The Ancients

by Adam-Clay Webb

  Zakashi approaches quickly! Get ready! Kyle heard the sage’s voice in his head. Kyle gripped his sword tightly. He flashed his eyes over to a hill about 100 meters off. His eyes widened, then they narrowed. Standing atop the hill was Blade, or what appeared to be Blade anyway. His long black robes, and majestic moon-coloured hair flew in the strong wind, a wind brought forth by the sudden appearance of great strength.

  Defend! Kyle heard the sage in his head. Kyle drew his sword and defended against a powerful strike that he did not see, but could feel approach through a sixth sense he had developed though his recent training. Kyle felt the weight of a mighty sword push against his. He skated back toward the cave, digging up dirt and grass for about six meters. His right hand vibrated heavily. The confused boy looked up at the man who stool on the hill. This man on the hill held confidently the long blade that Oga had fashioned. Kyle felt another similar blow approach and raised his sword again. He fended off the attack that was too fast for him to perceive with his eyes.

  Even with the body he now possesses that restricts his strength greatly, he can still launch attacks at such speeds, Kyle heard the sage in his mind.

  “You mean to tell me he is landing attacks from so far out? But how? I didn’t even see him move his hand!”

  He actually attacks from the regular distance. He gets close to you and strikes, and returns to his position, all in a time that your eyes and mind cannot relate to, the sage said to Kyle. Because I am within you, you are somewhat able to perceive his attacks. Kyle made three more rapid swings with his sword, skating back as he fended off attacks he could not see, keeping his eyes on the man on the hill who seemed to be unmoving.

  “He’s toying with us!” Kyle blasted, annoyed.

  Yes. Because I am within your body, which is not honed for ultimate strength, I cannot fight anywhere close to my normal level. However, his speed seems almost undiluted. It seems, for one, that Blade had previously trained his body to house strength as great as Zakashi’s through meditation and spiritual fortification. There is, then, a man in this time who could, if life would last, attain such skill… The sage sounded quite impressed.

  Not only that, the sage said. From here, I can sense that Blade’s own spirit is sealed away, and so Zakashi is for now in full control.

  “What?!”

  Zakashi, in the shell of Blade, in what seemed like a lightning-fast movement, suddenly reached up toward them. Kyle stood frozen as he saw the long sword reach within inches of his throat. While Kyle could perceive what was happening, his body could not react quickly enough to defend or evade. Suddenly, Kyle found himself in a white world.

  “Sage, where the hell am I? Am I…”

  “Relax, you’re not dead,” he heard a voice. He turned to see the sage standing behind him. “Forgive me,” the sage said, “But if either of us should live, I will have to take it from here.” With that, the sage made hand motions that summoned chains from above. Kyle looked up in panic as black chains flew down like demon-angels and grabbed his wrists. He struggled to escape, but in vain. “Watch from in here, and learn something,” the sage said.

  As Kyle’s consciousness retuned to the outside world, he found himself standing behind Blade, pointing the sword toward the back of his neck.

  “So I’ve finally dragged you out, Loki,” Zakashi said.

  ***

  Viknor finally stood up. It was obvious to Azar how uneasy he was the whole time. “I’m shifting to the island,” Viknor said. “I can reach it from here.”

  “But what about--”

  “I sense we have to get there immediately,” Viknor said. “Come, Darius!”

  “So we’re just going to leave the Sea Roach out here?” Darius asked, sounding worried.

  Viknor hissed. “I’ll leave you behind then!”

  “Alright, relax, old wizard!” Darius said, and moved toward Viknor and Azar. Viknor grabbed them both and they disappeared in a cloud of purple.

  The three men reached the hidden island, standing on a mount, a cave just ahead of them. The sea stretched about, like a massive trap. It was a strange and eerie view. From where they stood, they could see the edges of the island. Suddenly, there was horrific screeching as what looked like spirits – ghastly spirits, flew out of the cave at them. Also, the place began to shake, and the cave began to crumble.

  Viknor clasped his hands quickly “Ajah Cronzon! Release!” He commanded, and that instant, everything calmed. The quake ended, and the illusions ended. Darius sighed heavily, like he had forgotten that it was all a dream to begin with.

