Ethereal Ascendant

by Luke DeSalvo

  With guilt twinging in her stomach the scion took off her green magical cloak to reveal her nearly naked body. Only one piece was provided, but Sleet took careful reminder that mobility was key, and being here was not. With the two deadly renowned soldiers at each other’s throats, this was no place to be standing, with that in regards she whispered a magical spell and began levitating down the stairs behind, slowly flowing downwards into a hopeful retreat.

  With his sister in a safer position, Xerrast turned his attention on his former lover, his former ally.

  “Give us Dalamoris,” He demanded, raising his pistol to take aim at her head.

  Danielle paused for a moment, considering each word as if it were chocolate chewing in between her teeth. Suddenly she looked at Xerrast with loving eyes, who could not help but return the gaze. Finally, she laughed, childishly and pressed her hand against the edge of her blade.

  “But don't you want to dance?” She asked with a tease.

  Xerrast's hands began shaking, the pistol edging closer to her pretty face.

  “I'm warning you!” He cried out in desperation.

  “Do it!” She commanded, edging ever closer.

  Xerrast began to shake even more uncontrollably, sweat coolly dripped from his forehead. He had her in his sights but could not fathom the strength needed to pull the trigger. The ranger's eyes went to the ground in utter defeat, with the sinking frustration of hesitancy.

  The lovely Danielle Avilya was close on him, poised for a rebuttal, but the two simply stare at each other in loving remembrance.

  Then, something crossed over the pretty face of Avilya, a sign of dreadful agony. A groan was released as her eyes fell upon Sleet, drifting many feet below, then back to Xerrast.

  She screamed.

  “The scion is no more!” Avilya cried as she launched her blade forward in full assault.

  With anguish, shots were fired from Xerrast thoroughly and the two were left dodging each other on the stairwell. Gun at one end, blade charging afterwards. Every time Avilya got close, Xerrast would shoot, barely managing to keep her at bay, but the blade was closer, he found it difficult to keep up, yet his foot work was impeccable, swiftly moving left then right, ducking, rolling out of place when the katana would advance further.

  Deep down, Xerrast knew that he was no match for the deadly Avilya. She was always the talented one, and in the sparring years, it was he that would constantly lose to her. Times had changed though, and resolve was building in the elf's mind.

  It was either Avilya or his sister, and he made his decision long ago, now was the time to keep promises and slay the one he once loved.

  Xerrast did a side roll down the stairs to dual wield pistols and shot them in rapid shots. One clipped Avilya's shoulder and she cried out in pain. The blow was returned however, for Xerrast backed away, but seconds too late. The sword slashed through his flesh, leaving a gash through his chest. The elf ranger fell to the ground.

  “Xerrast!” A voice shouted.

  The ranger turned around from where he fell, daring to look at what called during his defeat. When he turned, he found Ildarachi, Aurora and a weary Kaeltrys running up the steps to him.

  Danielle spotting this, leaped inhuman heights behind her to reach the tower's safety.

  “Hurry!” Ildarachi called. “She has the antidote!”

  Danielle stopped at the top of the tower and mocked them. “Come and get me!” She cried, but then she noticed something that frightened her.

  Kaeltrys began powering up. Electricity shot through his veins and his eyes turned white and seemed to glow. He was shouting frantically in a magical foreign tongue. Then, a magical orb appeared, bursting with blue electronic flames.

  “Damn you, Avilya!” The archmagician swore. “A million deaths for you and your accursed fortress!”

  Kaeltrys released the orb, it appeared evident that the blast would make its mark, but Danielle scurried inside further, but at her feet, the ball hit, leaving a crater of an explosion in its wake.

  The tower rocked and groaned in agony. Bricks fell from its everlasting heights to the city far below them. Smoke arose, leaving no trace of a survivor.

  “I missed,” The archmagician groaned as he fell to his knees, eyes returning to normal.

  Sleet came up behind Kaeltrys immediately, who was breathing heavily, hands clinging on a step.

