The Shadow of All Worlds

by Shane Porteous

  Chapter 30

  Screams and the stench of blood filled more than just the battlefield, the medical tents suffered such sounds as well. The conflict was one of the most gruesome battles ever to take place in this world. Edo Volis was use to a certain kind of death, he had faced many soldiers in battle, but he had always left before he could witness what he was witnessing now. He wasn’t use to seeing wounded on mass, people who had been infected but not outright killed by the poison that was hand to hand combat. He didn’t exactly feel queasy, however he was overwhelmed by the sight of rows upon rows of screaming and bloody victims, many had wounds so ghastly he was actually disturbed that they were still alive, they looked more like corpses screaming a sickening song than living beings.

  “Edo!” He heard a voice demand, recognizing its owner. He moved to one of the many tables where an Ebulon soldier had blood gushing from her abdomen, screaming that terrible song. “Hold her down!” The doctor who loomed over her demanded of Edo Volis. “Harder than that boy, firm hands on her shoulders ain’t going to be more painful than a belly wound.” The doctor demanded. Edo Volis pressed down, his grasp not increasing her scream. He had been introduced or rather told that this doctor’s name was Ceros, one of the best surgeons Ebulon had. Ceros may have been one of the most stoic people Edo Volis had ever met, but his skill and dedication couldn’t be denied. Edo Volis had seen him perform two dozen amputations as easily as most people cut a loaf of bread. He didn’t have to double-guess himself at all, none had died during the risky operations.

  With a flat fortress of blood in his path, Ceros quickly found the cause of the wound, pulling out a broken piece of a blade. The patient screamed louder yet Ceros didn’t flinch. He flicked the broken piece into an open barrel, adding to the grizzly collection of shrapnel that dwelled within. Ceros went to work, removing the other pieces, all without breaking motion before he began wiping the blood away.

  “That ought to do for now Eco,” Ceros said, not having bothered to remember Edo Volis’ name. Edo Volis glanced down to the woman whose skin was now very pale, she was breathing, but they were weak and slow paced. Edo Volis took a step back, as his ears became filled with that terrible screaming song once more.

  “Out of the way!” a voice demanded and Edo Volis barely had time to do so before two men carrying another injured soldier rushed past him. He recognized one of the voices as Luzon, a medic that was just as skilled and hard working as Ceros. Actually that could be said for every medic and doctor working in these tents. As hard as the Ulnath army were trying to take Ebulon lives, these doctors and medics were trying to save them.

  When these tents had been set up Edo Volis’ skills as a tanner and skinner had come in handy, preparing pieces of cloths for bandages. But he was no longer needed or useful within these tents. A dragon’s roar prompted his gaze skyward, that is where he was needed. He had overheard the term Heroes United for the small group of strange beings fighting against the dragons. Though they were fighting with both skill and bravery they were clearly outnumbered. He could help even the odds. But he hadn’t found what he was looking for. He knew it was morbid, but it was also necessary. However the doctors and medics of the tents were simply too skilled to give him what he needed. Still he couldn’t wait any longer, he had to join the battle.

  Like the eyes of a hawk, he scanned the battlefield; there were many corpses of all varieties scattered across it. Not having Rrhulzinn to rely on, he would have to choose wisely. Out of the thousands of dead on the field his gaze was drawn to a scorched corpse with a red mask. His mind gave him the name of Aneeku, he remembered Kae mentioning such a person. Further more the refugees had spoken about him, always in frightened whispers. They spoke tales of his cruelty and his inhuman ability to wield his sword and move his muscles. He wasn’t sure who had slain Aneeku, but he guessed Kae had been the culprit, none of the refugees would’ve been up to the task. Edo Volis made his decision and rushed to the ear of Luzon.

  Knowing not to mix words he said, “Luzon in a few moments it will appear like I have passed out, but I just want to ensure you that everything is fine, I won’t need any medical attention.” Luzon, who was struggling to put a piece of leather into a screaming mouth didn’t even look to him.

  “I am dealing with a nasty axe wound and once I am done I will be dealing with other ghastly injuries, I don’t care if you are going to pass out from the sight of so much blood and bone…” He gritted his teeth as he continued to fight with the injured patient. “There is no place for pride here Edo Volis,” he added, remembering his name. “If you’re going to pass out do it somewhere where you will not be in the way of anybody.” The bluntness of his tone further strengthened the need for Edo Volis to be useful once again, he only hoped he had made the right choice.

  He did his best to move through the tents, ensuring that he didn’t block anyone’s way. Fortunately he soon found a patch of grass, just outside the tents, a place where no footfall had recently occurred. It was perfect for what he had to do. Focusing in upon the body of Aneeku was a little difficult, considering all the movement from the corners of his vision. But eventually he lined up his sight as best he could, he placed his hands out before him as if preparing to be handed something. He took a long peaceful breath in as he closed his eyes. He was about to enter the battlefield.

