by Philip Read
When I’m giving my all to my every blow whilst also throwing the blows as fast as I possible can with this much force behind them he starts giving me as good as I’ve been giving him. He starts sending out ambitious cuts towards my flanks and sides, spreading me out, creating an opening in the middle of my torso which I see but really can’t do much of anything about.
His foot connects with my chest and I stumble a step back before sweeping sideways and moving back in to a ringling of my forearms as our blades connect. Neither of us moves an inch and the grin on his face is one of joy before he steps back and starts laughing happily.
“Oh barbarian you have no idea how happy you’ve made me.” He says after his laugh before taking a completely different stance with a silly grin on his face. “Wanna go all out, aura to aura?” He asks with that wicked little smile of his that implies he knows more than he’s saying.
“You would die if I went all out.” I say smoothly watching his movements as he bounces around on his toes lightly a lot more like he does when fighting unarmed.
“Hahahahahahaha,” he laughs happily, tears appearing on his face in his mirth. “Oh barbarian I knew you were all holding back during those sparing matches. You were weren’t you? I’ve heard about the berserker rage and I wondered why none of you displayed it during the matches. That’s your trump card isn’t it?” He asks then swipes his leg up and over and volleys in the air in a spin as his sword strikes from a weird angle and I just get my sword in time to deflect the strike.
He’s already landed bouncing on his toes on the other side of me swirling his sword around with the tips of his gingers. “Even that Sachihiro was holding back wasn’t he?” He moves and we clash again but only this time he strikes twice and the second strike bruises a rib. “I knew I felt something lurking within him still, something sinister, I can smell it in all of you but especially the two of you went you’re cornered in a fight. You take injury you could have avoided rather than bring whatever lurks inside you out.”
We clashes and I manage to deflect the first two strikes but a third gets into my guard and I stumble back several steps blinking away after the impact of the flat of the blade on my forehead with a ringing slap. I stop and frown as I feel his aura building, something dark and unpleasant behind it, something old and oily and smokey that smells of warm ash.
“You see, I didn’t understand it at first because I had never encountered its like in anyone else before, but you, Sachi and I have a kinship. You see, I also struggle to control something within myself-”
“I struggle with nothing!” I say quickly and he laughs at my outburst.
“Oh, you don’t do you? Well ,I guess we’ll find out won’t we.” He says already stepping forward before a cold wind enters the room sensuously, dropping the temperature by several degrees.
“Stop.” The words almost slither out of the person’s mouth as he walks out of bloody no where to stand a few steps away from Volvox and where I was standing as I’ve already rolled and jumped towards the rack were my hammer is.
I look up again when I have my hammer in hand and my aura flaring lightly at the top of my skin for all who can see aura to witness. There is no one else here though, it was supposed to be just Volvox and me in here.
“Grandfather.” Volvox says and bows deeply. That alleys my worries a little bit but my instincts are still on alert because I have no idea where this man came from.
“What is your name warrior?” The cold voice asks as though two people are speaking at the the same time one on top of the other but not completely in align. There is a strange compulsion to his words that tastes almost familiar at the back of my mind.
“Om.” I say automatically as I lower my hammer.
“What is your true name warrior?” The mmulti-layered cold cutting voice asks in a strange soothing compulsion.
Then something I’ve been dreading happens clearing up my mind as a part of me that’s been dormant since I severed my soul awakens. Sachi warned me that the first Rage after the forging is always different, your animalistic Rage now becoming the embodiment of something destructive in a true and pure form, that of a weapon. No longer limited by the shortcomings of the flesh, and with my hammer in hand the Rage billows like a furnace inside me and for the first time in my entire life I feel completely unhindered, relaxed.
I stretch my neck experimentally testing whether or not my body is really as light as it currently feels. I feel so unencumbered it isn’t like Sachi described at all. It’s like I can finally be myself fully for the very first time in my life and I’ve just been too uptight and too worrisome all along.
“Wow.” I say on reflex as I flex my forearms and twirl my 25 kg hammer around like its nothing.
“Interesting…” The tall, dark handsome grandfather says as he looks at me with in a strange way. “Very interesting… Volvox, attack him with everything you have and retreat.”
“Yes ,grandfather.” He says as his own aura flares and he practically flies towards me and we clash, my speed more than having doubled and so has my perception. He comes out of that exchange slightly bruised but grinning like a madman, I’m standing like a mountain where he left me unmoved; watching the two curiously.
“You have very admirable mental shielding Om.” The grandfather says walking towards me as care-free as can be. “But if I pried that name of of you I couldn’t be denied could I?” He asks as he stops in front of me looking up slightly from the height difference.
In this state I’m in, I hesitate to even call it the Rage but in this Rage I’m in I can feel the difference in power between us more vividly. Not necessarily his maximum power but the gulf between us almost seems insurmountable. I know there is no way I could currently take him and that doesn’t bother me in the least bit, I’m not even worried. If its a fight he seeks its a fight he will get, even if its futile, I am a Barbarian after all. But there is no way I will initiate a contest between us though, and I have no shame for such feelings.
