Zauvek’s face contorted in utter revulsion at the wolf’s undesired answer. The angel stepped forward as his thin hair swayed before his fearsome eyes, and he pointed at Caedmon with his free hand.
“Can you change the bark of a tree?” the angel’s voice bellowed.
The atmosphere began to grow heavy, and the air pressed down on Caedmon’s body with a crushing weight. Then the air thickened, and it became harder for the guardian to breathe.
The ancient protector did not wish to answer the dark figure as the previous stranger’s warning flashed within his mind: Unforgiving.
Zauvek’s rage peaked, and he lifted himself off his sturdy crutch as he straightened his stance up to his full height. He turned the staff parallel to the ground and violently thrust it forward.
“Answer me!” the Heavens roared.
As the staff rushed forward, Caedmon felt an unparalleled force collide with his chest, lifting him off the ground and throwing him backward as his limbs followed. The force striking his chest had not been delayed or foreseen as the air did not distort or bend, catching Caedmon off guard and causing him confusion.
The wolf flew through the air a good distance before colliding with the parched dirt, though his momentum did not cease on impact, and his body continued on, rolling and tumbling another thirty feet before his momentum was completely dispersed. A weary moan emanated from Caedmon as he weakly attempted to lift his sore body after the powerful blow, but he was unable to fully raise himself up and stopped once he was on his knees. The strike to his chest had knocked the wind out of his lungs, and he fought to regain the ability to breathe. His vision was blurry, making it hard for him to relocate his attacker. The fumbling guardian noticed through his daze that the old man was marching toward him at a steady pace, with rage freely flowing through his veins.
A piercing shriek sounded on the heavy air. The wolf gazed upward toward its source and spotted the Greenback dragon diving toward them with deadly intent. Caedmon glanced back at the old man though Zauvek showed no interest in the approaching dragon. The enraged stranger did not even look in the beast’s direction; instead his gaze was locked on the ancient protector without relent. For a mere moment, Caedmon’s hope had returned as he believed the dragon might open a hole in the man’s defense and allow him to attack in return.
Spontaneously, Caedmon’s lungs filled with air once again, and with some effort he questioned the old man. “How did you strike me from such a distance?”
An eerie silence was his only answer.
“Was it by way of your mind?” Caedmon wondered as he fished for an answer while the old man grew near.
The furious man’s eyes narrowed at the revolting accusation. His voice no longer bellowed from the Heavens but from his mouth, “Only a fool would accuse me of a wizard’s trick,” Zauvek snarled, “Believing I would stoop to a mortal’s pathetic attempts at using his mind.”
The angel stopped a few feet outside Caedmon’s reach and roared in disdain. “I am no wizard! I am no mortal!”
The dragon shrieked one last time before its strike. The gap closed, and a second before its impact, the old man’s arm moved. While still staring intensely into Caedmon’s eyes, the old man’s left arm thrust toward the dragon with staff in hand. At that very same moment, unbeknownst to either Caedmon or the dragon, Zauvek released a torrent of force in the dragon’s direction, creating an unmovable and invisible barrier. The invisible wall formed instantly an inch in front of the dragon’s snout, and the dragon rammed full speed into the unforeseeable force like an accordion’s bellows folding in on itself. It was not just a simple matter of neck, body, and limbs folding, but bone for bone was crushed; muscles tore; ligaments and tendons snapped. The dragon’s body size decreased by half in a split second, and all its momentum was released on the inflexible barrier. The dragon’s corpse slumped and fell to the ground ten feet from Zauvek.
Caedmon watched in absolute terror as his last hope drained away, and his voice shook with uncertainty. “What are you?”
The angel relaxed his arm and bent slightly forward toward the wolf.
“Ask me another question, and I shall crush you as well,” Zauvek responded with an intense gaze. “I know your magic. I witnessed it against this dragon yet you wish to lie to me!” The angel pointed at the crushed corpse. “Now tell me! Did you change the bark of a tree with the carving of an arrow?”
Caedmon was shaking as he answered. “Yes.”
The old man’s face contorted in renewed rage. “Those who oppose my path will die.” Zauvek’s thin-haired veil swung slightly as he lifted his staff.