  “Come!” Viknor bade, and they ran into the cave. They moved quickly through the dark cave, which Azar lit with a light spell. As they walked through, they noticed ancient writings on the wall. Viknor figured the writings might have been a part of the seal that hid the island and caused the dream to be triggered. He didn’t have time to figure that out though. He could feel that he was pressed for time. “I can feel it,” Viknor said, sounding anxious. He led them through the labyrinth of thin passages made by decorated walls as if he knew the cave quite well.

  In minutes, they reached into a special chamber. They stopped and looked before them. There was a black mist in the room, making it difficult for the light about Azar’s hand to work. Shrouded in the dark mist was the world’s greatest treasure. A hand made of stone, a hand as big as a child, extended forth from the ground. In its open palm was an old chest. Viknor and the others slowly and silently walked up to the chest. Azar looked at Viknor as he inspected it.

  “Is it sealed?” Darius asked.

  “With advanced arcane magic,” Viknor said. The chest was black and burgundy. Golden writings were all over it.

  “Can you open it?” Azar inquired.

  “I’m afraid he cannot,” they heard a voice say from behind them.

  Darius and Viknor looked back quickly.

  Azar, however, froze in fear, recognizing the voice instantly. “Oga…”

  ***

  Kyle and Blade were in similar situations. They watched themselves fight at levels that were far beyond them. Loki and Zakashi made swift strikes, each collision creating shockwaves of force that shattered rocks and caused the caves and boulders and hills nearby to collapse into rubble. Zakashi reached up To Loki, sending his right foot between the ribs with nasty force. Loki flew back meters through the air, making a turn and defending against a strike, as Zakashi had already reached behind him. By the time the next second had passed, their swords clashed tens of times, techniques of force reversal making each successive strike stronger than the last. Loki’s brown, thick hair and Zakashi’s silver-blue hair flew fiercely, but not nearly as fast as their swords.

  Loki, on making a swift dodge, managed to land a single finger on Zakashi’s chest. The man uttered a cry as the bones in his chest were shaken up. He flew back rapidly, tearing through trees in the forest nearby. Loki leapt off the ground, running on the air in pursuit of Zakashi’s hurling body. As Zakashi flew back uncontrollably, Loki landed close to forty kicks, the final slam sending Zakashi miles deep into the woodland, tearing down trees and digging up layers of earth. Loki finally landed, crouching a little. He jammed his sword into the ground and leaned down on it. “This body tires so easily,” he complained.

  Zakashi stood and brushed his clothes off. “Heheh!” he was more thrilled than anything else. He grabbed his head suddenly as Blade, on the inside, tugged at the chains with great desperation. Zakashi closed his eyes, and reached into Blade’s soul. Blade looked at the man before him, who had just appeared. Zakashi landed two heavy punches in Blade’s belly, making him vomit up blood. “Now stay put and stop interfering!” Zakashi warned, sounding quite annoyed at Blade.

  Loki reached up to Zakashi while he was distracted by Blade. “How careless, boy!” Loki scolded, already reaching just before him, the force of his speed ripping up the ground beneath his feet. Loki struck Zakashi’s chest thrice with the fingers of his right hand, adjusting the pattern his fin
gers made with each strike so specific nerves would be hit, deadening his right arm completely with severe paralysis. Loki made what appeared to be a simple touch with his left foot. As his foot touched Zakashi, there was another wave of force, and Zakashi’s body moved like lightning through the forest, ripping through trees and landing about a mile off. As his right hand was numbed, Zakashi’s blade was left on the ground. Loki bent and picked it up.

  In that same second, Loki was already at Zakashi’s tattered body, which was sunk into the bark of a tree. “Die,” Loki said, then grabbed Zakashi and forced him to stand against the damaged tree.

  “Noo!” Kyle shouted, tugging against the chains within his soul. Loki, without mercy or regret, jammed Zakashi’s sword through Blade’s body, so deeply that the tip of blade protruded through the other side of the bark. Blood drained down Blade’s mouth.