  “Can you make it?” She asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

  The magician gave a quick nod and stumbled back to his feet. He began to fall over, but the scion locked her arms around him in a moment's notice, clinging him unto her shoulder.

  “The rest of you go!” She cried, turning her attention to Xerrast and the others.

  Her brother nodded and groaned from his own wound and began to chase after Avilya, with Ildarachi and Aurora following close behind.

  They rushed through the headquarters of Amethyst Divine, noticing that with today's attack that it lay empty, except at the end of the hall was Avilya, standing dangerous near the edge of the other side of the tower.

  The party reached her, to find she was standing over a coliseum, a training ground of some sorts, wide and far, ancient ruins where in the middle lay the forbidden swirling portal and an injured beast, loathsome to behold, Xyl’thos, the dragon, guarded the magic's power.

  “This is the end of the line for you!” Avilya shouted.

  She then drank a green potion of levitation and jumped off the edge of Loctis tower, floating down to the safety of the deadly dragon.

  The party was left with jaws agape at the tremendous legendary Xyl’thos that released a wail of terror, gazing with hatred at the crew. They did not know what to do. They could not survive the fall and would have to find another way down, but for what? A death by dragon’s claws?

  It was then, when the comrades saw something peculiar at the other end of the coliseum. A welcoming but daring sight to behold. Codiac and Suzette were free falling one hundred yards to the ground to the center of the stage. The guardian laid gracefully in the arms of Codiac, descending as they raced down for a deadly match, orange hover boots slowing their descent, but going down fast, wasting no time at all to head the attack.

  Chapter 39

  “For the Golden, we fight, we live, we dance, we sing. Our brotherhood is law and family. I’d die a thousand times for any of one of them, just to prove their honor is the most glorious treasure to behold.”

  Codiac Dalin

  Knight Captain of Golden Hearts

  Codiac's rocket propelled boots flickered from one solid burst to a dead close in a blinding flash, last second, moments before hitting the ground. They hit, and he groaned when he landed, carefully shifting the weight of Suzette back into a combative stance all in a full motion. The guardian jumped out of the soldier's arms and into action, unscathed from the massive fall.

  Avilya was before them, meeting their descent with her very one own katana swirling between her fingers with the giant behemoth, Xyl'thos awaiting behind, eyeing them coolly with what could be perceived as hunger. The portal too, was there, swirling stars in a fiery reach for all to see.

  “You dare challenge me?” Danielle Avilya cooed. “My pet alone will destroy you!”

  Codiac's face turn distorted with sheer vanity of blood rage.

  “I, newfound leader of Golden Hearts, demand a vow of passage in the gains of duel!” He shouted.

  The air was quiet, and the dragon shifted uneasily.

  “Fancy words for a useless title,” The leader of Amethyst mused. “How about one thing. It's hard for a girl to find fun these days. You know, with the end of the known planet coming near? How about you and the girl all tango together. Your friends will never make it down here in time to stop me, anyway. Fair enough, Golden Hearts leader?”

  “Swell.”

  Suzette guided her sword with ease and moved her way to the front of the deadly Danielle Avilya. Codiac grinned at her and shot forth Alexandra, the crackling green energ
y even more fierce than before.

  “Ready?” Codiac more stated than questioned his beloved Suzette.

  “Ready,” she nodded.

  “Good,” Avilya teased.

  Without further notice the two began to charge Danielle, swords drawn and tips aiming close to their target. Codiac started with a battle yell as he ran closer, both attacks were swift, the two swords coming down in an “X” positioning. Danielle easily dodged, leaping several feet backwards than darting forward for her own attack.

  Codiac was pushed against to the back ends of his feet, blocking countless assaults and staggering ever backwards, but Suzette was up and ready to aid him and soon took over the fight for him, leaving him enraged and pissed at the side.

  How could Suzette keep up with her and he not? He questioned himself with anger.

  “I am Golden Hearts!” the young man cried. “You cannot escape from me!”

  He charged again, this time with more momentum pushing Avilya back from the two attackers.

  The hilt of Suzette's blade came crashing down on Avilya's right shoulder, crippling her movements. Danielle shouted with frustration and pain.

