by Ryan Johnson
After watching Sora leave, Valverno placed a hand on the bed he sat on. “Marina asked me that once, of which of us was a monster,” Valverno whispered to himself. He stood up and angered flared in his eyes. “And I now know the answer.”
Valverno strolled out of the house and snapped his fingers; the house he repaired collapsed. His old home was the pile of rubble has it had been for ten thousand years. He felt no remorse for turning the building back into the ruin it was; he considered it a tomb than a home.
His face glittered with furious anger and hate: the same egoistic feelings he felt for Belverda and Uragiru. With a flap of his wings, he soared into the air and flew over the ruins of his old home city. He soared in the air to see the Pool of Shadows down below, seeing the water was corrupt as ever when he fell in. Then he dived like a falcon over the cliffs and swung close to the surface of the Pool.
He floated just inches within reach of the Pool’s watery surface and plunged his hands into the black water. Valverno soared back to the edges of the cliffs and landed on his feet. His hands cupped with the black water. “And I’m now starting to realize in order to beat a monster, you have to become one,” he said.
Without hesitation, Valverno moved his hands to his mouth and he drank the black water.
He felt nothing in those two seconds and suddenly a plundering bolt striking his stomach. His brain ached if a giant boulder struck it. His arms and legs stretched thin like milk spilled on the floor. His throat flogged and his eyes saw a great darkness. His muscles tightened against his bones and his teeth chomping if he was biting on hard rock.
He felt pain coursing every inch on his body, pulsing through his brain to the tiniest of cells. Red-purple glowing, energy lines like blood veins popped out on his legs, arms, wings, head, and tail. Smoke emerged from the glowing lines raging on his entire body. A great shadowy power was sinking into his heart and mind and body alike.
And after a full minute, everything stopped and Valverno knelt down, breathing and sweating hard. It felt if a month passed, but he felt the pain suddenly gone. Valverno looked at the skin of his two arms and saw it as the same color when he came out of the Pool of Shadows. He knew, in an instant, he had reverted back to the form he once had when he was forced into the Pool of Shadows by its long, watery whips.
“So, this is the power Lusìvar has when he only bathed, but drank from,” said Valverno. His voice was demonic and evil than his hybrid form. “No wonder he managed to live this long. This Pool grants a mortal long live and black magic power, which now I have. Now, I’ll use it against him, without the use of final artifact. But first, I need to give up something”
Valverno waved out both hands and another portal opened before him. The black magic coursing through his veins felt more powerful than having the power from two armor artifacts. He proceeded to walk through the portal, and he entered back to see a bright light.
The portal closed behind him, and Valverno found the destroyed tree lined next to the Pool of Light. He looked at the surrounding areas and caught see his allies nearby, standing next to the other side of the tree. He walked closer to them and halted when he saw a fourth figure with them. His eyes glared at a man whom he recognized as a rival: Teutates.
Teutates was there with a garrison of troops. He stood with Sora, Flavius, and Monico; the four White Knights have gathered and all were talking. But Teutates was with a small army, and he wasn’t in the Seaport City that was surrounded by four clans.
Valverno had no idea how Teutates has come this far with the Seaport City being surrounded by four clans. This must mean the city has underground tunnels, and therefore has the ability to escape without anyone knowing that Teutates could still be there.
Then Valverno walked forward to reveal himself to the others. “Negotiating with the enemy?” he asked loudly.
“Perfect timing, brother!” said Sora, while facing Teutates. “Teutates happened to be nearby with a small army and surprisingly he’s here with the other clan leaders. We told him of our current situation and we thought it’s time to… join—” Sora paused suddenly to see the complete appearance of her brother’s body. “Valverno, what… what has happened to you?” asked Sora.
“I have drunk from the Pool of Shadows, and I have come to say goodbye!”” answered Valverno. “I have just learned it is going to take a monster to slay a monster. I’ve been blinded by the Light for too long and taken the reasonability to a demigod for too long. I’ve been doing useless things for three years when I have taken the mantle as a demigod, and I got nothing done against Lusìvar. Now, I’m going to give it all up and go against Lusìvar with this power he has from the Pool of Shadows. And to get rid of this.”