  The sound easily was drowned out by the melee’s song of steel, screaming and blood. Yet it was an odd sound, otherworldly in almost every opinion. It was a chant, one that carried no joy and brought no happiness to the air. “Soi-oi, Soi-oi.” Like the whispers of a grave, the chants danced over the body of Aneeku, causing the scorched dead flesh to wriggle like frightened worms. The chants were slowly joined by small slithers of mist, the eeriest of green coloured them. They appeared like poisonous vapor escaping a room that was never meant to be reopened. Aneeku’s eyes, once large and yellow, had been blackened and burnt in the violent moment of his death. Now that eerie green was filling them, like water poured into once dry wells. The chant continued as the vapor increased its flow, moving like several serpents over the dead body. The eyes began to move once more, ghostly motions from beyond the grave.

  As the body of Edo Volis fell like a stone the body of Aneeku began to rise like a foul morning mist caught in the wind. The body looked like it was waking from some ancient dream. Edo Volis always had troubled describing what possessions felt like, the closest he had come to it was falling into a sudden sleep and waking up in someone else’s body. Even this description didn’t do how it felt right, but it was the best he had.

  Something was unique about this possession, it felt foul, it felt wrong. Edo Volis had possessed numerous dead bodies but none felt like this. There was something inhuman about the corpse he now controlled, but he couldn’t place what. Admiring the sword he now wielded only increased the mystery, it was an incredible weapon, one whose forging was beyond the capability of any smith he knew. He opened and closed its hand, the action appeared normal, yet felt anything but. He didn’t know what this Aneeku was, but he definitely wasn’t human, at least not completely anyway.

  His concentration was shattered by a specific oncoming scream, he glanced up in time to see a refugee charging towards him. The reflexes of this body were astonishing, he blocked the oncoming spear as easily as catching a slow moving ball. He could see hate filled anger in the eyes of the refugee, it was powerful enough to make him realize his situation.

  “I’m not Aneeku!” Edo Volis claimed. The dark gravely words sounded like a ghostly whisper and a blood-curdling scream, all at the same time. Not the kind of sound that would invoke calm in most people. It then came to him, Edo Volis knew the name of this refugee. “Cuia, it is Edo Volis.” He had met a lot of these refugees when he had accompanied Kae to the valley. He remembered how disheveled they all had looked, like they too had spent months in the mountains trying to survive against the harshness of winter. He had heard many names and was surprised he remembered this young
man’s name, hoping now the refugee remembered him. With clear hesitation Cuia searched the ghastly green of the corpse’s eyes for what felt like a good year.

  “Is that really you Edo Volis?” he asked. “You have the power to possess the dead?” Edo Volis had seen such a look before, the few people who knew about his power back in his own world had looked at him the same way upon hearing the revelation.

  “Yes I do,” he replied in that dark ghoulish voice, knowing there was no better way of saying it.

  “How?” Cuia asked, caught between belief and utter astonishment. Edo Volis had heard this question many times in his life, but he still didn’t have an answer. All he knew was he had had this power his entire life, how remained the ultimate riddle. “At the least you are on our side,” Cuia said, after seeing the horrors the Red Army was capable of, the idea of possessing the dead didn’t feel all that bizarre.

  “Better to possess the body of an enemy than an ally,” Edo Volis explained.

  “I agree,” Cuia said, his voice distant. “But I think it would be best if you took off that mask, you won’t have much of an opportunity to explain yourself in the heat of battle.”

  “Good point,” Edo Volis agreed. As he removed the mask his own hand temporarily blocked his vision. His sight was only blocked for a moment but when it returned he saw this world completely differently.

  A dark figure appeared as if a ghost summoned from another world. The figure floated, descending like slow rain behind Cuia. It raised a blue bladed sword slicing it through the air, in one disturbing motion the blade sliced through Cuia’s body, violently removing his upper torso. The decapitated torso spun in the air, blood flowing from it like a sickening spiral. As what remained of Cuia’s body fell to the ground the figure gently touched its foot onto the earth. The moment felt slow and sickening before the figure rushed forward kicking its right foot hard into the chest of Edo Volis. The power of the blow was shown by how violently Edo was tossed to the ground, his limbs flaying wildly as the body spun over itself. Edo Volis shook his head, attempting to gather his senses once more as he looked upon the figure. Its hair was blue like the Ulnath but that was the only similarity. At first he thought this man must have been Yadi’s son. But something told him otherwise, he recognized the clothes, the pair of crimson cloaks, the red gloves, the purple attire. His eyes felt heavy with fear as he looked upon the handsome face of his adversary. For a flash of a moment, the face changed, it became darkened, the features twisting, the eyes forged as rectangles filled with a disturbing orange light. The flash was over and the features returned to what they once were, but Edo Volis knew who this figure was.

