"I am glad to know you are ready to die, because I am tired of talking," Auron snarled and rushed forward.
Ember swung her sword and unleashed a wave of red energy. Auron flew through it, blocking the flames with his shield. When he got closer to Ember he saw her thrust with her staff. Auron blocked again and, when he took the hit, he was pushed back by a great force. He drifted through the sky but then regained control with a grunt and pulse of his own maju.
He looked down and realized that he was ahead of that machine. He saw Akielas on top of it with someone else. I must stay away from that train, he thought, people could get hurt, and yet, if this is the worst that Ember can do, then I was right. She does not know how to use the Crimson Jewel even if she has awakened its power.
He saw Ember flying down towards the train. Auron's heart hammered in his chest and he dove down, chasing after her. He knew that she was going to hurt the people inside that train; he knew that she was a coward. He was still new to flying so he was not sure how to speed up and if he were to attack then he would risk hurting the people in the train.
Ember released a column of flames. To Auron it looked like lava cascading rapidly over the train. He had not seen this much fire since the first time he fought her five years ago. The inferno fell upon the train. The column of molten fire traveled along from the back of the train, burning the last three carriages. When the inferno reached the fourth carriage Auron bashed Ember with his shield and the column of fire scarred the ground below, creating a short canal of lava.
Auron was able to disarm Ember in midair with a strike of his spear but then she disarmed him with a flick of her staff. Auron grabbed Ember's cloak and drove the side of his shield into her mask, hoping to fracture it. They dropped through the sky, spinning and struggling against each other but, no matter how many times Auron bashed at her mask, it would not break. Ember clubbed Auron on the head with her staff, he grunted but refused to let go.
"Get off me you filthy Amaranth," she snarled and continued hitting him with the staff. His forehead was bleeding but Auron was too stubborn to let go.
Auron saw that they were about to crash into a hill. Ember veered the flight left, then they spun in the direction of the train. Ember smacked Auron with a hand bathed in flames. Using aeromancy he blew cold wind from his mouth and ceased her flames. He knew that she could not focus any spells on him with the staff so he persisted and continued hitting her with his shield. She grunted and groaned from the pain but Auron wanted to see the blood under her mask and black garments. He then decided to let go of his shield and use one of his favorite spells.
"Trondass! Groftsa!" he yelled and clutched her left shoulder, digging his fingers into her flesh. Lightning chirped and shocked Ember's body, yet she would not let go of her staff. She screamed and her body stiffened. "Let go of the staff or die."
"Never!" She screamed and, with all the pain coursing through her body, she somehow managed to deliver a blow to Auron's back that cracked his armor.
Auron felt the power of the Golden Sun diminishing and then the armor disappeared from his body, contracting back into the medallion.
"What? No! What in blazes happened!" He yelled, frustrated while at the cusp of ending Ember's life.
"Good riddance," Ember said and delivered a rising kick to Auron's face which pushed him away from her.
He fell through the air towards the train tracks with no armor and no magic to support him. He closed his eyes and clutched the medallion hanging from his neck until once more the Golden Sun shone and he was clad in gold again. He was a hundred feet off the ground when he began to rise. Using aeromancy he cast a pulse of wind to push himself higher and flew again skyward to face Ember. "I refuse to let you win, Ember," he swore with anger in his heart.
Auron saw a volcanic sphere falling upon him. He knew that Ember was using the crimson jewel. She aimed to kill him with one blast like she did to Ganicus. The force of the sphere began to pull him in as well as trees and rocks from below. It was like the sun itself and he struggled against it. He tried to fly away but it tugged at him.
"What in blazes?" He gasped looking over his shoulder.
Pebbles and rocks were drawn to the volcanic sphere in the sky. An orb thrice the size of a whale, even birds could not fly away from it. Innocent creatures around Auron were sucked in.
"Running away is futile." Auron decided. "I will just have to pierce through it. Golden Sun! Give me strength."
The gilded armor shone brighter and Auron felt his soul aflame, vibrating with more power than he had ever felt before. It was as though two souls resided in his body. The sun embossed on his chest plate launched a yellow beam, like the beacon of a lighthouse aiming for the sun.