Caedmon watched as a large mass rammed unexpectedly into the enraged angel’s frail form. Shoulder first, the dwarf plowed into the old man’s left hip, and the man’s feet lifted clear off the ground. The dwarf halted, he dug his bare feet into the dirt, and then shoved Zauvek off his shoulder with his muscular arms. The angel detached from the auburn-haired warrior and continued flying through the air before colliding with the ground a short distance away. The old man’s staff was knocked out of his hand and rolled out of reach.
The unusually armored dwarf stood between Caedmon and Zauvek. His back faced the guardian, and his patterned breastplate expanded and contracted as he heaved in air. The wolf noticed the enormous war hammer tied to the dwarf’s back. It was oddly familiar.
The burly dwarf looked over his left shoulder. “Old friend, are you losing?”
Caedmon recognized the voice and took note of the dwarf’s signature long beard. “King Kvaran, be careful! The old man’s appearance is deceiving!”
Kvaran chuckled. “What, this old bag of bones?”
The king glanced back at the old man as the stranger lifted himself arduously off the ground.
Caedmon stood up and insisted, “We must leave.”
The dwarf watched the old man as he struggled to stand, and he realized his attack had done greater damage than intended.
“Why? What is going on, Caedmon? How did this old man have you pinned on the ground as if a mere child?” Kvaran questioned as he failed to understand the events transpiring around him.
“He is not an old man. I do not know what or who he is yet I do know remaining here is folly. We must not trifle with the likes of him.” Caedmon urged the king to move away.
Kvaran gripped the fabric tie holding the war hammer on his back and pulled, releasing his weapon from its position. “Nonsense, Caedmon, this is my kingdom. I wish to know this man’s reason for attacking my good friend in my realm.”
The giant war hammer slammed on the parched ground behind the king, and he crouched low to grab it with one hand. He rose up with his great weapon in hand and addressed the old man.
“I am Lord Kvaran, king of the Verdunmull Scar,” the dwarf proclaimed. Why have you come to my realm, human?”
Zauvek’s laugh slowly rolled out in a crescendo. “Human.”
The angel was almost on his two feet, a feat that was much more difficult without his staff’s assistance.
Caedmon lay a hand on the king’s shoulder. “Kvaran, we must flee from here. Have your armies deal with him; he is far too dangerous.”
Kvaran brushed off the guardian’s concern. “I am no coward.”
“Cowardice fails to be relevant in this situation, old friend,” the wolf persisted, but he quickly realized the king would not back away out of dwarven pride; therefore, the guardian stood next to his age-old friend, with loyalty being his sole reason.
The dwarf stepped forward with regal confidence. “Answer me, old man. What is your name?”
Zauvek had finally risen to his feet and began meandering over to his staff, clutching his side in pain. “Do you truly wish to know my name, dwarf?”
“If you fail to cooperate, I will have you thrown in the caves as manual labor,” Kvaran threatened.
The angel laughed at the unfulfillable threat, then he bent down to grab his staff. When Zauvek rose back up, he placed a great deal of his weight on his helpf
ul crutch. The king thought it was odd when he saw such a sturdy staff bowing outward as greatly as it did under such a frail form. Zauvek turned to face the dwarf, and his fear-invoking eyes were revealed to the king.
“My name is Zauvek Syk Serce. I shall make sure to carve it into the ground near your grave. All will come to fear me,” Zauvek bellowed.
The statement confused Kvaran, but he had no time to react as the old man’s staff whipped up in his direction. A force without an origin slammed into the king’s abdomen and launched the dwarf’s body into the air.
The angel roared at the king. “How dare you stand in my way!”
Caedmon sprinted after the king and maneuvered underneath the dwarf’s flying body. The guardian was hoping to catch Kvaran before he hit the ground. A green glow flickered to life in Caedmon’s eyes as the Ikalreev magic surged forth, and thick vines erupted out of the ground in numerous locations. The vines grew fast and reached high into the air for the dwarf. Some missed their mark, but a few succeeded. The successful vines wrapped around the king’s body and slowed his momentum, finally halting his fall altogether. The vines lowered Kvaran safely to the ground, then released the dwarf and receded back into the dirt.