  Like a thousand demonic arrows, the revelation savagely cut and tore at his very soul.

  “Voak?” The word was not easily said, his voice becoming entangled by a plethora of dark possibilities. Edo Volis pushed himself to his feet, his body burdened greatly by this idea.

  “Not the greeting I was expecting…” Voak began, a slithering smile on his face. “But then, you weren’t expecting to ever be greeted by me again…were you Edo Volis?” There was no mistaking it now, only one being owned a voice like that. Edo Volis began shaking his head, his mind and sight at war with what was standing before him. “This…cannot…be,” Edo Volis struggled to say. The battle hadn’t stopped around them, if anything it had only intensified. But not even if the dragons came down and devoured every soul on that field it wouldn’t be enough to make Edo Volis look away from Voak. Voak’s smile widened as his head titled. Edo Volis remembered the motion, another arrow to impale his soul. “You’re dead, you are dead…you…are dead….” His words were hollow and distant, like the last dying echoes of a scream in an endless cave system.

  “I was dead…” Voak corrected, “But not anymore…never again….” Edo Volis continued shaking his head, his mind demanding this vision to be a lie, that somehow Edo Volis had simply fallen asleep and entered a nightmare. But Voak remained before him because this was no dream.

  “An interesting choice you made Edo…Aneeku was such a pompous fool, the very embodiment of arrogance, I would’ve killed him myself if that Kae boy hadn’t done it…” Voak loved every moment of this, the fear that filled Edo, how he remembered it, seeing it again felt like slipping into a warm bath. “I am surprised that Aneeku possessed such a face, even scorched he was quite handsome, but far too innocent looking…” Upon removing the mask Edo Volis had felt strange sensations coming from this body, some remnant of a power Aneeku must have possessed when he was alive. It was a strong sensation but his mind almost completely blocked it out, the idea that Voak was alive once more consumed him like a plague. As he had described to Torrin, Voak was his dragon, the iniquitous thing that had filled him with a terror he had never before known. The ghost that had haunted his every step, the nightmare that had infected every dream. Even just the memory of Voak was like a foul poison to his senses and now that Voak was no longer just a memory he felt overwhelmed by a putrid fear.

  “Don’t waste all your fear just yet…” Voak began, his voice as vile as a snake’s hiss. “I have such frightening things to show you…” Every word was like the bite of a snake, reeking havoc on every part of him. He couldn’t go through it again, he had already suffered so much because of Voak.

  Something from deep inside of him rallied his senses gathering control and making a single point clear, the only way to destroy this fear was to destroy Voak. He opened his mouth and like the dragons above he unleashed destruction. It wasn’t flames that attacked from his mouth it was an eerie green mist, moving with the velocity of a striking eagle. Before the mist could reach him Voak vanished from sight. As the mist began to dissipate, Edo Volis felt a shadow fall over him, a shadow that brought an entirely new legion of fear. With less than an inch between Edo’s ear and his lips Voak whispered with dead calm. “You’re a fool if you think this is going to end the way our last battle did.”

  Edo Volis trembled at the words, they crawled over him like hungry spiders. Acting with haste he turned around, driving the fine sword of Aneeku down like a smith’s hammer. Before the sword could cut his flesh Voak disappeared again. He felt Voak’s presence before he ever saw him, in the form of a heavy foot to his back. Edo Volis smacked against the ground, his mouth filled with corpse blood and dirt. Another hard boot to the side forced him to tumble violently upon the ground. He let out a gravely grunt, shaken greatly by the force of the blows. As he struggled to his feet he heard the haunting words of his enemy.

  “The Ulnath have shown me many things Edo, many new possibilities…death maybe escapable after all…”

  As he slowly walked towards his prey he stopped briefly to put his sword into the face of an attacking refugee. He didn’t bother to watch the refugee’s body fall, no one would interrupt his line of thought. He had ensured that he had killed many of these refugees in order to show the Ulnath that he was aiding their cause. The battle showed no favorites thus far, but if the power of the Shadow Stone was as great as they had claimed, this battle would be theirs. Voak still had little trust for the Ulnath, which is why he was glad that he overheard Rhaldan. If the high priest had the power to control Morzu than it would only aid his cause more. Of course if Rhaldan was foolish enough not to keep his word, Voak could always just kill him and claim he did it for Morzu. No matter what angle he looked at the future from, everything was coming up in his favor and now with Edo Volis on his knees the future seemed even brighter.