  “Damn you, wench!”

  The adrenaline pumped in the wretched heart of Avilya and instead of slowing her down, it sped her up. Now she was slicing in vigorous lightning fast movements. Cuts were left on Codiac and Suzette's entire body, minor, but damaging to the extent of exhaustion.

  The battle was waged on, each time Codiac would stand, he would fall, being slashed right back down to the floor.

  Suzette was still on her feet and able, but she too was no match for the deadly Avilya. Finally, it showed, when Danielle slashed open the upper chest of Suzette Guardian armor, the blow was so heavy that the breastplate went down to the floor and the young guardian with it.

  With another battle cry, Codiac went back towards his feet and continued his charge. Seeing the wounded love of his life, put him into a fit, where it seemed as if at least temporarily, he had the upper hand, but the spike of energy would not last. He was exhausted from his many wounds and fights that brought him here, he could not keep up the rage much longer. Especially when ferocity turned into concern as he watched Suzette slump back to her feet, winded, revealing a white cotton blouse.

  The guardian looked determined however, her breathing was irregular, but she charged forth once more anyway, knowing full well of the outcome of this battle.

  They would lose.

  Just then, a shot fired from a distance. The sound penetrating the coliseum walls, echoing along its chamber.

  The two companions turned to see that the dragon was facing new on-comers. The rest of the legend was here to face off the forces of darkness, but who would win? Matters were already dismal as it seems, but now the dragon was roaring after the bullet shot again, the dragon’s boom creating a tremor against the ground.

  “Duel's over,” Danielle mused. “Now we shall destroy you all, save for the star man. Xyl'thos attack!”

  But the Dragon was not facing the new intruder's anymore. Instead his gaze was fixed on Codiac, a deadly stare that left the young man gulping in terror.

  The dragon arched its head back. Suzette began running out of the line of sight from the terrific beast, but Codiac did nothing but stare at his own demise.

  It was then when Kaeltrys came forward, blocking the way between dragon and master.

  The archmagician began chanting an unknown language. His voice becoming distorted to a deep bass depth.

  Xyl’thos, the ancient rose to the occasion and arched its head back further. Finally, the dragon breathed a wave of flames that threatened to engulf the remaining Golden Hearts members, but Kaeltrys was there with his own purple flamed attack, the blast meeting the radius of the dragon fire in even match.

  The mage groaned as the spells crackled against each other, flames spouting around them. Something was wrong with the archmagician however, Codiac noticed as he ventured a safe distance away from the battle. The mage was one of the most powerful in Systralas, but this ancient spell was killing the Kaeltrys more than the dragon flame was threatening to do so.

  “Kaeltrys!” Codiac screamed. “Don't do this! I need you!”

  The wizard turned back, his eyes white with power, lightening crackled about them with a sour face twisting to a grin.

  “I know master,” He said, still holding onto the spell that was matching the dragons. “I need you too.”

  With that, the spell collapsed, and the Xyl’thos’ flame consumed the arch magician whole. His body turned into blackened oozed flesh that sizzled to the floor. The smell of burnt tissue filled the air, from the shriveled corpse of Kaeltrys Zalanga.

  Codiac screamed in agony. The death of his mentor proved too much as he sunk to his knees and began sobbing uncontrollably.

  “Damn you, Avilya!” He cried.

  Chapter 40

  “The day he died was sorrow throughout the entire planet. Systralas screamed curses, leaving a young man who simply bled a remorse’s wail.”

  Suzette Monroe

  Guardian of Thyne

  Codiac continued his sobs of pain, Xyl’thos luring in front of him, gazing with inspection towards the smoldering remains of Kaeltrys. The smell of the sizzling body made Codiac's stomach lurch in a painful clench. He thought of vomiting but when the substance came, he choked it down. Suddenly, with the harshest set of determination the young man could muster, Codiac was back to his feet with a wail. His green saber drawn and energy boots propelling him towards the dragon.

