius waited for the arrival of the army in the castle courtyard. As the group proceeded through the castle gates, his look of anticipation turned to disappointment, and then disgust. Izanami dismounted from Amyntas and walked towards the King. Zane and Kyros were by her side. Kyros walked up to the King and gave a slight bow, and the King impatiently spoke, “Is this all of you? How can this be the Great Army of old… the army that no king dared to challenge?!”
“Much has changed since times of old, Your Majesty… this is all that has survived time itself,” replied Kyros. “Crescere still has a great army of its own. Let them fuse together and then, maybe, we will have a chance.”
“We don’t have much choice… Kyros, I really do hope, for all our sakes, that your military skills can lead us to victory,” replied King Cornelius.
“This army is not mine to lead, Sire,” said Kyros. Kyros motioned over towards Izanami.
“What?? She’s just a child! What does she know about leading an army? Have you gone mad, Kyros?” shrieked King Cornelius.
“Battle runs strong in her lineage, past and present. You, of all people, should understand that. And I was no older than she is now when you made me a General of Crescere. She may not realize her potential now but, when the time arises, it will become as clear as a flowing river,” replied Kyros.
“What do you mean?” asked King Cornelius.
“A flowing river may appear peaceful and innocent on the surface, but its true strength lies in what cannot be seen beneath the surface,” said Kyros.
“Kyros, I don’t have time for your riddles!” said King Cornelius.
While the King and Kyros continued their argument, Izanami and Amyntas were standing under a tree, speaking to one another. Izanami looked nervous, but determined. Suddenly alert, she turned and watched as the group of Mage soldiers broke apart and formed an open space between them. A Crescerian soldier, covered in blood, limped his way towards the King.
“What say you, soldier? What happened?!” demanded King Cornelius.
In a faint, forced voice the soldier replied, “A Burmekian assault on the northern front… we lost… we lost Glaciem…” Taking a deep breath, the soldier continued speaking, “They move swiftly, with creatures of evil… a massacre… they come to challenge…,” the soldier collapsed.
“Mage, do something!” King Cornelius commanded Zane. Zane knelt down and checked for a pulse. There was nothing.
“Red Mages can do many things, Sire, but one thing we cannot do is reverse death. I’m sorry,” said Zane.
War was upon them now; it was inevitable. This soldier’s account frightened the other Mage soldiers. They had never experienced the horrors of war. Even though they had been preparing for war all their lives, nothing could have prepared them, mentally and emotionally, for what they heard and what they were about to endure.
Kyros had one of his subordinates lead the Mage soldiers to the barracks that had been erected for them, on the palace grounds, to begin their strategic planning. By dusk, the Burmekian army would be at their doorstep. King Cornelius ordered an evacuation of the city. Citizens could either flee to the eastern coast or into the western Spiral Mountains. Those who could not travel were allowed to take refuge in the castle. But none of those options would guarantee safety. It was unclear what was about to happen. Burmeka had a new kind of army – a manufactured army of some sort, with unnatural abilities. Crescere had advanced weaponry, as well as the Red Mages. Who would survive the upcoming onslaught? Could either side win? Or would each simply destroy the other?
In her small, personal space at the barracks, Izanami was on edge. Looking outside, she could see the Crescerian army preparing for battle. Massive missiles, and their launchers, were being wheeled out for use. Guns… so many guns; to those in the King’s army, this was a battle of whichever side had the better technology of death. Izanami knew victory depended on much more than that. The real reason for the inevitable battle, however, was unclear to Izanami… was there even a reason? There must be. Was it a war of good against evil, to keep the balance of harmony? But, what really is good, and what really is evil? There had been tensions between the two nations for so long that it was difficult to determine who might really be at fault. Were the Red Mages truly fighting for good and peace? But, how can war and death truly bring peace and harmony? Did past Warriors of Light and Red Mages ponder such things before atrocities occurred? Were she and her fellow Mages being used as puppets of war without realizing it? Izanami feared these things…and more. However, Izanami knew one thing. Whatever Lord Xenon was planning, there was nothing good about it. The images of the tormented children haunted her, and this was all she needed right now to convince herself that she was fighting for a good cause.