  “This is like old times ain’t it?” Voak asked, taking slow deliberate steps. “I remember everything I told you on that night, this time two main things will be different. The first is you will be defeated…” The smile that had grown on his face now vanished, replaced by a much darker expression. “The second is when this is all over and I have what I want I will go to Denarchia and see it burnt to the ground in a symphony of screams and death…” The smile grew back like a foul infection as the memories came rushing back like raging water
s to drown Edo Volis.

  He sprang forth, rising from his knees to his feet in the process. Their swords came together in a single mighty clash. His movements were fast enough to create a swift wind that followed his attack. Despite the impressiveness of his attack Voak remained smiling.

  “You will never see Denarchia again!” Edo Volis warned, each blade pushing against the other like two metal bulls. “I killed you once, the second time will be easier!” Edo Volis yelled. The furor of his words only widened Voak’s grin as he replied.

  “That’s it Edo, struggle with every ounce, breathe hard and fight well…the more weary you become the easier it will be to drag your broken body towards my destiny…” Edo Volis shook with rage as the metal bulls continued pushing on one another.

  It was unclear who was the first to pull away but long before the moment was over the two swords clashed again and again and again, until the blades were moving too fast for any normal eye to witness. Seemingly it was a blur of silver and blue as the weapons crashed upon one another like two sets of lightning, attacks from two separate yet raging storms. Neither Voak nor Edo Volis stepped back, there was too much at stake for either one of them to back off.

  The momentum of the duel couldn’t be maintained in a single spot and so both men began to ascend in the air. Neither one flinched at the prospect, both possessed the powers of flight. They both simply focused on striking the other. It was both amazing and unsettling how fast they were attacking each other. In comparison the battle now below them appeared like it was moving with the speed of thousands of fat snails. It wasn’t just their attacks, but their counter attacks and dodges. It almost looked like a dance so well practiced even the gods would be envious of them. Even now neither took a step back, prompting both warriors to continue their ascent into the sky without breaking motion of attack.

  It took the oncoming might of a dragon to finally break both of them out of their dance, its gaping mouth glaring with countless killer teeth. The dragon was large enough to swallow both men whole and would’ve enjoyed a meal of burnt flesh and renewed skin if Voak and Edo had kept fighting. Instead they both leapt back, now realizing they had ascended into the middle of the sky battle between the dragons and the Heroes United. With flames, the gnashing of teeth, powerful strikes and a number of attacks neither had ever seen before playing out around them they both ascended slightly. Voak hadn’t taken his gaze off of Edo and Edo hadn’t looked away from Voak. Thousands of men, monsters and beasts were fighting below them, but none of that mattered at the moment to either one of them. The entire time Voak had kept his smile while Edo had kept his rage.

  Edo was the first to move a spilt second before his enemy did. Both of them ascended higher, removing themselves from the paths of any dragons as they clashed once more in a blur of fighting fury. The fight almost ended then and there as Edo’s blade barely missed the throat of Voak. This brush with death did little to rattle Voak who countered with a near fatal strike of his own. Their swords clash briefly before both men leapt back, sizing each other up. This time Voak was the first into action swinging his sword in a great arc as wide as it was skilled. Edo Volis leapt back before hammering his own blade down, preventing the oncoming Voak from striking. Edo Volis stayed on the attack, his strikes incredible in both skill and speed. Voak blocked the first dozen before dodging the final three, he then went on the offensive, dancing around the blade of his enemy before thrusting his blade for Edo’s heart. The attacked was blocked, but clearly Edo Volis was rattled by how close it had come to his scorched flesh.

  As the swords met once again Edo Volis pushed his body weight behind his weapon hoping to lock up both blades. The tactic failed as Voak easily freed his blade before striking it down in another great arc. Edo Volis attacked viscously, hammering his blade down before slashing it across. Both attacks were blocked but Edo Volis didn’t let up, he went on a path of sword swings forcing Voak to float back as he blocked the attacks. Voak put an end to this momentum with a well-placed attack of his own. Edo Volis managed to block it, but again was rattled by how close the attack was to be being successful.

  Slamming his sword down upon Voak’s he continued through, pushing his enemy away with great strength. Voak didn’t protest the momentum, he used it to his advantage, granting him plenty of distance from Edo’s blade. Voak continued the momentum, coming at Edo like a giant well-aimed arrow. Edo Volis was clearly rattled by the force of the impact as the two weapons came together once more. Now it was Voak who kept pressure on his blade, temporarily keeping both weapons in place.

  “Tell me,” Voak asked, his tone showing no strain. “How is that friend of yours? The one with the red tipped arrows?” Edo tried to push Voak away but he didn’t budge. “I’ve always wondered what was the point of him carrying all those weapons? I never saw him use them?” Edo didn’t answer, his anger rising. “Oh well, I guess I will ask him when I return to Denarchia, he will answer me in screams.” The threat against his friend was enough to summon the strength within and Edo Volis forced Voak back.