“Maybe you could, but if you knew my name before I knew what it meant to me I would have to destroy you when I gained enough power to do so.” I say with the utmost of surety that I will surpass him in no time at all, its a matter of a few hundred years even and I can feel that he knows this too.
“Interesting indeed. I want to be your trainer Om, I would be honoured to take you as a disciple.” He says stepping back lightly and giving me room.
“What’s your name?” I ask as Volvox glowers at my tone, fuck him.
“My name is Cyrus Artherimus Black.”
“Can I trust you with my future and the future of my every upcoming battle Cyrus Black?” I ask seriously looking at him straight in the eyes.
“You can trust that I will train you as best as I am able and you have my full protection as my disciple until such time as you no longer need it or leave my tutorship.” He say.
I nod, “I accept you as my Master in Arms for the next ten years Cyrus Black.” I say and bow my head respectfully. Divina once told me to always make a way out when getting into a new deal, the easiest way to do that is to put a time limit on it. Ten years seem reasonable to me.
Chapter 51
Are you afraid of the dark? You should be. And I don’t mean afraid of what lurks in the dark or the unseen dangers that may befall you in its depths, no. I mean the dark itself, the primordial element ‘darkness’ one of the oldest of all primordial entities. Said to be older than the Trinity but that could be blasphemy, or it could be a truth far beyond mere mortal minds to ponder.
Darkness is alive, and the coming of deities enabled it to form itself into something more cohesive. The element has always been capricious and unknowable, moody and unreliable. A sentient element like most primordial entities, one of the founding pillars of the universe. Almost omnipresent, for darkness can be found in most places, or kept at bay by a small spark it has patience enough to out-wait. For all lights eventually dim in the face of the every watchful vast void that is darkness
.
Darkness took form when the spirits introduced themselves as deities to the mortal realm, and not in form in any way that we with bodies could understand but form in that it became ‘present’ within itself.
When the deity of darkness was introduced to the mortals as Celphata, the goddess of darkness and Erebus, the lord of the dark. The primordial elemental darkness took notice and gained more of a presence in the mortal realm the more of a following the spirit gained. For through Celphata/Erebus, the primordial gained more influence in the realm.
For though they thought they were worshipping Celphata/Erebus, the god of darkness. In reality they worship darkness itself, giving it a voice, a foothold in the mortal realm. And the darkness is old and it is everywhere, and it has no concept of good or evil, like all children it drowns a few hundred thousand ants to see what happens. And so on the dark world of Saanjh, an entire continent spanning 30 million square km is depopulated of all life.
Just so the darkness can experiment with the concept of death, trying to understand the fear of it that drives the mortals so. The Universe and the Trinity quickly curtailed the darkness from acting directly after that though, for an entity that primal-with-power cannot be allowed to roam free in the mortal realm without a physical body to limit it.
And so a body is fashioned for the darkness from the remains of a fallen spiritual body the mortals call celestial ore. The body’s blood made from the rich oils that are the lifeblood of Gaia, it’s saliva the river that binds all who fall into it and separates realms like a membrane, the Styx. A black river that spans the entirety of the seven worlds and served as a boundary between the surface world and the Underworld on Gaia.
It’s heart fashioned from the core of Lucifer herself, the brightest and most beautiful of the seven planets. Furthest from the sun because it serves as a miniature sun itself with hundreds of satellite planets that are the transcended daemons and some other creatures that took that path to a higher state of being, becoming living planets.
And the mind of this body fashioned from the diminished first thoughts to take root in the universe. Its physical spirit mode from the remains of combined ghost spirits. Spirit that descended from the spiritual realm to become a deity in the mortal realm, only to lose its worshipers and it’s accumulated power and became a ghost of its former glory. Glory those in the mortal realm are yet to even understand is possible.
Narrated by: Zaraya Zarachi
Recorded by: Philip Read
* *
Sarah
“So, what do you think about what she’s said so far?” Milachi asks no one in particular as we all lounge about in our base on Premier, our world.
“I mean from the stories she tells its obvious that everyone there is at least as strong as our first level of Awakened from as young as 16 years of age, and any that pursue strength are at least at the Master Magician level of power or Awakened Lord.” Aaka says.
“At the very minimum.” Suzuki adds playing with the wand Zaraya gave us after a demonstration. “And these wands allow practically anyone to learn to use wizardry if even moderately with much less mental strain.”
“So at the very best the foot soldiers of that world are Awakened Lords if they are lazy or Master Magicians, the captains and the Sergeants are something like our Impriums and Archemages the strongest people were ever produce on Gaia.”
“And the people that run the show there are three or four times stronger than Imperiums because they could have Awakened any number of times as different things or focused on specializing one and achieve levels of power we don’t even have names for yet.” Sisi says in a low voice, her serious face making an appearance for a change.