In Kyros’s room, Euclid paid him a visit. “So, will you be fighting as one of us?” asked Euclid.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way, my friend. Besides, Ambrose has been itching to come back to the human world for a while now. I’m sure he’s been getting bored after all these years,” Kyros smiled.
“Lucian, have you told Izanami yet?” asked Euclid.
“No, she’ll find out soon enough, especially after she sees Ambrose.
“That’s not what I meant,” answered Euclid.
Kyros shrugged. “I’m not sure if I should tell her just yet.”
“Why do you say that? What if one of you dies and then she will never know the truth? Other things may also become clear for her if she knew,” insisted Euclid.
“I know. Don’t you think I haven’t thought about all that? I fear that if I tell her now, though, emotions will cloud her mind and then she won’t be able to focus. Then something could happen to her,” replied Kyros.
“It’s your decision. But, don’t keep her in the dark much longer. Shedding some light on her past may even help her,” said Euclid. Kyros nodded in agreement. “There is something else troubling you,” continued Euclid. “What is it?”
“Elder, Izanami isn’t fully developed yet as a Warrior of Light. Not even close. She cannot face Xenon yet. We are on the eve of battle – a battle that, given the circumstances, we may not win. So many will die; their fate is sealed. In our past history, the Warriors of Light have been more developed. But things are progressing too quickly, and not in our favour,” said Kyros with concern.
“This is true, but you also know why things are the way they are. A mistake made four thousand years ago is waiting to be absolved. Absolution is waiting, so history will repeat itself to allow for compensation. You and Zane must keep her safe until the moment of absolution… as well as yourselves,” replied Euclid. Leaving Kyros with that thought, Euclid left the room.
Meanwhile, Zane went to Izanami’s room. He knocked at the door and waited. Every second that passed before she opened the door, his heartbeat was suffocating him. When Izanami opened the door, Zane could not muster any words. Izanami motioned for him to come inside.
“So, what brings you here?” asked Izanami.
“I just wanted to see if you were doing okay,” replied Zane, trying to appear calm.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve been thinking,” said Izanami.
“Oh?” repli
ed Zane.
“Yes… I cannot deny my destiny. That has become clear. Especially since my connection to the Flow of Life has strengthened. I tried to ignore it, even deny it. But, when that injured soldier appeared, I already knew what he was going to say because I could hear the cries of the people… their suffering…,” explained Izanami.
“Are you able to control it any better?” asked Zane.
“Sometimes… but not very well, mostly. But I have to stay strong. When I think about what is expected of me, it scares me. But, it’s not a matter of can or can’t… I just have to do it and hope for the best,” said Izanami.
“Izanami, I’ll help you as best as I can, and I’ll watch your back in battle. I’m sure Kyros will, too,” replied Zane.
“Thank you, Zane. I really appreciate that. And I’ll make sure to watch your back, too,” said Izanami.
“Nah, you don’t have to worry about that. You have way too many other things to worry about,” said Zane.
“So, will Favian be fighting as well?” asked Izanami.
“He insists on it. I don’t think I can change his mind. Although, it does seem that he has gotten a bit bigger since we first met,” chuckled Zane.
“Yeah, I noticed that too. Well, we should probably get ready. It’ll be dusk in a few hours and the Burmekian army will be here.” Zane nodded and left the room.
At the base of the castle, everyone was preparing for battle. Kyros watched while he sat on a wooden barrel in the corner of the field, smoking a cigar. He looked rather detached. Zane spotted him and came over to him. “Hey, don’t look so glum; we’ll be alright,” Zane said, trying to convince himself as well. Kyros let out a sigh and blew out a large amount of smoke into Zane’s face. Coughing, Zane asked, “Okay, what’s wrong?”
Kyros looked up at Zane for a moment, and appeared to struggle whether to answer Zane. Then he said, “I have a problem…”
“So… what’s the problem?” asked Zane.
“Ah, hell… might as well tell you,” said Kyros. He then put out his cigar with his hand. He told Zane everything. Everything that he had been hiding for so many years was revealed in a matter of minutes.
“WHAT?! So that means…,” replied Zane.
“Yup,” said Kyros.
“And you…,” Zane continued to speak.
“Something like that,” said Kyros.
“And have you told her all this?” asked Zane.
“Nope,” answered Kyros. After a pause he said, “Don’t tell her, okay?”
