“So, the Thousand-Legged Spiders have finally come for me,” Raizen said as he adjusted his stance, eyes locked on the hooded intruder. “Very well...”
The air in the room began to swirl as the adept drew in energy, ready to fight for his life to the bitter end. Ayzeth was wholly unfazed.
“You are a target,” the devil adept said, his voice cold and unapologetic. “A name amongst many that will soon meet their end. Don’t flatter yourself with any grander ideas than that.”
Raizen let out a growl as his eyes took on a reptilian look to them, the guild sigil of the cloud serpents. His spirit energy coiled around his body like viper preparing to lunge at his prey...
Then he charged!
Ayzeth widened his stance as his target approached, drawing devil aura into his fists as he prepared a counter. His jet-black eyes locked onto Raizen as the adept soared across the room, silvery wind aura swirling around the cloud serpent’s fist as he attempted to execute a dragon fang strike.
Suddenly, Ayzeth dropped to a knee and launched a fist of his own into the air, ducking Raizen’s technique then intercepting him with an empowered strike directly to his midsection. The cloud serpent’s eyes bulged as the blow forced the air out his lungs, reversing the man’s momentum and sending his body crashing into the ceiling above.
“Bastard!” Raizen growled as he fell back to the floor in a crouch. Ayzeth could hear the sudden desperation in his voice, could see the fear building in his serpentine eyes. It was enough to all but ignite his hunter instincts.
The fact was most adepts never had the privilege of trading blows with a devil adept. Those born with such a destructive aura were either consumed by madness or destroyed by their own attempts to control such deadly power. However, those like Ayzeth who managed to overcome such obstacles displayed a profound power far beyond their rank. And with Ayzeth having reached the rank of spirikai, this fool had more than enough to fear. He was a hunter, an adept chosen by his guild for a singular purpose… to track his targets and bring them death.
“Your words carry no power,” Ayzeth said as he took a step towards Raizen, his tall boots all but silent against the violet rug. “Accept your fate.”
“I accept nothing,” Raizen rebuked. “I refuse to lie down and die like so many others.” Suddenly the man slammed his palms together as a strange haze began to flood the room. “Cloud serpent technique: Cloud Viper Nest!”
Ayzeth paused his approach as the cloudy haze encircled him, leaving him all but blind in the spacious room. Serpentine eyes flickered in and out of his vision, appearing in the haze then fading from view as his opponent moved into position. It was an illusionary technique perfectly suited for a closed space such as this. However, against an opponent such as Ayzeth, it was destined to fall short...
The devil adept shifted, spinning on his heel as he felt a swell of spirit energy at his back. In a single motion, Ayzeth thrust his hand through the smoke and haze, latching onto something just out of his sight. Suddenly, a horrid gurgling sound filled his ears as the haze quickly faded, revealing Raizen once more. However, this time the man was rendered immobile, his neck held firmly in the devil adept’s grasp.
“Don’t struggle,” Ayzeth said as he brought his free hand up to Raizen’s chest. “It’s over now.”
Crimson energy flooded the adept’s palm as he pressed it into his opponent, creating an orb of pure aura that began to burn away the man’s tunic.
“Obliterate,” Ayzeth uttered, pressing the orb into Raizen’s chest, tearing away his spiritual defenses and destroying his flesh. Seconds later he released the man, allowing his lifeless body to fall to the floor as he breathed in his soul essence. It was almost a disappointment, what little challenge the cloud serpent offered. Perhaps he’d have to start taking aim at the saints themselves if he wanted to feel challenged.
With a sigh, Ayzeth turned to leave the room. If he was quick, he’d likely be able to claim another name off his list before daybreak. Instead, he was cut off by a technique forming in the shattered doorway.
Shadows spun from the violet rug, rising to take a humanoid form. Though it wasn’t an exact copy, Ayzeth could easily identify the shadowy apparition’s source. Towering over him in robes that flowed like the night sky, he was certain that this was a messenger sent to him by his guild master, Lord Jeryn Blackstar.
“Lord Blackstar,” the devil adept said, quickly dropping to a knee and bowing. His master was under the command of a number of different shadowy creatures, many with very unique powers. Some were used as simple messengers, while others could act as full hosts to Blackstar’s spirit, allowing him to temporarily inhabit the creature and simulate full conversations. Ayzeth wasn’t sure which type of shadow this one was, but he assumed it best not to take a chance.
“I see you’re efficient as ever,” the shadow copy of Blackstar said as it’s inky black eyes surveyed the carnage.
Ayzeth sighed as he rose back to his feet. “Did you expect anything less?”
“Certainly not from one of my spirikai,” the Blackstar shadow replied. “And that’s why I have a new assignment for you... a slight diversion from your kill list.”
“Very well,” Ayzeth replied as he crossed his arms over his chest. His list contained a number of high-profile targets of the Thousand-Legged Spiders… adepts that could one day pose a problem to his guild. If Blackstar had a new assignment for him, then it was likely of the utmost importance. “What would you have me do?”
The shadowy form grinned. “Why, what you do best, of course. I need you to kill someone.”