  Edo watched him for a spilt second, the vile smile remaining on his face. He sprang forth like a bolt from a crossbow bringing his sword forth. Voak blocked the attack, but even he couldn’t deny the power of the blow. In place of being concerned he merely laughed and the astounding duel continued.

  Another fury of strikes followed and in the ascension of the sky, with the other battles below them the noises of the two metals clashing was an eerie sound. They came hard and fast like screaming echoes in a bottomless pit. They began to circle one other, as if two predators trying to make the other prey. Voak broke the routine and went back on the attack, his stabs and swipes disturbing in their skill. Equally as bewildering was how Edo Volis was able to block each of them before returning many strikes of his own. They went back and forth, rarely giving distance. When that occurred both combatants tried to take advantage of it, but neither could, neither would willingly give a single inch.

  They came together once more somehow both of them found even more speed and precision, increasing the impressiveness of this duel.

  This series of clashes came to an end when Edo got his sword away from Voak’s blade and hammered it down. It was an incredible attack, one that astonishingly Voak dodged. He twisted his body to the side prompting the sword to cut through nothing but air. A small gust of wind could be felt coming from the blade, showing just how fast the blow was. The momentum of it all was so powerful that effortlessly both of them changed positions. They still faced each other, the entire world could be on fire and neither would look away. In that moment of changing position Edo Volis saw Voak increase his smile. Edo was fighting for his very life while Voak was simply enjoying this, like it was all just sparring. Infuriated Edo Volis sprang for him, banging his sword upon the enemy blade. Voak blocked each of these attacks though he felt the power of them. They continued on, the intensity of the duel increasing with each encounter. Voak would occasionally strike back but it was clear who the aggressor was.

  Through the conflict little by little Voak was ascending, attempting to gain some distance between the two of them. Edo Volis wouldn’t allow it, not breaking his attacks, as soon as one was blocked he would attack again without a second of rest. Edo Volis was only stopped by the wrath of the sun, Voak had subtly ascended to ensure that it was now at his back. Even the possessed eyes of Aneeku were no match for the power of the golden rays and for the first time in the battle Edo Volis flinched. He refused to allow his eyes to shut as difficult as it was they remained opened. This allowed him to witness a flash of blue, different from the colour of Voak’s blade.

  It was mainly memory that kept Edo Volis alive, he had seen this kind of blue before. As Voak summoned the small sparking spheres on his fingertips, launching them like darts, Edo Volis raised his sword. He turned the blade ever so slightly ensuring the metal made first contact with the spheres. In spite of their small size, they were deceivingly powerful and Edo Volis d
idn’t want any part of them. As the spheres broke apart and began moving like bolts of lightning up the sword he quickly slashed the blade through the air, prompting the sparks to electrify the air around him, but left his flesh alone. As Voak descended towards him still with the sun at his back Edo Volis was prepared.

  Bringing his free hand before his mouth he brought forth the green mist, cupping it in his hand like a steaming sphere. Before Voak could reach him he struck with his sword first stopping Voak’s attack. He followed through bringing the sphere down in his hand. Voak dodged the newly created weapon as if it was deadlier than the sword. He willingly moved back avoiding the oncoming attacks of sword and sphere. He watched Edo carefully, he knew the power of the mist and didn’t want to corrupt his recently cleansed body with its rot. He managed a skilled swipe that Edo Volis dodged, effectively putting him on the defensive once more. Voak didn’t waste his chance and attacked with renewed determination. Edo Volis dodged many of the attacks before blocking the sword with his own and thrusting the sphere forward. For a spilt second the flesh of Voak’s cheek seemed to be rotting before he rushed backwards. As he did so he summoned the blue spheres on his fingertips again, they had always been his favorites amongst his arsenal. In place of sending them in a fleet, they each fell into his palm, joining together in some bizarre corruption. The 5 spheres became one, whose light was great enough that it created blue tinged shadows to dance on his face. Edo Volis saw the attack coming and launched his own green sphere to meet the blue sphere of his enemy. Both projectiles were well aimed, meeting in the center in an explosion of great commotion. For a few moments the two attacks became one, expanding like an enormous sphere, before it exploded under the weight of its own power. Like the tides of a furious ocean the shock waves reverberated through the air while the aftermath of green and blue remained.

  Edo Volis and Voak didn’t wait for it to clear, showing no concern of the danger they charged into its center, both men needing to continue this fight at any cost. Following their movements was like staring into the sun, it could be done, but it was difficult, painful and could only be accomplished for a short time. They seemed to be moving in every direction the explosion’s aftermath had to offer. Like a huge green and blue storm cloud their clashes could be seen like ball lightning preparing to attack a weak earth. The fighting only became faster and more damaging. Soon that storm cloud of green and blue became more like a planet on the brink of utter explosion.