Valverno pulled the Crystal Sword as he carried it the scabbard the blade was sheathed in. “And to get rid of this relic that doesn’t suit me anymore.” Valverno dropped the sword he, for so long held his hands, dropped it at his feet and kicked it away with a foot.
The Crystal Sword went flying into the air and landed at the feet of the White Knights. Sora, Monico, and Flavius were shocked when Valverno was tossing away his sword he fought with for several years like wasted garbage.
“I no longer need such a useless weapon that doesn’t work against a Shadow King. And I no longer need to be with people who are useless like a small pebble thrown to a giant castle wall. This is where we spilt.”
“What do you mean?” asked Monico.
“Didn’t you hear me!?’ shouted Valverno, moving a hand forward if he was shoving someone. A hard wind blew from Valverno’s hand and scattered against the people Flavius, Monico, and the garrison, but Sora and Teutates were the only ones withstanding Valverno’s attack.
“I am splitting from all of you. I’ve been delaying for too long but no more delays. Ruling over Shimabellia should have been left with someone else. But no more. This time, I’ll be taking the fight to Lusìvar, and I’ll make sure he dies. And I’ll do so, even if it means I have to become a monster.”
“No, you cannot,” shouted Sora. “You could never become vile and cruel as Lusìvar.”
“I am no longer a demigod nor am I a Demon Prince. I have forfeited those useless names as I have forfeited you who long ago and—”
Sora suddenly pounded against Valverno with her shoulder, which sent him rolling across the land. He managed to hover his legs back to the ground and halting his rolling, leaving behind a trail on the ground he feet left behind while stopping.
Valverno looked at Sora running up to him after she struck him. His half-sister glared at him with great anger and sympathy. “Do you think you think this is wise, girl? Going against me when I have more power than you?”
“I won’t back down. I know my brother’s personality is somewhere within that corrupted body. And I will draw him back out and slay the monster I see before me.” Sora drew out her kukri knives and pointed them at Valverno.
Valverno clapped his hands together and spread them out, with a small energy sparking from his hands. A long sword with a red blade looking similar to Lusìvar’s sword was grabbed by Valverno’s hands and pointed it at the White Knight of Charity; a rift between siblings was about to clash and they were siblings who always been close and shared a close bond with each other.
AGONY BETWEEN SIBLINGS
Sora stood against her older, demonic bother. She looked into his eyes without making a single blink. “I won’t allow you to give up this fight. You chose to be the gods’ weapon to beat the Shadow King Lusìvar! I won’t allow my last living relative to fall.”
“Your words are poor, unless you turn them into action,” said Valverno.
“You bet your half divinity on it, Elder Brother,” shouted Sora, bending her feet down and curving her elbows around her belly. Then she kicked the ground and quickly shot toward Valverno.
Valverno shot his legs toward Sora, and he bolted the red sword with gr
eat dementing power that lit the red blade in a purple flame.
Their blades met at such a powerful impacting speed that once the metals clashed, the single bang of clashing metal sent out an airy shockwave and made the ground shake. Valverno was the first to move his magic-created weapon. He slashed it against Sora, and Sora skillfully fought back against her half-brother.
After a few seconds of crossing blades, Sora jumped back from Valverno attacking at a great speed and diverge her swords together. They burst with an energy-like substance and waved them in the air; boomerang-like blades filled with magic shot toward Valverno.
Valverno only swung his sword once in the air, and all the magic boomerangs shot from Sora’s kukri knives, which killed the power charging in Sora’s to make more boomerangs. “You still have much to learn,” said Valverno, suddenly disappearing from Sora’s view. And in a moment’s notice, Valverno suddenly appeared up close enough to gaze in Sora’s eyes. Valverno whipped his tail to the ground and clapped his wings together.