Auron's beam collided with the volcanic sphere and lightning chirped. Immediately he struggled against it. Already his armor began to crack. As his armor withstood so much energy from the power of the crimson jewel, it fractured little by little. If the armor breaks then I am dead, Auron thought. I can't lost to her. No! I refuse. I will defeat her even if it costs me my own life. Auron pressed more maju into his yellow beam. His pauldrons fractured then broke. He pressed more power. His vambrace fractured then broke. He pressed even more power. His shin guards fractured then broke. He screamed and pushed against the volcanic sphere above until he was able to push it back. He smirked and continued pushing until his tasset shattered. Once the sphere began to move backwards towards the enemy, Auron ceased his yellow beam.
"This one is going to be hard to miss," he said with a grin as he panted, sweating, nearly drained of all his maju.
He reached out with palms wide open and called back his spear. With a flash it reappeared in his hand. "Try to survive your own attack," he said. Auron sensed Ember already being pulled by the force of the crimson jewel's power. He hurled his spear and, like a sun ray, it flew towards the scarlet sphere. It pierced through the volcanic sphere and struck Ember. He heard her yell and it sounded like one of the fiends before they died. The sphere detonated releasing an inferno, creating a wasteland for a mile in every direction.
Auron was pushed back by the force of the explosion and the Golden Sun was canceled out by the negative maju. He fell into the wilderness without his armor and landed on his back on the branches of a tree. Although he was not hurt he had used too much maju and was too exhausted to cast spells. He gazed at the explosion and his eyes widened. I almost died, he thought. But what of Ember. I struck her, I know I did. She must be dead. Unless...
Auron hated to doubt himself so he jumped off the tree branch and ran towards the area of the explosion. He tried to use aeromancy but his maju was still too low. When he reached the aftermath, a dark cloud covered a mile of land and a crater scarred what was once a green field with hills. Trees were burnt to a crisp, only sticks rising from the ground. He looked up and saw her still hovering in the sky below dark clouds. "She lives," he whispered and balled his hand into a fist. "But how?"
Auron saw her raising her staff with the Crimson Cosmo Jewel shining. Her body turned to smoke then vanished.
"I swear Ember," Auron whispered with anger, still staring up to where she had been. "I will be the one to kill you. No one else has come so close. Your blood will bathe my hands."
Akielas
Akielas was never without friends. Even in an isolated country like the United Pathways, he had a connection with the most prestigious man, owner of the Golden Gear Factory. He believed that it was fate, that the dragon gods were assisting him in quelling his apprentices. It was a blessing to have traveled around the world and, if Akielas had truly mastered any other art besides magic, it was the art of making friends. His old masters had taught him how to win people's hearts and so he was never alone. He had learned a little Xaianese two years ago when he had stumbled upon Rey Ling and his factory. Akielas could not believe how advanced the country was without the knowledge of Ironside. Now here he was again beside Rey Ling, atop a train facing the Specters together.
; Akielas and Rey had seen Caim and Hertha clashing from afar. They saw Auron colliding with Ember, but they had their own struggles atop the train. The wind lashed at them, and they struggled to balance on top of the train, while they fought against Naunet. As the train ran over a long bridge, there was a ravine with rocky slopes and boulders at the bottom. Akielas looked behind him and saw that the train would soon go inside a tunnel. It seemed as though death awaited him in every direction. But I have always evaded death, he thought. As long as the Odiam pendant hangs from my neck I will not die.
Naunet was between them. Rey Ling refused to use his gun for fear that he might end up hurting Akielas. Naunet lashed out with his spear. The mid range weapon kept Akielas and Rey at a distance. They could not harm their foe without getting too close. Akielas had never fought while on a moving vehicle at such high speed.
"Aerous ken!" Akielas shouted, swinging his sword and releasing sharp winds that could cut through flesh. Naunet shifted into smoke so the attack had no effect on him, but Rey Ling was not so fortunate as his arm was nearly hit.
"Akielas, you could have killed me!" Rey yelled.