  “Heheh…” Even under the pain, Zakashi managed to mutter a laugh. “Good,” he said. Loki stepped back and pulled his sword back to make a beheading swing. “I have allowed you to beat me, and even inflict upon me this grave wound. Now, I believe I have paid the debt I incurred when I killed you in your sleep. Even I have some honour,” Zakashi said. “Now that we’re even, more or less, I will fight you at full strength.”

  “When facing death, men speak nonsense,” Loki said, then swing his sword, cutting cleanly through the tree. What? But only the tree was sliced in two. The only sign of Zakashi was the blood left behind by the grievous wound.

  Just meters away, Zakashi was leaning against another tree, glancing over at Loki. He undid the partial paralysis Loki had inflicted using his left hand, then pulled the sword out of his chest. Zakashi had survived much graver injuries than these, but in his original body. He finally stepped out from behind the tree, facing Loki.

  “This pain… the blood streaming down,” he said, “for thousands of years I have been deprived of these pleasures, which I have earned by my strength. I beg you, Loki, do not be defeated too easily. After this fight… who knows whether I will face another opponent that can touch me?”

  “You see, boy,” Loki said, “in a sense, it is to my advantage that you killed me when you did. You did not give me the chance to teach you everything I know.”

  Zakashi now looked unsettled.

  “Now observe my movements closely, and in your death, learn from the master of the sword!” Loki said, and rushed onward to the enemy.

  ***

  Oga slowly walked up to them and the Eye. The place was tense, and the air thickened. Also, the cave itself fidgeted, and tiny rocks moved from the ground and became suspended in the air.

  Why the hell can’t I move? Viknor asked himself. None of the men could move a muscle in the presence of Oga. As Oga reached right up to men, they suddenly lost their ability to breathe.

  “You three are impressive, reaching this place,” Oga said. He smirked slightly as he savoured the moment of finding the Eye. The three men watched as Oga’s hand slowly reached down to the chest. Oga’s eyes widened and he looked down at his wrist, which was firmly grabbed by another. He moved his eyes up slowly to meet Viknor’s, in which there was no fear. Viknor stared boldly into the face of overwhelming power, into the face of death.

  A purple sword appeared in Viknor’s other hand. He quickly wielded it at Oga’s head. Oga vanished in a white cloud and appeared a few meters back. There was still a look of shock on his face.

  “Flaming Sphere!” Viknor called, and a massive orb of flames hotter than earthly fires surrounded the three men. “Hell Summoning! Flame Snake Nest!” he commanded. The cave shook as a massive amount of mana was exerted. Huge snakes made of thick flames came forth from the sphere, flying off toward Oga with great speed.

  “Sea Sphere!” Oga ordered, and an orb of water surrounded him, neutralizing the snakes and turning them to steam. As some of the snakes jammed into the walls and floor of the cave, a massive quake was triggered and the cave began to collapse.

  “Mass teleportation!” Viknor commanded, grabbing on to the chest. In that second, before the cave crumbled upon them, he and his companions vanished in a purple cloud, appearing just outside the crumbling cave. But Oga was also moving quite speedily. He shifted to where Viknor’s mana was disappearing and grabbed on to the little that was still there, forcing himself into the shift, and thus appearing before Viknor and his companions.

  Hell. With the pressure placed on my mana by Oga’s presence, I can’t mass teleport these guys to anywhere safe.

  “What will you do?” Oga asked. “You could easily shift away with the Eye, but will you leave your companions to die?” Oga was more concerned with Viknor’s decision than he was with fighting him. Darius and Azar were still paralyzed by fear. The fear that had gripped them was not a natural one. It was one unique to being in the presence of Oga.

  Viknor looked over at Azar. He grabbed the prince’s head and forced it in his direction to attain eye contact. “Spirit Shift!” Viknor said.

  “This man…” Oga said to himself.

  Viknor appeared within Azar’s soul. He ran toward Azar.

  “Viknor!” Azar called, clinging unto the golden bars of the cage that had trapped him, an incarnation of his fear of Oga. Writings on the bars were from a seal that made it impossible to use magic from the inside. Viknor grabbed on to Azar and shifted him out of the cage.

  Finally, Azar regained his consciousness. He trembled as he looked at Oga.

  “Boy, if that fear gets to you again, I am leaving you for dead!” Viknor warned.