“Well, it’s not my secret to tell. But, why aren’t you going to tell her?” asked Zane.
Before he could answer, Izanami walked towards them. Both Kyros and Zane instantly fell silent and looked at each other. Izanami looked at them in puzzlement, then walked away. The two looked relieved, but they knew that Izanami suspected something.
Izanami climbed onto a large crate so that everyone could see her, and she began to speak, “My fellow Mages and soldiers of Crescere, soon a battle will be on our doorstep. But we mustn’t be afraid. I know you are all anxious because of the rumours we have heard. But, remember that the Red Mages will be fighting with you, side by side, and that we are destined to free these lands from such a scourge! Together, we can stride through the unknown darkness before us, and into the light! Bond together, and let us drive the Burmekian army back to their icy wastelands!” shouted Izanami.
The two armies let out cries of support. They were ready to follow Izanami into battle. Kyros climbed up onto the same crate as Izanami and said to her, “Looks like they’ve warmed up to you!” He looked around and then also spoke to the armies, “Mages and soldiers, the Warrior of Light and I have come up with our strategy! From the tops of the castle walls, we will launch missiles on the frontal assault. Then, Izanami and I will attack from above.” Izanami looked at Kyros in confusion, but did not say anything. During the rest of Kyros’ instructions, Izanami thought about how he could possibly join her in aerial assault. Maybe there was some technology his King was hiding that she had not yet seen.
Tension now filled the air and, again, stirred up fear in the hearts of many. The time arrived to take positions. Izanami and Kyros made their way to the walkway on the top of the walls surrounding the city. Zane was given authority over the ground unit, which had barred the gates to try to delay what would be imminent bloodshed.
Izanami called upon Amyntas. A burst of white light temporarily lit up her surroundings. As Amyntas appeared, he roared loudly, as if it were his war cry. Then, something unexpected happened. A vibrant red light began to form around Kyros. Red and gold feathers fluttered from the sky. Looking upwards, Izanami watched as a magnificent phoenix materialized and then descended next to Kyros. “Izanami, meet Ambrose, my Beast Guardian,” said Kyros. Ambrose seemed to be a fully grown Beast Guardian. Izanami looked at Kyros in disbelief. She thought that, perhaps, she was hallucinating from the stress and fear, but soon came to the realization that she was not. Clearly, Kyros was able to call upon a Beast Guardian, which meant he was a Red Mage Warrior. He was the same as Izanami and Zane! The Guardian was fully grown, which meant Kyros was an experienced Red Mage Warrior. But, how he came to be able to achieve this status was confusing to Izanami and, unfortunately, the explanation would have to wait for another time. As curious as she was right now to learn how Kyros had attained Red Mage Warrior status, Izanami had to focus on the upcoming battle before her.
Ambrose let out a terrifying shriek. Amyntas placed his front paws on the ledge and roared. Both Izanami and Kyros turned to the north to see a living, black sea crawling across the horizon. It was the Burmekian Army. All they could do, now, was watch the advance, with hearts racing.
It seemed an excruciating wait for all of them. The line of black on the horizon slowly came in like the wave of an ocean from afar. Finally, when Izanami could start making out individual forms within the living sea of black, she was shocked at what she saw. The majority of the army was made up of humanoid forms, but she could not sense any life within them. Izanami had gone pale, and looked at Kyros. They witnessed Lord Xenon trying to create monsters from the young Red Mages. It had, they thought, been a complete failure. Yet, in front of them, there had to have been at least several thousand; they were completely outnumbered.
“This isn’t looking too good,” stammered Izanami.
“Those creatures… those abominations are created from evil. Izanami, as Red Mages we cannot let them pass beyond here and corrupt everything in their path,” urged Kyros.
Izanami looked back at the advancing wave. The time had come. The enemy was before them. It was time for Izanami to lead the Red Mage Army as a Warrior of Light. So much had happened so quickly since she became a Red Mage Warrior. It was not enough time to learn everything she needed to know. She had only scratched the surface of her potential. She did know that something had changed inside her. But, knowing what she was now capable of actually frightened her more than it consoled her. Amyntas had told her of the many things that, in time, she could learn to do as she became more connected with the Flow of Life and heka. Unfortunately, there was no time to think about that right now.