"Sorry but this is not easy," Akielas responded, now hesitating to use magic.
Naunet lunged with his spear at Akielas who parried with his sword sliding down the shaft. Naunet was like a scorpion trying to sting its prey, but Akielas knew him too well. The spear successfully sliced the master's cloak and he groaned, feeling his forearm sting with a new wound. His former apprentice swiped the blood off his spear and quickly painted a mandarak on the back of his hand.
"Do you remember this, old master?" Naunet asked, his voice echoing inside the white mask.
"Care to remind me," the master remarked and swung his sword.
Naunet thrust his arm releasing a cold wind that forced Akielas to pause. When he looked at his sword again it was covered in ice, as well as his hand. He quickly melted the ice with a breath of fire like the flames of a hatchling dragon.
"Same old moves and spells. You have not changed," Akielas said but then felt his arm stiffen and was unable to control it. "What did you do?"
"Just like the old days," Naunet answered. "Aquaga sangro," he hissed.
"The blood manipulation spell," the master remembered. "Clever."
"You are now under my control, old master," Naunet said and raised a fist.
Simultaneously, Akielas raised his sword then shifted the blade downward pointing at himself. Naunet pounded his chest and Akielas followed by driving his own sword towards his heart...but...
"What!" Naunet snarled. "How are you resisting?"
It was a struggle but Akielas found enough self control before he stabbed himself. The point of the sword started to slowly sink into his armor. "I taught you everything you know, Naunet," he said. "You seriously think you can kill me that easily. You forgot the rest of my body."
Suddenly Rey Ling lunged for Naunet with his fists bathed in flames. The Specter shifted again and Rey fell through the smoke. The Xaianian man used his gun, aiming backwards under his armpit, and shot Naunet as the masked fiend shifted back into his solid state. The Specter was shot in the left leg and fell to his knee.
"Curse that weapon!" Naunet gasped.
Rey Ling shot again, pulling the trigger in his gun multiple times, but Naunet defended with his cloak, forming an ice shield and blocked the bullets. Rey had used up his bullets.
"Damn it," Rey cursed. He gave Akielas a hand and helped his friend stand up.
"You know these masked people?" Rey asked.
"Unfortunately yes," Akielas answered then glared at Naunet and whispered a spell. "Aquaga sangro."
Naunet began to lose control of his body, trying to choke himself. Akielas manipulated the Specter with one hand, fingers bent. "I guess you didn't learn well. Using your opponent's blood also gives them opportunities to control you."
Naunet gagged then he brought the point of his own spear to his gut.
"Rey Ling, we must finish him now," Akielas directed and tossed his sword to Rey.
Rey Ling caught the weapon and did not hesitate. The Xaianian lunged forward engulfing Akielas's sword with flames, but before he could strike his foe, a cloud of black smoke grew in front of him to reveal another Specter. This one had warped horns on the sides of his mask like a goat. From the darkness of his cloak this Specter pulled a katana with a black blade forged of kaminyte.
"Alu ano Yamajin shouka kiang banilo wameng?" Rey Ling asked in Xaianese.
"Saye, lun, kiang on waziu hiziu on, Xaianian," the Specter answered with a foul tone.
"I have much to learn about outsiders," Rey said.
"It appears so," the Specter added.
"Jairo!" Akielas called. "What are you four doing in the United Pathways?"
“Do you really think I would tell you, my old master," Jairo replied. "Ever thought that maybe we just wanted to enjoy the beauty of this country?"
"I am sick of your sarcasm," Akielas snarled and pointed his sword at Jairo. "Where is the cosmo user?"
"You mean the one with the cosmo item," Jairo rephrased. "You are fighting by his side and soon to die by the walls of a tunnel."
Akielas looked behind him and saw that the train was moving inside the tunnel he had seen earlier. Akielas and Rey Ling dropped to their bellies and were taken into the darkness along with the train. The ceiling of the tunnel streamed above them and, if they were to raise their heads or bodies, they would be scraped like sandpaper. It felt like forever to Akielas till the train reached the end of the tunnel and finally saw light but, when he rose, he felt Jairo's presence behind. He spun and blocked the black katana but, as it slide over his vambrace, it wounded his arm. Losing his balance he staggered back and was caught by Rey Ling.