Sora jumped high into the air and flew to the sky, with her feathered wings blossoming in time of dodging Valverno’s wings and his earth-shattering tail that was supposed to trap Sora in the ground. “I have learned so much from you in the past!” she shouted back.
Then Sora quickly halted in midair and rushed back down to Valverno, who looked up at her. Sora swung her weapons in two different directions; one to block Valverno’s tail whipping to her right and the other to block Valverno’s sword.
Upon her blades impacted against Valverno’s attacks, Sora swung her legs forward, with both feet and kicking Valverno in the chin. Sora kicked Valverno at his chin and sent him walking back a few steps. When she landed back on the ground, she swung small blades in midair and blue lines appeared between her and Valverno; a glowing circle with a star picture appeared and Sora pierced it with her two knives.
A large blue pulse bolted from the glowing symbol and shot toward Valverno and exploded on impact. Smoke rose into the air when the blast struck Valverno and stretch across a large chunk of land.
Sora jumped to the tree and saw the smoke forming into a mushroom shape rising in the air. She breathed calmly, as she had unleashed a powerful spell at her half-brother.
“Sora, are you alright?” asked Monico.
“That surely would have harmed him greatly,” said Flavius.
Both White Knights joined behind Sora, who raised her hand and halting them where they stood. “Stay back, boys,” warned Sora. “This is a fight you both can’t win, even with me by your side.”
“What? Why?” they both asked.
“One: experience is everything. I lived and battled for thousands of years, so clearly you guys would be outmatched. Two: I mastered all types of magical abilities that would take many human lifetimes to master. Even if you guys have Pangaean power, you are weak as an infant taking its first steps. Three: no one knows Valverno better than I do. We fought side-by-side for millennia, and I know every power, skill, and experience he has. With your guys’ experience, he’d beat you like stomping on ant.”
“And that is what precisely I can do, if I need to,” called out Valverno’s voice. Valverno came walking out of the smoldering smoke with no scratches or scorched skin, only his appearance. Purple flaring wings, red-sharp horns, red flaring on his dragon scales like fire, spikes and scales spiking on his shoulders and arms, and the only things showing he’s human was his belly, chest, face, and long red hair.
It was the same form he looked after he was whipped into the Pool of Shadows after saving Marina. “You mortals don’t have the power or experience to fight against me; you would be easily killed like stepping on ants.”
Sora readied her kukri knives again. The two knives relatively long as shortswords than actual knives she held close to her face. “How could you abandon everything you were fighting for? Abandoning Marina. Abandoning the White Knights. Abandoning the people you watched over for three years. Abandoning me. I followed since the day I drew my first breath in the Mortal Realm, and I kept following you until this day. Now. when I look upon you, I don’t know what I am seeing.” Sora fought back tears beginning drip from her eyes.
“Then keep fighting and find out, White Knight of Charity,” mocked Valverno. His voice was soggy as it sounded vile and evil. Valverno flapped his wings and shot off without taking a jump.
Sora jumped as well, and both pounded their weapons at a high veracity. Both fighters clashed their blades at a high speed. Sora blazed her blades with an intense magic power and the feathered wings she summoned fought against Valverno’s wings, and her hands switched from attacking Valverno’s single sword and his tail at the same time.
After a while, Sora pushed Valverno back and nearly dodged a whipping tail, by dunking her head beneath the tail. Then she retreated into the air. She looked down as she soared into the air.
Valverno tossed the sword to the ground and vapored into red smoke. Then he widened his wings and flew to Sora. The red scales that scaled over his entire arms glowed red-purple and a red mist rose from his glowing arms. His flying speed caught him up to Sora trying to make a hasty retreat into the air and hoped to get an advantage of the air.
Sora flapped her wings faster into the air, but Valverno’s speed caught up to her and she tried to shoot down more of her magic. Valverno blew a large flame from his mouth and destroyed the magic spells being fired at him. Then he would fly through his flames and heaved his fists at Sora.
