The Ancients

by Adam-Clay Webb

  Even through the blood that oozed from his mouth, Kizer managed to utter a snicker. “Yuki… Do you have any idea how much of a genius Adam was?”

  “What are you babbling about now, father?”

  Even Lex was intrigued enough to stay his hand for the moment.

  “Adam was able to see the universe in ways that were even beyond the senses of us gods.”

  Oga’s brows furrowed.

  “Even as we stand here and feel an illusory stillness, this world is spinning with incredible speed. Adam always had this crazy question… What if the earth were to be stilled in a single moment?”

  Lex’s eyes widened at this.

  “Global Seizure!” Kizer commanded, using the last of his strength to bring forth the grandest elemental attack of all his years.

  And in that moment, the earth, more literally than it ever had, stood still. But the real problem – nothing else did.

  A world storm was kicked into motion. In seconds, mile-high tsunamis washed out the tiny specs of life that persevered. Yuki’s precious domes of ice shattered under this sudden and savage force. Everything moved across the earth’s surface at a thousand miles per hour. Mayhem of unparalleled heights swept the world.

  And under the cover of this global cataclysm, Lex and Kizer made their final clash. Battling at the pinnacle of strength itself, the storm that swept the earth of flickers of persistent life was of no meaning to these two.

  A battle of such swiftness this was that what the angels perceived was a scattering of concurrent duels. As the duellers’ speeds went beyond light and approached the very speed of time itself, they achieved a state akin to omnipresence.

  Kizer’s elements became confounded by Lex, whose limit the god had not yet seen. Soon, only two elements could keep up with these fighters – Lex’s wretched darkness and Kizer’s anomalous red lightning, and both powers stretched across the distances of the globe at immeasurable speeds, wreaking never-before-seen destruction.

  The end of the world had come.

  Chapter 40: Lex

  The Inner Ring looked down at the ruined world.

  “As I had foretold, Earth is finished,” the Head Councillor said sadly.

  Some time passed.

  Eventually, a young girl cracked her eyes open and slouchily arose from the ashes of a dead world. An unknown sense pulled her to walk in one direction until her eyes made her stop.

  Tears streamed down her face as she looked into the unfamiliar eyes of the man she loved. She felt in her soul that the Lex she knew was forever lost. A chilly mist engulfed the sitting Icemaker. A picturesque image it was for the watching angels.

  Lex sat kingly on a chair of black ice. Under his feet were the gods, a deadly hole carved in each chest, dark mist rising up from them.

  “You should get back, Clover,” a voice warned from behind her. She turned to look at Zen, who was being held up by Azar. Viknor was also there.

  Everyone looked on silently as Lex stood and walked off from the dead gods.

  “The gods are finally defeated,” Lex said with a grimace.

  Clover forced a smile and nodded. She wanted desperately to believe that everything was alright, but she knew deeply that the defeat of the gods was to be the beginning of sorrows.

  “And now, it is time for me to fulfil my mission,” Lex said.

  “And what might that be?” Azar asked nervously.

  “I have a feeling that you already understand…” Darkness roused about the boy.

  Clover walked up to him and made a deep swallow. “Lex…” her whisper came. She remembered when she had stepped to him just the same when he was about to slay those Vinebenders. But this time, even with no ghastly darkness shining through his eyes, she felt a deep fear when she looked at him. She trembled.

  Lex made a shadowball, still staring at Clover.

  “Lex, I know you’re in there,” the young witch beseeched.

  “Clover!” Azar called out to her as Lex moved to her with the fierce shadowball.

  Tears welled up in Azar’s eyes as he watched the tragedy. Even Viknor was shaken by this. Clover’s eyes widened, and tears flooded her face without relent. Above all, confusion and a strange jealousness swirled bitterly through her mind.

  In contrast to everyone else, Zen bore a peaceful and even proud countenance. Standing between Lex and Clover was the girl who was all too certain that she had owed everything to Lex.

  “Zen… Why…” Clover whispered in shock.

  Lex shivered as he peered into the paling eyes of Zen. But Zen kept, for as long as her breath lasted, a smile on her face. She saw a change in Lex’s eyes. The emptiness had gone, and even Clover had recognized as much. Tears rolled down the Icemaker’s face.

  “Why have you done this?” he asked.

  “This is my greatest honour, Lex… I knew that this was the only way you would return. You gave me my life back. This is what friends are for… remember?”

  Zen coughed up a mouthful of blood suddenly and jerked back from Lex’s invasive hand. She staggered back and fell on her back, her eyes still open. Lex looked down at his hand, shivering.

  “Zen!” he cried out, then dashed out to her and flung himself over her. He grabbed her up in his arms, her blood weighting him.

  “Thank you, Lex…” Zen breathed.

  Clover too rushed over to Zen, kneeling by her.

  “You and Clover…” Zen’s breath oozed

  “Don’t speak!” Lex said. Azar and Viknor were also by them, but neither had even a spec of remaining mana to even attempt this impossible healing.

  She knew that this would have brought him back from the dark, Azar thought.

  “I’m sorry Clover, but I must do this,” Lex said. He shut his eyes tightly, but even still, the tears found their way out.

  Clover just looked at him.

  What is he thinking now? Azar wondered.

  “My mind was strong enough to deal with one demon… But this darkness within me… I am not strong enough to control it.”

  “What are you saying, Lex?” Azar asked.

  “As things are, the darkness will drown me once more. Next time, there is no guarantee that anything will possibly pull me back… As it is, I am a threat to all life in the universe.”

  Clover shook her head frenziedly. “Lex… You cannot…”

  “There is one mind that can be trusted with this power… One soul I trust will not be corrupted…”

  “Lex… No…” Zen begged.

  “When the Zagans took over, they irreversibly merged into a single legion. This means I must keep all or none of them… Zen… Your mind is most powerful… Forgive me, but I must give you this great burden.”

  “Lex! No! You will die!” Clover raved, grabbing on to him.

  Azar grabbed her and pulled her back. He looked at Lex and nodded sunkenly. Azar understood that this was indeed the only way. The earth shook mightily and darkness swirled about Zen and Lex. The Zagans were forced into adopting a new host.

  Goodbye, Maximo… In the end, you were my closest friend… Take care of Zen… Watch over Clover… Rebuild this world… Somehow…

  His broken lips curved into a resigned smile as the taste of soothing hot chocolate welled up in his mouth.

  The End

  Epilogue

  Two shady men who knew too much sat in a beachside cave.

  Vis, as if in respect, took off his hat and rested it before the other man.

  “I held up my end of the bargain,” Wizard said. “With my assistance, the gods are dead.”

  “Yes… Unfortunately, so is practically everyone else… even the boy of prophecy.”

  Wizard looked uncomfortable and slightly slighted.

  “But indeed, you have stood by your word,” Vis said, and Wizard’s countenance relaxed. “I shall have you enter the city as I have promised.”

  Wizard could not hold back his tired smirk.

  “But I might have forgotten to tell you of a small detail.
”

  Wizard frowned again.

  “The way to my mind knows only one direction. The city and all therein will never leave the confines of my mind, and if you choose to enter… then neither will you.”

  Wizard stared at Vis for a moment, then he finally spoke. “If the city is worth all this trouble, then I am certain I will find a way out in time,” he said with a smugness.

  “Very well, Wizard… And don’t worry about being too lonely. You will have some company there,” Vis said with a sly but slightly sunken smirk.