On one side of the train carriage stood Akielas and Rey Ling. On the other side stood Jairo and Naunet. One Specter had an injured leg and the other stood confidently invigorated by the element of air.
"You know very well that I have the advantage here," Jairo reminded.
"We shall see," Akielas remarked.
Akielas noticed Caim approaching from above. A speck in the sky zooming in, shining with purple energy. Jairo looked up and saw the demigod as well. The Specter returned his sword inside his cloak.
"Do not worry my old master, we will have many opportunities to clash before the tri-eclipse," Jairo said then summoned a horizontal twister by spinning his arm in a circle.
Jairo's aeromancy was quick, the fastest Akielas had ever seen besides Caim's. Akielas could not use air magic so quickly. He was going to use his lightning attack but the twister was so swift he did not have the time. Along with Rey Ling, he was pushed off the train and fell down a slope of grass into farmlands. He splashed in muddy water and, when he looked back at the train, the Specters had disappeared.
****
He healed his wounds using carnomancy. The cuts in his arm closed with the flesh sewing itself shut, and releasing steam which made him gasp. It was like dripping alcohol on one's wound. Akielas kept his eyes closed until the wounds were finished healing and the pain went away. When he opened them again there was no scab and no scar on his skin.
"You can heal yourself with fire magic?" Rey Ling asked, goggling at Akielas's arm.
"It's called carnomancy," Akielas educated. "It uses the heat of your own body to heal wounds."
"I always learn from you Akielas," Rey praised. "Let's get out of this mud before I ruin the rest of my clothes."
They stepped away from the wet farming area where rice plants grew and onto a path near a slope. The train tracks were up above and, when Akielas followed the tracks with his eyes all the way to the horizon, he could no longer see the train.
"It's long gone," he said.
"We will catch them," Rey added. He spoke the common tongue clearly but his accent was heavy.
Akielas gazed at Rey Ling. In his eyes he looked young, but the engineer was twenty-eight years old, five years younger than Auron. Rey had the
narrow eyes of the south, the thick black hair and small goatee. Rey removed his goggles and they hung from his neck. Akielas thought that it was no coincidence how he wore a vest with a white ruffle shirt underneath like the people of Ironside. All the Xaianian needed was spectacles over his eyes.
A breeze billowed his cloak and he could still smell the smoke of the train. When he gazed up at the sky he noticed Caim hovering just a few dozen feet above them.
"Why don't you join us?" Akielas called out to the demigod.
"Who is that?" Rey Ling looked up, squinting and blocking the sun.
Caim descended to join them but his feet did not touch the ground. Rey was immediately spooked by the white haired man with lavender eyes that could possibly hypnotize someone. Caim turned his body and grimaced at Rey Ling.
"You are the one," the demigod stated.
"The one what?" Rey asked, slowly stepping back. "Who are you?"
"You are going to have to explain this one, Caim," Akielas said awkwardly and folded his arms.
"I am Caim, demigod of Kazenolumos," Caim said in Xaianese.
Rey Ling gaped at the demigod, eyes wide in disbelief.
Soon Akielas sensed Auron approaching. In the sky the Amaranth shone golden, flying wingless with no Eedahlan. When he arrived he descended slowly and, when his feet touched the ground, the gilded armor contracted back into the medallion that hung from his neck. He looked exhausted and Akielas could tell he was low on maju.
"What happened to you?" Akielas asked.
"Another chance of destroying Ember to oblivion is gone," he answered. "She always survives, but not for long." Auron then noticed Rey Ling. Never before had the Amaranth seen anyone from the south.
"Auron, remember when I told you of my journey to the United Pathways," Akielas explained gesturing to Rey Ling. "This is the man I was talking about, Rey Ling. He is an engineer and his family invented the train."
"Invented the train?" Auron questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Or so he thinks. Does he speak the common tongue?"
Spirit of Mages (Rift of Chaos Book 2) Page 17