  When that explosion came it didn’t disappoint in destruction. The green mist and the blue sparks, in their now twisted and mutated forms, finally began leaving the air, revealing that the two men hadn’t stopped their fight, if anything they were dueling harder and faster than ever before. It was difficult to tell who was the first to pull away, it happened in such quick succession they almost looked like reflections of one another as they both leapt back. But the main difference was Edo remained determined while Voak increased his smile.

  Slowly he raised his free hand, bringing his thumb and middle finger together. With shock exploding from his eyes Edo Volis glanced down and saw a symbol on his arm, a symbol he remembered the way a stabbing victim remembers what a knife feels like in a wound. He had just looked back to his enemy as Voak clicked his fingers, the noise sounding like the bellow of a demon. Instantly after the click an explosion filled the air. A huge wave of blue burst forth from the image, redirecting all of its violence back upon the body of Edo Volis. The attack was brutal and Edo began to descend at a quickened rate. Voak watched him fall, clearly satisfied by the effectiveness of it. He brought his finger and thumb together once more, wanting to relive the glorious moment. Long before the moment was over Edo Volis spun himself around bringing the tip of his sword to the image. In the same swift motion he cut the image from his body like a sliver of meat from a well-cooked ham. Before the severed skin had begun to fall he sprang forth, rushing towards Voak. The quickness with which he acted was great enough that Voak was caught almost unawares. He barely rose his sword up in time to block Edo’s strike. Edo pushed on the blade, using the impetus to do it. Locking eyes with his enemy Edo Volis said, “You’re not going to be able to rely on those old tricks, they won’t work against me again!” It wasn’t arrogance that Edo Volis spoke with, it was sheer determination. It would be a lie to say that he wasn’t afraid, but he refused to allow it to consume him. Voak softened his grin, he hated to admit it, but Edo Volis wasn’t the awkward fool he had once faced. His skills had vastly increased, then again Voak wasn’t the same man Edo Volis had faced either. He had also changed.

  Voak vanished from sight before reappearing behind Edo Volis with a descending strike. Edo Volis blocked the blade but didn’t have time to counter attack for Voak had vanished again and quickly reappeared. Like a hornet trying to invade a beehive Voak seemed to be in many places at once, as soon as he appeared he disappeared and then reappeared all in shards of a moment. He attacked Edo Volis from every angle possible and a few that seemed impossible. Edo Volis blocked each of these, his eyes darting left to right up and down and every position in between. This tricky ghost would not catch him off guard. Voak next appeared from above driving his sword down like a spear. Edo Volis rose his sword and the two blades met yet again. Both weapons were showing the skill of their craftsmanship, for through everything the two of them were being put through, neither one showed any dints or scratches. The swords smashed, swiped and smacked against each other dozens of times in only a few moments before Voak forced Edo Volis downward through his sword.

  Keeping his eye on Voak he watched as his enemy launched his blade, hurling it through the air like a spinning tomahawk. It was a fast attack but an easily seen one. Edo Volis moved his body to the right, ensuring the blade wouldn’t strike him. To further his safety he brought his sword out to the other side to meet the weapon, hoping to redirect it as much as possible. His plan never saw fruition for upon contact the blue blade exploded, causing destruction greater than the dragon flames below them. If the explosion of the image had been like a tremor this explosion was like an earthquake, rocking Edo Volis to his very core.

  He fell like a comet, burning blue flames all around him as he descended like a furious raindrop towards the ground below. He never saw the attack coming and was completely unprepared. Edo Volis struggled as much as a man drowning in order to keep a connection with Aneeku’s body. He could feel his control slipping away, mentally he clawed with everything that he had, he couldn’t sever the connection, he would be utterly defenseless against Voak in his own body. It couldn’t end like this, he couldn’t enable this destruction to take place. Voak had to be stopped, there was no telling what evil he would be capable of if he survived this battle. Edo could feel the explosion flames dissipate from his body allowing him just enough to strengthen the connection.

  When it seemed the connection was restored he felt something hard and uneven upon his back. As he bounced a single time, the body rolling across a huge frame, he realized he had landed on the back of a dragon. He attempted to stand up immediately but Aneeku’s body was too ravaged, the connection too frayed. He had no choice but to wait an agonizing moment for the connection to strengthen again. The dragon’s scales dug like claws into his free hand as he tried to steady himself on the dragon’s back. He heard its roar but it sounded distant to his ear, his mind consumed by his original enemy.