  “Xyl'thos!” Codiac screamed as he struck the creatures eye. The dragon shot backwards then launched his claws in a counter attack where Codiac smoothly dodged them, shooting high with his boots, then spiraled down hitting the ground with a bang.

  “Codi!” Suzette cried as she turned momentarily to glance at him. The look did not last for she was back on the defense from a barrage of attacks from the vicious Avilya.

  With Codiac's attention diverted to Suzette, Xyl’thos snapped his jaws at him, sharpened teeth barely missing the target. He quickly countered with a slash and a rolling dive at out harm’s way and retreated closer to the battle between guardian and foe.

  “We have this!” a dark voice boomed, inhuman, ancient and evil.

  Ildarachi was in his shadow form, twisted horns reaching for the sky, black leather skin tense with over-sized muscles, and wings carrying him forward to the dragon.

  Xerrast swung about, dual wielding pistols and began free shooting at the hideous beast, his bullets coming in explosions.

  Aurora and Sleet arrived on scene too, where the scion seemed nervous as she hesitated closer, feet shaking from the dragon fear, but still she edged closer, leaving Aurora in the background, who seemed to be praying.

  The dragon Xyl'thos writhed in agony after a swipe to the face from the demon Ildarachi. It released a cry that shook the ground before returning the blow, however to little effect. The demon caught the claw of Xyl'thos and shattered it in half, leaving the dragon stumbling to the ground, but only momentarily.

  The scales of the dragon glowed green and his tail snapped out, attacking the wayward ranger, who barely managed to dodge the quick and sudden attack.

  The tides of battle took another turn however, as Avilya committed a crushing blow on the hamstring of Suzette who was now screaming in agony.

  “Got you!” the leader of Amethyst Divine taunted with an evil grin. She was about to make the killing blow on the Guardian's sweet and tender heart, but Codiac came, just in the nick of time to block the devasting attack.

  “No, you don’t!” He cried, sword shaking.

  What followed next was a dance of blades, swirling like a whirlwind, the two locked in battle, sparks singing in the air.

  “You drive your powers from emotions, young lad,” Danielle Avilya spoke with anger. “But, you won't last for long!”

  Codiac took a blade into the shoulder, the sword tip biting into his flesh, then drawn out
, sending strands of blood to the ground.

  Suzette was up and with her twisted body took over the fight, but it was evident that they were still losing this battle.

  “You two just don't know when to stop!” Danielle cried at her new opponent.

  “To vanquish sin is the Guardian's Code,” Suzette replied, tightening her grip on her weapon.

  They met, but Avilya proved too quick as her katana tasted blood once more as it sliced through the stomach of Suzette who was now kneeling on the floor.

  “A Guardian,” Avilya sniffed. “You were no match from the start. A fool is still a fool and you walked into your death greedily. Guardian or not, the death is the same!”

  Codiac and Suzette's breaths came hard as they focused their attention to the nearly unscathed Danielle Avilya. The duo was both severely wounded, adrenaline pouring into desperate exhaustion. Suzette was clutching her stomach in a grimace, on her knees, eyes squinting in pain.

  Aurora was finished casting her spell, and a great light poured throughout the coliseum embracing them tightly. Then, suddenly everything went black as a miniature hurricane hit them. Entered Kaze, the wind spirit clad in white armor who went sharply to action, taking place where Ildarachi fell, but at the sight of wind blasts the demon went back to his feet. The two zodiacs now worked together on the dragon who was keeping him at bay, but the Xyl'thos was resilient, always ready for more bloodshed.

  With the sudden realization of this and the sound defeat of Suzette and Codiac, Sleet stepped forward gazing at the prophecy with cool emerald eyes. She began chanting, swaying her body back and forth, hips twitching slightly.

  The ground underneath them began to tremble. The battle took a shift where all were hard fit to keep on their toes. Sleet had created and earthquake that was splitting the earth in half beneath them.

  In desperation, Avilya took the opportunity to bring her charge back into action.

  “The seventh season will be death!” She cried as she rushed forward to the Guardian who was gripping the ground to keep balance.