Izanami raised her hand. The soldiers waited for the next signal. Ever so slowly, it seemed, the black sea inched closer. Izanami waited, staring at the darkness. At last, she lowered her hand. Missiles flew into the sky, and arced towards the moving blackness, exploding on contact. Several more waves of missiles followed their destructive paths.
It appeared that the Sanguines began to hesitate while coming into the range of the missiles. Then, they stopped moving completely; everything became quiet. Izanami held on to a faint hope that their show of strength had an effect. But, before she could calculate her next move, a low hum began to pulse in the air. Vibrations rumbled under Izanami’s feet. Over the northeast mountains of Fangul, something was emerging from its misty tips.
“Wha… what is that thing?” cried Izanami.
“It’s an air ship! H
ow were the Burmekians able to create such a thing?!” said Kyros.
“You mean Crescere doesn’t have an air ship to use against that one?” asked Izanami, hopelessly.
“No, but I don’t think it has any weaponry. To create a weapon of the calibre needed to arm an airship simply doesn’t exist!” said Kyros. The air ship approached and then circled around to the far side of the city. Izanami and Kyros watched it intently. Suddenly, it began to make a hissing noise. Some sort of cylindrical object attached to the bottom of it began to move, and then a loud thunder-like noise burst from the craft. Like a bolt of lightning, a ball of fiery destruction blasted through the limestone walls of the perimeter. The Sanguines advanced and charged the now vulnerable city. Zane and his unit were fully exposed.
The air ship continued to destroy everything in its path. Within minutes, the entire city was ablaze. The mechanical angel of death was now heading towards the castle. Kyros mounted Ambrose and they took flight.
“Izanami, what are you waiting for? We need to take this thing out before it completely destroys everything!” yelled Kyros. Izanami mounted Amyntas and they followed behind Kyros and Ambrose. They caught up to the air ship and circled it, searching for its vulnerabilities. Kyros motioned to Izanami and pointed to an area on the ship that he headed towards. They landed on a deck that appeared to be located in front of the main viewing area. Kyros drew his sword, covered in glowing red crystals, and directed it towards the glass that shielded the operators of the craft. A crimson energy field surrounded the blade. Kyros focused on it and sent it towards the glass. The entire surface of the glass began to glow, and then started to crack. Within seconds the glass shattered violently outwards. Bullets rained at Kyros and Izanami from within the airship. They used their swords to deflect them. Amyntas and Ambrose charged into the bridge, tearing at the men with guns until they were mangled corpses.
“Now what?” said Izanami.
“Maybe we can use the cannons against the creatures. Izanami, fly down and find Zane. Get everyone out of the way,” said Kyros.
Izanami mounted Amyntas. Amyntas spiralled towards the ground and opened his wings for a quick landing. Just as soon as they touched down, a Sanguine leaped from the side and tackled Izanami onto the ground. It dug its teeth into her neck. Izanami grabbed a dagger from a holder on the side of her thigh and stabbed the abomination in the chest. It let go of Izanami, but removed the knife and shrieked. It did not seem too bothered by its wound, but was enraged. Izanami backed up and drew her sword. As it ran towards her, she swung her blade and decapitated the creature. Amyntas was fighting with three other Sanguines. One was latched onto his back and the other two were clawing at his face. Izanami sliced off the head of the creature on his back.
“Amyntas, you have to remove their heads or they don’t seem to take any damage!” warned Izanami. Using his jaw, Amyntas’s massive teeth tore through the flesh of the Sanguines’ necks. Izanami ran beside Amyntas, cutting down any Sanguines in their path.
Finally reaching Zane and his group of Mages, who were furiously fending off creatures from all sides, Izanami yelled to him about Kyros’ plan. Izanami, Zane, and the Red Mages tried to herd as many of the attacking Sanguines together into an open area as they could. Pushing them back using combustion reactions and elemental heka, they were able to force a large group back out into the meadow where Kyros was now waiting in the air ship. Kyros had, in the meantime, familiarized himself with the controls of the ship and fired a shot from the cannon gun towards the retreating group of Sanguines – they were instantly incinerated.
The Mages hurried back into the city to use the same tactic again. Maybe, they would be able to win this fight after all? Their hearts lightened slightly, and the hope gave them renewed strength.