  Something was very different, Voak was noticeably more powerful than the last time they fought. Whatever the Ulnath had done to return his appearance to the man he once was it had done more than that. His strikes were faster, his magic quicker to summon. It felt like a great sickness in his stomach, Edo Volis knew that he needed to think of something to finish this. He too couldn’t rely on the tactics that he used during their first battle. He doubted Rrhulzinn knew of this world and therefore wouldn’t be able to aid him. Glancing upwards he saw Voak slowly descending, paying no attention to the battle of the dragons and Heroes United around him. Voak’s visio
n was momentarily blocked a few times by fire or the dragons themselves, but he never changed the direction of his eyes. He could see that Edo Volis was greatly rattled by the attack, he knew that in the possessed state Edo Volis only felt pain under the most agonizing of attacks and it was clear he was in agony. Edo Volis was holding his side with one hand as if his ribs had been cracked, Voak wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. Landing with the grace of a dancer upon the dragon’s back he raised his hand and slowly the sword appeared there once more. His smile had returned as well.

  “How did you like that?” Voak asked, “Trick? That is what you called it. Last time we fought I didn’t have a sword did I? So you have never seen that one before have you?” he asked, already knowing the answer. “What’s a matter Edo?” Voak asked and Edo listened. “No more brave taunts? No more declaration of things that I will never do?” Edo Volis wanted to get up and shut him up, but the connection still wasn’t strong enough. He had no choice but to let Voak prattle on for as long as possible. “It is suitable I suppose.” Voak beamed, his voice sounding more dark than usual. “Your struggle was entertaining, now it is time for the next step. My first thought was to cover you with symbols and click my fingers until they were bloody and raw in order to force you out of that body…but…” He raised the Ulnath sword admiring its craftsmanship. His eyes then descended back on Edo like two soaring eagles having found an injured mouse. “This sword has proven itself so useful…” Pointing it towards his intended victim he added, “let’s see if it is strong enough to beat your spirit out of that body shall we?”

  He now stepped forward, moving across the dragon back. He didn’t even break his stride as the impressive wind created by the flapping wings rushed over his body. Edo Volis saw him coming and couldn’t prolong this encounter any further. With only a meter between them Edo Volis rushed to his feet swinging his sword in a great arc before him. Voak blocked the strike and attacked back causing Edo Volis to stumble backwards as he blocked the counter attack. At first Voak was determined to end this as quickly as possible. However Edo Volis had held onto his side the entire time and with each encounter he was wincing. Voak could see that even just swinging the sword was causing Edo Volis to suffer and Voak enjoyed such suffering.

  The only thing he did was prevent Edo Volis’s blade from striking him, apart from that he didn’t counter attack. He stepped back occasionally in place of blocking, enjoying how pathetic Edo Volis appeared. Edo Volis had once stopped him from achieving immortality. Voak had never forgotten that, especially in the darkness of death. A foul cold place that he never wanted to return to.

  Voak had willingly given enough ground to his enemy that they were now standing on top of the long thick neck of the dragon, both men ignoring its roars and the battle that was raging around them. Voak blocked one of the better-aimed strikes and forced both blades out to the side.

  “You know Edo,” he began. “You are going to be letting a lot of people down, that king of yours, the one that every idiot in Denarchia worships, your friend with the red tipped arrows, the fool who summons the pink flames…” He pushed down on his blade slightly and could see Edo Volis wincing once again. The sight widened his smile once again as he said, “I am sure that if he could see what was happening even Aneeku would be disappointed by how ineffective you are with his body….” He motioned to speak further when Edo Volis suddenly removed his hand from his side, revealing a deep nasty wound. The perfect place to hide a sphere of mist.

  Now cupped in his hand he threw it at Voak’s face. Caught completely off guard, Voak lost his footing. With his sword still locked up with Edo’s he had no protection as Edo drove his foot hard into his chest. The blow was brutal, working perfectly with the sudden imbalance, Voak was thrown off of his feet, over the head of the dragon. Just as his body began to descend fire was being unleashed from the dragon’s opened mouth, like the stream of a raging river the fire exploded forth creating an inferno in the sky.

  Edo Volis who was glad his deception hadn’t been spotted kept his eyes upon the flames. As much as he wanted it to be true, he knew at the very last moment Voak had disappeared before the flames could engulf him.

  He was too focused on where Voak had fallen to notice that the dragon was shifting its body. It spun its massive frame forcing Edo Volis to lose his footing and descend from its back.