  “See, only arcanines should be able to withstand my presence,” Oga said. “Clearly, there is something special about you… Viknor. When the time comes, I will investigate you thoroughly, and watch one of my children fight you to the death. For now, however…”

  Viknor pushed the chest into Azar’s hands. “Go,” Viknor whispered. Azar tried, but he was unable to shift. The same suppression that had dampened Viknor’s mana had disabled Azar’s sorcery completely.

  “Blade of the Cherubim,” Oga summoned, and a blindingly bright sword the length of his body appeared in his right hand. Viknor could feel the potent power radiating from the sword.

  “Earth Art!” Viknor started, but before he could finish, Oga made a gently swing of the blade of heaven’s light. There was a deafening sound and a whiteness that was bright as the sun. The sea of light swept them off the island at a speed that was unfathomable. In mere seconds, they had flown over miles of sea. Natural, reflexive magical shields somewhat guarded Azar and Viknor, but Darius was consumed by the holy light wielded by the highest angels. Viknor and Azar hit the water five, six times, then finally sunk. Oga looked down at the chest in his hand. Azar didn’t even know when it was snatched from him.

  “That Viknor, I hope he somehow survives,” Oga said. Oga rubbed his finger against a shallow cut on his cheek, then licked the blood. “Ahhh… The taste of my own blood…” Oga fidgeted in excitement, then vanished in a white cloud.

  Chapter 13: Islands in the Sky

  The battle between Zakashi and his master had escalated immensely. The forest they were in, for miles around them, was flattened. With movements swifter and smoother than wind, the two swords clashed several times with each second. Zakashi zoomed off toward Loki, vanishing in a burst of acceleration before he reached up to his foe. Loki made a spin, blocking the heavy strike.

  Zakashi could see that Loki was almost at his limit with the body he was in. “Tired already, old man?” he taunted. It was like the grave wound Loki had inflicted had zero effect on Zakashi.

  Loki jumped back. Huh?! He flung his sword behind him, blocking an attack from Zakashi, who had already reached behind Loki. Is he getting faster? No… I’m slowing down. This feeble body is at its limit! Loki turned to strike Zakashi, but he was already gone.

  “Over here!” Zakashi taunted. There was a sudden and serious slash. As Loki turned to face Zakashi, the nasty strike was already delivered. The sword made by Oga sliced down Loki’s ch
est. Zakashi landed a kick in Loki’s neck, reaching behind him as he flew back to land an even more powerful one. Loki landed and rolled for many meters. There were no trees to stop him.

  “Dammit!” Blade blasted. “Kyle…” He gathered some strength from his desperation. “This is my body… Zakashi, you’ll at least have to fight me for it!” With that, he made another mighty tug at the chains, bursting them with a suddenly strengthened will. Zakashi appeared before him.

  “I thought I told you to stop interfering, kid!”

  Loki struggled to his feet. Kyle saw the sage appear to him and swing his swords at the chains, releasing him. “I think… I’ve used up all my essence,” the old man panted. Kyle saw the sage fading off into nothing. “It’s up to you and your friend now,” the sage said. “Blade is fighting hard. Both of you… make sure Zakashi disappears before Oga performs the resurrection.”

  “Sage!” Kyle called, grabbing out at him as he disappeared completely.

  Kyle looked forward at Zakashi, who was still dominating Blade’s body. Kyle could tell, by the look in the man’s eyes, that Zakashi was still in control.

  “Get out of him!” Kyle blasted, and ran up to Zakashi, making a serious strike. Zakashi jumped back, but not fast enough to avoid the strike completely.

  “Heheh!” Blade snickered, dodging attacks that weren’t as well timed as they used to be. Blade didn’t have a sword, so landing a fatal attack would be difficult. Blade knew that Zakashi was in a very difficult situation. He had to be focused on two battles, each in a different realm. Not only did Zakashi have to split his consciousness, but he also had to avoid killing Blade, as that would end up being suicide. Still, it was a bit of a stalemate, as though Zakashi was no longer fighting at a threatening level, Kyle had to avoid landing an attack that could kill Blade.

  ***

  “Boy!” Viknor heard his father’s voice pierce through his head. He opened his eyes. He was falling, and had almost reached the ocean floor.