Suddenly, the earth trembled. Twisting around, Izanami saw black smoke in the sky. “No! Kyros!” screamed Izanami. The air ship plummeted into the ground and exploded. Izanami dropped her head in despondency. Another air ship had appeared, but this one was substantially larger than the first. This one had the same cylindrical weapon as the first, but there were several of them rather than just one. It slowly rotated in the sky, aiming towards the distance. It fired towards the castle, several times. Before long, the grand castle was in shambles. Then, it continued firing on the city. Whoever was commanding that air ship did not seem to care that their own army was down there.
Anyone who was still alive, including the Sanguines, began to flee the city out into the meadow. But, once out in the open, the cannon began to take aim at the escapees. The Mages dispersed while taking cover in their surroundings. There were explosions all around them. They were completely helpless.
Izanami mounted Amyntas and they flew up into the air. Dodging the terrifying blasts coming towards them they, again, landed on the same area as on the first ship. She stared at the protective glass shield and, suddenly, seemed to penetrate it with her gaze. She locked upon the icy blue eyes of Xenon, staring back at her. “Amyntas, we have to get this thing away from everyone. Neither the Mages nor the Crescerian soldiers have a chance for survival otherwise,” said Izanami.
“What do you want me to do, Izanami?” asked Amyntas.
“We’ll lead it to Mount Shi – there are no people there. But, we have to stay as far away as possible from any villages that are nearby,” replied Izanami.
Amyntas took flight once more and charged towards Mount Shi. The air ship seemed to take the bait and followed them. Something seemed strange. The air ship was following them, but it was no longer firing at them. Izanami became alarmed and suspicious. Now flying over the misty tips of Mount Shi, Izanami said, “Amyntas, can you get a bit lower and land on a cliff?” Amyntas did as Izanami directed.
Landing on a cliff overlooking the plains and the smouldering city, Izanami dismounted from Amyntas, her sword drawn, and waited. Soon, the air ship hovered above her. The massive engines were so loud and created such a strong turbulence that Amyntas had to help Izanami keep her footing. A hatch opened up from its underbelly and a ladder cascaded down. Xenon descended from the airship and then signaled it away.
“Ah, that’s much better. Now, we can have a little chat, my dear,” said Xenon, his cold eyes glinting at Izanami. Izanami was silent and filled with rage, as flashbacks of the young Mages overwhelmed her again. “Oh, you don’t want to talk? That’s too bad… I was really looking forward to seeing you again. Especially because of what I’m about to do. I wanted you to share it with me.”
“What do you mean?” hissed Izanami, with revulsion.
“Everything has just been working out so perfectly, Izanami. Act Two of my production can now begin!” Xenon reached into his coat and showed the Emerald Tablet to Izanami. “Izanami…,” he began eerily, “do you remember, as a little Mage, being taught that Black Heka originates from outside our world? Red Mages have only been able to channel the energy of Black Heka into our world in very limited ways, even when they were strong in the Arts. Well, guess what? I’ve found the way to unlock that source, in our own world… and I have the key!”
“Xenon… you’re tampering with something that should be left alone!” exclaimed Izanami.
“Oh, Izanami… perhaps you’re right. But, on the other hand…,” Xenon began to laugh. “Wouldn’t it be more fun to see what happens when the true power of all heka is at my disposal, to do with it whatever I please?!”
“Xenon, please don’t do this!” Izanami begged.
“Don’t you want to know how I was able to do this?” said Xenon.
“I have a feeling you’re going to tell me, whether I want to know or not,” replied Izanami, coldly.
“Now, now, Izanami; don’t be like that. It’s really quite fascinating! You see, if you read the last section of the tablet, there’s a recipe. The ingredients are extracted heka, and a ludicrous amount of death and destruction. The Flow of Life is always thirsty, but is now overflowing with souls that can be harvested for my cause!” explained Xenon glee
fully.
“You’re sick! How can you just sacrifice lives and souls like they are nothing more than dirt?” replied Izanami.