Valverno vigorously waved his hands at Sora. He was showed no signs of hesitating, pounding a harder stroke after another.
Sora was hardly keeping on the defense. and Valverno was fighting with bare fists that were plundering hard against her arms. She was having the worst difficulties trying to counter against Valverno’s inferior attacks. He had the speed and the ferocity, and Sora barely had any speed of her own.
In one attack, Valverno’s left fist nearly struck Sora’s right cheek, only grazing her cheek’s skin. But he uncoiled his fingers and moved his hand toward Sora’s wrist while launched an attack toward Valverno’s neck but only to touch the skin of his neck.
Valverno quickly twisted Sora’s wrist and forced her fingers to open; her knife she held against Valverno slipped through her fingers. Then he pulled her closer and he heaved a punch into her belly; his glowing arm shot a magic bolt through Sora’s belly.
Sora spat out salvia when she was punched in her belly, and her body felt it had died. Her body felt suddenly weak and her wings lost their strength. Weakly, she used her free hand, which still held the other knife, but Valverno caught that arm with a claw from one of his wings and snapped the blade from the hilt.
Valverno released the hand he held on Sora’s wrist and raised it high above his head and slashed down on Sora’s neck; Sora was struck hard and fast with Valverno’s fist and sent her falling down to the ground.
Then Valverno dived down exhaling a grim seen of smoke like a comet falling from the sky. And he landed atop of Sora, causing a large explosion and sending up more smoke.
“Sora!” shouted Flavius.
“White Knight of Charity!” shouted Monico.
The two White Knights carried their weapons and were ready to fight. They only gazed at the rising smoke, and it began to clear out quickly. A hole was smoldered into the ground.
And in a few short seconds, a shadowy silhouette stood in front of their eyes: Valverno stood while having a foot on Sora’s body. They both gasped at the sight.
“Now you see, it will take a monster to kill monster,” said Valverno, who looked at Monico and Flavius. Then he turned to see Teutates holding up a sword: the Crystal Sword. “So, you hold the useless weapon? I have no need for such a worthless trinket. Do what you want with it. My problem is Lusìvar, and I will silence anyone who gets in my way!” Valverno removed his foot from Sora and walked out of the hole.
“Ho
w could you?” cried Sora, weakly putting her weight on one hand. The White Knight of Charity wasn’t dead but severely wounded. She was too wounded to move her legs and an arm; she had the strength to move her upper body and one arm.
“Sora!” said Flavius. Flavius dropped his sword and shield and dashed down to Sora. He grabbed one of her arms and hanged it around her neck, and he hoisted her to her feet. After Sora was hoisted up, her head looked toward Valverno, and she stood on her feet with the greatest strength she could conjure.
Then she pulled her arm away from Flavius and limply walked to Valverno. “Wait!” said Flavius, but Sora didn’t listen to him; Sora limped over to Valverno and stood in front of him so they were meeting eye-to-eye.
“And why are you still keep getting in my way, even if you are weaker than I am?” asked Valverno.
“I do this because not to fight you or the promise I made to you I won’t abandon you. I stand against you because I love you! More than the brother you are.”
Valverno walked up close to Sora and stared her straight in the eye. “If that is what you’re seeking from me, then it’s in vain. I will not give you what you seek from me, as my heart was already ripped by someone else’s hands and not from yours. You’re such a child who should have died with the other Pangaeans.” Valverno turned his eyes away and walked passed Sora who dropped to her knees.
“How could you… how could you become so cruel after everything you have endured?” asked Sora. Tears dripped heavily from her eyes. A sign she lost her last living relative.
“The gods have abandoned me! Everything else is burdens and chains I don’t need to carry around as you are a nuisance to my life.”
Sora’s eyes gasped at Valverno’s words; she couldn’t belief what she heard from her brother’s mouth. He has indeed changed into a personification of evil: another Lusìvar with a lust of hatred.