Caedmon spun around to face the approaching old man and realized Zauvek’s anger had not subsided, but the stranger’s stance had changed. He seemed to be in pain, though his gait was not characteristic of broken bones. The wolf watched as the old man clutched his chest with his free hand and collapsed onto his knees. Blood burst out of Zauvek’s mouth, spraying the air before him, and his eyes stared beyond into nothingness. The ancient guardian saw his chance and raised a hand in the stranger’s direction. Many small vines sprouted from the ground and wrapped around Zauvek’s limbs.
The old man’s pain slowly subsided, and his mind refocused on reality and his rage. He tried to stand up, but he quickly found himself fighting against an unknown resistance. The angel looked down toward the opposition and saw the many vines that had emerged from the ground and were tightly gripping him. He laughed eerily. “Mortals’ magic.”
The angel’s muscles tensed, and with one powerful movement, his right arm was freed as the vines were severed from the ground. Another sudden burst of strength freed his left arm, and those vines were shredded. Zauvek was preparing to free one of his legs in the same fashion when all of a sudden, vines exploded from the ground and clasped his right arm once more. The old man roared in frustration at Caedmon, and his left fist punched the air toward the guardian. The wolf felt an immediate impact of force on his chest, and he staggered backward from the unforeseen attack. Zauvek freed his right arm again with a rageful movement, followed by his left leg. He tore the vines straight out of the ground with overwhelming power, shredding them into pieces. He finally freed his last limb and rose back up on his feet.
“You took me for a fool, Caedmon. You dared to obstruct my path. No one born of this world has the power to stop me,” Zauvek proclaimed.
A short form rushed past Caedmon with a fiery battle cry. The auburn-haired dwarf held the heavy war hammer in tightly clenched fists as he readied for an attack.
Zauvek prepared for the king’s charge and shifted into a defensive stance. Kvaran swung his mighty war hammer over his head in a downward arc, and the angel barely dodged the falling hammer. The powerful dwarf stopped the hammer’s momentum before it struck the ground and quickly reversed it. The hammer swung upward, missing its intended target again. The old man reached for the war hammer’s handle as it swung away, but the king countered with a strong kick to the angel’s stomach and thrust the heel of his foot deep into the old man’s abdomen. Zauvek staggered backward and doubled over from the dwarf’s formidable attack. King Kvaran raced after his stumbling opponent as he readied for another aggressive swing of his hammer.
Zauvek was tired, and he was finished dealing with fools. The angel was frustrated that a lowly mortal had landed even a single blow against him. Kvaran swung down with his mighty hammer, but this time the hammer’s head was met by Zauvek’s open palm. The weapon slammed with all its force against the angel’s palm without consequence, and the hammer’s momentum was halted in totality. The old man’s arm neither broke nor bled, leaving the king confounded by the lack of damage. The old man’s fingers wrapped around the steel hammer’s head, and with his empty hand, he punched Kvaran in his stomach, which sent the king reeling backward without his hammer. The dwarf stumbled and rolled a fair distance until he stopped, and then Zauvek tossed the heavy hammer off to the side as if it was as light as a pebble.
Caedmon rushed toward the king to aid him, but he made it no more than five feet before freezing in fear anew. This time, however, no one would have dared deny his hesitation for the outsider was physically changing in frightening aspects. The atmosphere thickened even more than before and weighed down with unbearable force on their mortal bodies. The wolf guardian collapsed to his knees under the intolerable pressure, and he struggled to breathe.
The angel lifted his chin and gazed down at the guardian with his vibrant eyes as savage rage consumed his entire being. The old guardian was unable to tell whether Zauvek’s irises were glowing more brightly than before or the darkened scleras delved deeper into the void. Caedmon watched as the angel’s foreboding form straightened, and the space behind and to either side of the stranger began to distort. The air warped and bent erratically as if the atmosphere itself was being split apart by some unseen force. The distortion extended out to either side at least twenty feet and exhibited a faint shape.