“Oh, but you haven’t heard the best part! Remember those little Mages you failed to save? Well, truth be told, I didn’t really want to turn them into Sanguines, but merely to extract pure heka as an energy source. You see, Red Mages are infused with heka, black as well as white. That’s what makes them so special. You Mages aren’t completely human; more like… the next evolution of the species. As for the children, they are strongly connected to the Flow of Life, with a strong connection to the heka within. However, most do not realize this. As they become older the connection to black heka weakens, because the knowledge needed to use it has been lost to your people. Only a very select few have had the ability to do so. So, to extract a pure heka source is best when they are young, since Warriors of Light are so hard to find these days…,” laughed Xenon.
“You mean… the only reason for killing them was to extract a pure source of black heka from them?” Izanami said in a weak voice.
“You catch on very quickly. Of course, as a by-product, some did turn into Sanguines… but, Sanguines are soulless creatures so, for all intents and purposes, they all died. However, with the extracted heka I was able to create more Sanguines from simple humans. Not only that, but the weapons on my air ships are all fuelled by heka,” grinned Xenon.
Izanami could barely breathe. The words she was hearing revolted her. But it appeared that Xenon was not finished tormenting her. He grinned malevolently at her. “Izanami… if you put down your sword and pledge your allegiance to me, I will spare you from that which I am about to do…”
“I’ve heard enough! I’ll cut you down so that you will never harm another living thing!” yelled Izanami. Izanami ran towards Xenon with fury. With a smooth movement of his arm, he pulled out the Black Pendant, instantly forcing Izanami onto her knees at his feet. She could not move. A wave of dark energy had her bound and, with every passing moment, the pain became more intense.
“What are you going to do, Izanami? The more you slip away, so does that kitty cat of yours,” said Xenon. Izanami struggled to turn her head. Amyntas was on the ground, barely moving. He too, was slipping away. Staying in the human world much longer would kill him.
“Amyntas… go… you need to go…,” Izanami faintly said. Amyntas growled, refusing to leave Izanami on her own with Xenon. Mustering all his strength, Amyntas stood up. His legs shook horribly, but he kept his balance.
“What is the kitty going to do? You can barely stand. The great, legendary Chimera can’t do anything to me!” Xenon began to laugh. At that instant, Amyntas charged towards Xenon and leaped into the air. Xenon used the Black Pendant to release a powerful dark wave at Amyntas. Amyntas was veiled in a vibrant white light; the wave diffracted around Amyntas, leaving him unhurt. At the end of his leap, Amyntas sank his teeth into Xenon’s arm, causing him to release the pendant and its hold on Izanami.
Amyntas quickly grabbed Izanami’s hood of her cloak by his teeth and used his last ounce of strength to pick her up and fly up towards a higher ledge, away from the surprised Xenon. As soon as he released her, Amyntas collapsed. He returned to the Realm of the Beast Guardians.
“Izanami, are you okay?!” shouted Zane. Zane and Kyros sat on Ambrose’s back, calling at her from overhead and then landing next to Izanami.
“Hey, kiddo, you alright?” said Kyros. Izanami was hugely relieved to see that Kyros had not been killed when the air ship crashed, and her eyes became teary.
In a weak voice, Izanami began to speak, “You… you have to… stop him… he’s going to do something…”
“Shhh, save your strength, we’ll take care of him. Favian, stay with Izanami,” said Zane. Favian tried to help Izanami move towards some shelter so she could renew her strength. Zane and Kyros drew their swords, mounted Ambrose and swooped down to circle around Xenon, still on the cliff where he confronted Izanami. They were well aware that they could not use any Red Mage abilities as long as Xenon had that pendant, but they could still try to fight. Still holding his arm where Amyntas bit him, Xenon began to laugh like a deranged mad man. He stepped back a few paces and, again, held the pendant firmly in his fist, while drawing a sword of his own that was covered in black crystals.
“A sword is so much more elegant than a gun, don’t you think? Any idiot can pull a trigger to kill, but to kill with a blade requires skill!” said Xenon. He then launched himself towards Kyros, who had just jumped off his beast guardian’s back, and a heated sword battle commenced.
Despite being injured, Xenon was fast on his feet and wielding deadly strokes with his blade. Kyros was just as swift. Both were dodging potentially lethal blows, one after another; neither was showing any sign of fatigue. Zane, now also in the fray, had a bit of difficulty keeping up with Xenon, but Kyros intervened to shield any potentially damaging blows.