  Voak had reappeared at the edge of the sky battle, wanting to get as much distance from Edo Volis as possible. The attack had come too close to ending his life, he had gotten too lost in the moment. He needed to end this fight as soon as possible. He searched the sky above where the dragons and Heroes United were fighting but Edo Volis was not up there waiting for him. Clearly he was hiding, knowing that his attack had failed. In Voak’s mind this was evidence of who Edo truly was, a sniveling coward. When Voak couldn’t see him amongst the sky he wondered if Edo Volis had returned to the ground. Perhaps he had run off attempting to find a place to hide. But Voak would find him again, he would kill every man and woman in this entire world, search every cave, house and hut if he had to. Voak was sure he would’ve seen him if he had flown off meaning wherever he was hiding it was somewhere close.

  His eyes were soon drawn to the only nearby shelter, the medical tents of Ebulon. There was no other place he could be hiding, it would also explain why Edo hadn’t been seen in the battle earlier. His real body must have been there somewhere as well. It seemed Voak wouldn’t have to chase him after all. He glanced back to the sky battle one last time, ensuring that Edo wasn’t there. With the sounds of fire, steel and screams filling his ears his eyes were drawn to something just beyond one particular dragon.

  Even amongst the chaos he could make it out clearly, the eerie green mist Edo Volis used as a weapon. There was plenty of it, forging a large rough sphere. It was too thick to see through however Voak had seen this attack before. Edo Volis was preparing one last desperate onslaught. Voak smirked, knowing that it wouldn’t work. He didn’t wait for the dragon to clear a path, he disappeared from sight, savoring the oncoming moment when he would drive his sword through Aneeku’s head, sending Edo Volis back to his own body. The moment was then upon him and he reappeared with his sword already raised slashing it down behind the mist.

  The smirk vanished when his sword cut through nothing but air because EdoVolis wasn’t there. At first Voak thought that he must have been hiding within the mist himself, keeping shielded on all side. Voak knew how to break through such a shield, but before he could do anything about it, he realized his miscalculation.

  Turning as fast as lightning striking the ground Voak thrust his sword out, planning on stopping Edo’s sneak attack. For a shard of a second Voak had seen Edo rushing forth, his sword striking. Both blades did strike flesh, however there was a great difference in the importance of such flesh. Voak’s blade had been impaled through Aneeku’s forearm, Edo Volis using the scorched flesh to actually trap the blade within it. He had pushed Voak’s blade to the side, still in his arm. This left no obstacle for his own sword, which now was sticking out of Voak’s back, having been stabbed straight through his chest. Voak gasped violently, the suddenness of the attack overwhelming his senses. Then the blood began to flow and Voak remembered the deathly cold that now embraced him. Edo Volis kept his eyes upon the gaze of his enemy, which was becoming more distant with every passing moment. Edo Volis was in complete control as both slowly descended back towards the ground. There was something eerily peaceful about the motions, Edo Volis didn’t move his sword or his arm at all. There was a part of him that needed this moment to last longer, the moment when he had ended the life of Voak for a second time. He was far from an evil man, but Edo Volis had his own kind of darkness. A darkness that took a slight joy out of seeing the life flee from Voak’s eyes.

  As they touched back upon the ground the battle between men and monsters continued around them. He could still see fractions of life in Voak’s eyes, but knew almost all strength had been taken from
his body. In perhaps the darkest tone Edo Volis had ever spoken with he stated.

  “Remain dead, remain buried, remain forgotten.” He watched as Voak’s body twitched slightly, like an oversized bug that had just been stepped on. His lips came together, a strained and clearly forced action. His eyes moved with the speed of boulders as he looked at Edo Volis. The movements were morose and even though Edo had won, fear filled him. Voak didn’t seem to notice the blood that began flowing from his mouth as somehow he managed to smile.

  “Are you asking me or telling me?” he asked, his voice weak yet just as foul as it ever was. He moved his head forward, a great painful groan accompanying it. “Ah you are asking me. Because there is no reach in your mind deep enough to bury me in so I will never be forgotten…” He paused to gather what little strength he had left, but each word haunted Edo Volis to hear. “Especially now that we both know death isn’t final. I found a way back once Edo…you’re a fool if you think it wont happen again…” The power drained from Edo Volis’ eye and even a few seconds away from death Voak rejoiced. “We will be seeing each again Edo Volis…I hope it is soon.”

  Edo Volis couldn’t hear anymore of it with all of his strength he ripped the sword from Voak’s chest, creating an explosion of blood to fill the air. He heard the final breath of Voak and in his ear it sounded like laughter, echoing all throughout his mind. He watched the bloody remains of Voak for a very long moment, haunted by his last words, almost expecting for him to rise again. The powerful roar of the greatest of dragons above broke him out of his trance. Edo Volis may have been victorious in his duel, but there was a battle to be won. He glanced down at Voak’s body once more. The idea shook him greatly, but there was a chance that the two of them would meet again. But not today, Edo Volis thought before ascending back into the sky and attacking the closest dragon.