Caedmon began to realize something born from nightmares stood before him now, and he shouted to his friend. “Kvaran!”
The guardian fought against the heavy atmosphere with all his might and rose to his feet. His muscles exploded with energy, and he rushed forward to save the king, momentarily casting aside his fear. The great wolf raced onward and pushed through the excruciating burn in his legs as they ached with every step.
“Kvaran!” Caedmon yelled.
The Heavens bellowed once again as Zauvek spoke. “You fail to comprehend . . .”
The angel stepped closer to the dwarf, who was struggling to regain his strength under the tremendous force pressing down on him. The powerful being gazed down at the dwarf’s hopeless endeavor as his soul’s authority bent the environment to his will. The distorting air followed Zauvek, but its cause was unknown to the guardian.
“Kvaran! Get up, Kvaran!” Caedmon growled. “No!”
Zauvek lifted his staff vertically above the king’s weakened form, and the Heavens roared. “I bring forth the reckoning . . . Havoc and chaos are my kin . . . for I am Doom.” He smiled evilly. “Angelus Fatum, servant of Azr—”
The furious angel stopped speaking as he realized everything stood motionless around him, as if time had halted. The sparse vegetation did not sway, and sand grains hovered in the air. Zauvek’s rival stared at him like a statue frozen midstride, and his curiosity quickly faded as he understood what was transpiring against him.
The angel’s face twisted in fury as he lifted his staff slightly and then heaved it downward with merciless might. His staff met resistance right before it crushed the dwarf below, and a bright white light flashed before his eyes. He squinted in pain from its overwhelming intensity and shielded his eyes with his free arm. When he reopened his eyes, he witnessed a form standing before him in righteous opposition. The new presence gripped his staff and made it immovable, though Zauvek attempted to fight the resistance. He was struggling against her effortless power; she did not waver, and she did not strain against the fallen angel’s ferocity. The heavenly feminine form was enveloped by the brilliant white light, and she was bathed in righteousness and grace. The light’s intensity receded around her face and arm, revealing more of her identity.
Her heavenly lips parted, and her voice was kin to music. “Zauvek Syk Serce, their souls will remain bound to flesh. He commands it so.”
“Igtharia, you dare oppose me?” Zauvek grow
led in contempt.
The heavenly being’s beautiful red lips parted, ignoring his question. “You dare attempt to speak an archangel’s name?”
“Yes, with pleasure.” The fallen angel spat at her.
Her soft pale face remained neutral and devoid of emotion.
“The Angel of Doom you once were . . . you are no longer protected by the light . . .” the pale angel sang, her radiance permeating the air.
“Igtharia, you are a fool,” Zauvek roared.
The shining face was unaffected by his words and posed a warning question: “Zauvek Syk Serce . . . you understand the consequence of a fallen one challenging an archangel . . .”
Zauvek smirked slyly.
The beautiful white-glowing face gazed into Zauvek’s eyes for comprehension. “You wish your eternal death. Your own end would bring the doom of others, and they would fall without your protection. You know this to be true.”
“Your intelligence was always lacking, Igtharia. You never could see the picture right in front of you, could you? Always stuck in your visions and premonitions, simply following orders as usual, it seems,” Zauvek mocked.
Her emotions would not sway due to his words. “The one on high will not allow it,” Igtharia sang.
Zauvek laughed. “You believe you can stop me from challenging an archangel?”
For the first time the pleasant face smiled. “I will not. He will.”
The fallen angel’s eyes narrowed in unkind acknowledgment of what was coming, and he stared unforgivingly into hers. In one instantaneous moment, both the heavenly Igtharia and fallen angel vanished from the sinister scene surrounding Kvaran. The atmosphere lightened as the furious aggressor’s influence faded, and time was restored when Igtharia allowed it to be so.
Caedmon had been midstride when time ceased and when Zauvek vanished. To the guardian it looked as if the stranger had disappeared in a blink of an eye. Having missed the entire conversation between Igtharia and the fallen angel, the wolf guardian glanced around and wondered frantically what had just happened to their adversary. He could not locate the nightmarish being as he swiveled about in panic.
Verdunmull Page 28