“I especially like when she spoke of things that have power in ways that are currently unquantifiable even there.” Arnold says, “gave me the shivers that.”
Cyrus nodding also seemingly deep in thought. “That story about primordial darkness, I will have to do some research into that…” He says, his passive compulsion ability permanently active making his voice sound sinister but having long since lost it’s ability on any of us here today.
“What do you think father?” Questico asks and we all turn to look at the old man in our presence for the first time in years after a long trip of trying to find all his lost descendants.
“I think that we have a maybe twenty more years to work our prospects and ourselves to the bone before the Seals that separate us from Omega are fully ready to come down. And right now we all need to keep a keen eye for any young recruits that pass through Monika’s Divine Eye ability and become members of the Conclave.” The Ancient One says as he sits at the head of the round table with a sigh.
“The Archaeans will only temper 12 that are not yet Awakened but have strong souls, the water dragons will take 2 girls of pure heart whatever that means, the sky dragons will bring me a champion that will fight in their stead unless other creatures of power comparable to theirs join from Omega. The Sidhe will protect Gaia if she herself is threatened or if their groves and claimed lands are threatened but will defend no one else. The Elder Men-”
“Father, surely you didn’t go to them?” Malachi asks as surprised as we are but the Ancient just carries on as though he hasn’t heard.
“The Elder Men are content to live their disembodies existences as energy out there is the void of space. The 4 elemental spirits of Gaia will take 6 mortals each to specialise in fire, air, water or earth as disciplines. Most of the Ancestral beasts are willing to take in disciples to be trained in druidry and other nature arts, the Monkeys that are stranded here will fight if the continent of Terra is threatened and the Oriental elders have given us their blessing to learn and teach ninjutsu and taijutsu along with ten scrolls in each jutsu containing 10 different styles. And two of their Masters, one a ninjustu and the other a taijutsu specialist to be used as teachers.” He sighs then takes a sip of the peper-orange juice placed before him.
“But they won’t get involved without being first attacked. They were hard pressed in their battles in the Underworld through the years and have lost many warriors. But the apparent exodus of Underworlders to the surface has gained them all their territories and more, now they need to rest and replenish their numbers under the protection of the Monkeys.
“The Underworlders are slowly and carefully permeating the surface world but already a few villages have disappeared into the night and the rest of the world will soon start to notice. The deities that qualify and we deem a relationship with acceptable will appoint champions from amongst our number or have champions come to us for training. Those with avatars will only bring them into the struggle if their kin bring their own as well. We still don’t know which side Lucifer will take in the conflict but my sources say the daemons are eager for conquest.
“There are three trnascendent worlds that I have a good relationship with willing to provide harsh and stimulating training conditions along with access to dungeons for exclusively our people and our guests for the next 100 years. There is other dungeon being established in the Dawn Forest secretly by the Tribesmen but it will not be matured enough to provide a good enough testing ground for the power levels I need to make sure you have all reached before the calamit-”
“I think we are plenty strong as is already, most of us here could have Ascended many years ago but we’ve had other things to do since we acquired the power and-”
“And I told you how to stay on Gaia despite your power for a reason Quentin, yet that brat Andromeda has surpassed all of you from those I gave that secret to. Spirits beyond people, the man has a wurm dragon as a familiar and a half primordial son he’s raised to be quit a nice young man I should add.
“His other children are all outstanding and many of them your equals in combat. We are very I’ll prepared for the coming crisis and maybe this insurgency of Underworld fiends will be an appropriate trial by fire to give everyone under our banner much needed battle experience and instincts.” He sighs and he
seems to have aged another ten years in a moment.
“I know this isn’t something you want to hear but its true, and the conditions I found some of my children in…” He shakes his head then looks up at us.
“You’ve all been slack in your training because you thought you no longer had any equals on Gaia, I will send you two at a time to Celestia for a month of training with the cocky brat and his kin. I wish it was longer but I know you all have responsibilities. Let’s all follow Cyrus’s example and pluck some of the young from the Enclave training camps and give them personalized training, get Zaraya into that as well.
“How do you all like Zaraya by the way? She is younger than all of you here but I’m sure more competent from here time on the other side.”
I smile as I think of the inquisitive but quiet young woman. “We like her well enough, she is a very interesting woman. I’m surprised she is only on your first name.” I say to the Ancient.
He grunts, “I had no time to give her my second name before I had to leave for another part of the world but be assured she has earned my second. How about you Questa, how is she reacting to your power?”
Questica smiles riley tilting her head as she does when trying to find the right word. “She seems to be fighting the influence some, she seems to understand that her dislike of me is externally projected onto her so her mental shields are good, but not so good that the curse doesn’t affect her.”
“I hate that your curse power makes life so lonely for you Questa.” The old man says pulling her into his embrace and kissing her forehead. I never get tired of seeing her this cute and pliable, and its a rare occurrence these past few hundred years.
“Its alright father, I wouldn’t be the same without this power its part of me now and besides, there are plenty of men mentally strong enough to not dislike me on sight.”