“Oh, I can’t look! I hope Zane will be ok! This Xenon guy is really good with a blade,” said Favian, perching on a rock overlooking the battle, as he covered his eyes with his paws. Izanami’s vision was still blurred and her energy was not yet fully restored. But she dragged herself slowly toward Favian, and looked on in horror. Kyros was now pinned against the stony mountain wall. Xenon was, again, controlling the Mages with the Pendant and draining Kyros’s life source from him. Zane was on his knees; his own blade was pierced through his body, and the protruding tip dripped with his blood. The instant Izanami saw her friends in mortal peril, a surge of energy struck her body. Consciously unaware of what she was doing, Izanami found herself with her sword in hand and raised, and leaping down the steep precipice towards the cliff below.
A wave was released from the pendant towards Izanami; her blade glowed red and diffracted the wave. Xenon released Kyros, who fell to the ground, lifeless. Izanami was hit by another wave, but continued forward once more. She was in pain, her body was damaged, but she fought forward.
“So, it is true – the warrior of old has been reborn! This is going to get interesting… very interesting, indeed!” said Xenon to himself, amusedly. The crystals still blazed crimson red on Izanami’s sword; the dark wave suddenly dissipated. Izanami had closed in on Xenon, and swung her blade towards his neck, only to have it deflected by his blade. “Izanami,” Xenon addressed her almost pleadingly, “I don’t want to hurt you… I need you for later, but you are proving to be such a pest!”
On the ground, Kyros was just regaining consciousness. Between the onslaught of the pendant’s energy and the vicious hand combat with Xenon, he did not have enough strength to sustain his beast guardian, who had slipped back into the Realm. At this moment, it was unclear to him if Zane was among the living or dead. Gradually, his vision became less blurred. He could hear two voices. One sounded deranged, and the other was becoming weaker the more they spoke. Just as his vision returned to normal, Kyros’s face paled and he trembled; mustering all his strength, he got up and ran towards the edge of the cliff. Tears fell from his eyes. Izanami was gone. The fall was high enough to kill even a Red Mage. Kyros could not see Izanami through the trees far below the cliff. He was hoping that the trees had broken her fall, but he knew he was deluding himself. His chest felt heavy and his heart shattered.
Xenon stood over Kyros, holding Izanami’s cloak over the edge. He let it go and watched it flutter down towards the trees. “What a shame, so much potential wasted… only because she wouldn’t listen,” said Xenon.
Kyros clenched his fists. Anger poisoned his blood and intoxicated his mind. Unexpectedly, Kyros leaped at Xenon, pinned him down, and held a dagger blade to his throat. “You killed her… you monster! You killed my sister!” said Kyros as tears fell from his eyes.
Xenon began laughing hysterically, “So, that’s what this is about? Well, then…I’m going to tell you a little secret also, before I kill you… I, too, wield Mage-like powers, but yours is a pitiful excuse to mine. I am…Shadow Sage!” A surge of dark en
ergy flung Kyros off of Xenon and back up against the rigid mountain wall. “I can do things that you Red Mages could never dream of!”
“That’s why you are able to use that pendant,” said Kyros in a weak voice.
“Not quite! Now, sit there and enjoy the show! We are nearing the end of Act Two!” cried Xenon. Xenon again revealed the Emerald Tablet and began reading from the fourth section – the forbidden section. As the ancient dialect escaped the confines of the tablet through Xenon’s voice, the air grew cold, as if an angel of death blew over the land. Dark purple and black clouds formed over the mountain. The ground started shaking violently. Something seemed to be emerging from the darkened sky. A slender, monolithic shape began descending from the centre of the swirling, ominous clouds. It appeared to be covered with many markings, or glyphs. Lightning struck the ground from its base, and it slowly started to rotate. It glowed a blood red, which intensified until it was too bright to look at directly. The gateway had been opened… the gateway to the world where darkness dwelled. Shadowy creatures, which were neither alive nor dead, emerged.
Xenon laughed hysterically, “It was all too easy! Now go, creatures of the shadows and darkness; wreak your havoc on this world!” A tornado-like gust of wind swept over the oak forest below. From its epicentre over Mount Shi, it spread out over a great distance, destroying everything in its path. The land was left barren, stripped of all life.
Chapter 22