Ayzeth nodded. Of course, that’s what he needed. His guildmaster would be a fool to send anyone else. “The name?”
The shadow’s expression changed as it let out a low growl. “Remley Bonaduce.”
Ayzeth furrowed his brow. That name... Bonaduce, the founding family of the steel brotherhood guild. Ayzeth himself had played a part in helping end that bloodline many moons ago. Had... had one of them survived?
“How?” The devil adept asked, suddenly intrigued.
The shadowy avatar of Blackstar began to shift as if a sudden swell of anger threatened to tear the shadow apart. “It appears Zion Sho had more than a few secrets. Rather than kill the man, he was offering him refuge in Atherune. The headmaster sought to exploit him for his own personal gain. Now Zion is dead and the Bonaduce heir is on his way to Shadowreach... I need you to find him, kill him and kill everyone in his company.”
Ayzeth had to suppress a grin. “And what of your... prodigy? Why not send Varyon?”
The shadow’s eyes narrowed. “Varyon is currently... indisposed, as is Wrath.” Suddenly the shadowy form moved within inches of Ayzeth’s face. “Don’t presume that because I am not present that you can question me, hunter. I will wrench the soul from your body.”
Ayzeth shuddered as he felt a sudden surge of power emanate from the avatar. It was best that he trod carefully with his guild master in such an unstable state. “Very well, my lord. I will make my way to Shadowreach and-“
“You’re not going alone,” the avatar interrupted. “I’m calling upon your brothers. I don’t want any doubt that Bonaduce will meet his end.”
“Very well,” Ayzeth replied as his devil aura began to flare. It’d been some time since he and his brothers had worked side by side. In fact, the last time they were together they’d left a massacre in their wake…. A slaughtering that would be remembered for ages. But so be it. If Blackstar willed it, then he and his brothers would cover the streets of Shadowreach in blood...
It was time to reunite the fateful three.
The Sky Wolves Guild
Name: Leila
Wind Adept
Rank: 4th
Specialization: Spiritlancer
Divine Power: Dark Passenger
Name: Remley
Flame Adept
Rank: 3rd
Specialization: Soulblade
Divine Power: None
Nam
e: Quinn
Earth Adept
Rank: 3rd
Specialization: Dread Hunter
Divine Power: None
Name: Roy
Void Adept
Rank: 2nd
Specialization: Dark Vanguard
Divine Power: Deep Freeze
Name: Kimoura
Light Adept
Rank: 2nd
Specialization: Battlemonk
Divine Power: None
Chapter 1
Speed and Ingenuity
Aboard the deck of the Blazing Fang, The skies of Eon
Roy Skyworth stood on the deck of the crimson airship, impatiently shifting from foot to foot. The adept had spent much of the morning in meditation, channeling his spirit aura, harnessing it’s power and strengthening his control over the violet spirit energy that swirled inside his core.
Despite its obvious benefits, prolonged periods of meditation seemed to make Roy a bit... restless, especially with him being confined to the deck of the Blazing Fang most of the day. But no matter... it was nearly time for Roy’s sparring session with Remley, the perfect chance to put both body and spirit to good use.
Ever since Roy and the Sky Wolves had fled Atherune city, they’d developed somewhat of a routine aboard their airship. Their nights were spent masking their spirit auras and seeking shelter from the darkbeasts, especially since the damn things sought them out like moths to a flame. Their days, however, were put to good use with activities that included a loose regiment of meditation followed by sparring and the eventual search for food.
During lulls, Roy spent time at Kimoura’s side, peering over the edge of the deck and taking in the sights of Eon, a realm that was proving to be just as strange and beautiful as she was. His relationship with the woman had continued to blossom over the past few weeks, and he was finding himself more entranced with her with each passing day. There was just something about her aura that seemed to calm Roy, that made him feel like more than what he was... and it was something that he fully intended to explore further.
After several more moments pacing, Roy finally spotted Remley emerge from below deck, a typical grin painted across the man’s face. Rather than sport his infamous red coat and tunic, Rem merely wore a pair of simple, black trousers, leaving both his feet and chest bare. His flame aura swirled around him as he walked across the deck, a flickering flame that Roy knew he could turn ablaze in an instant.
“You look a little amped up, Royboy,” Remley said as he casually made his approach. “Ya know, meditation is typically used to calm the spirit.”
Roy chuckled. “Guess I’m doing it wrong then. It’s just, every time I finish meditating I feel like there’s a damn storm brewing inside my chest.”
“Ah, that only means your approaching Spiriteka,” Rem replied with a grin. And that is when the real fun begins!”
It was true that Roy was fast approaching his next rank, an apparent milestone in his growth as an adept. Still, the road hadn’t been easy. During his last few weeks aboard the Fang, Roy had gone toe to toe with his fair share of darkbeasts, including a sky leviathan that had nearly torn their ship out of the sky. The void adept had prevailed, and in the process earned himself an incredible amount of soul essence... essence that he’d refined through his prolonged sessions of meditation. Now Roy could feel it in his gut. He was getting close to something greater, to reaching a power level that would put him on par with the others in his guild. He merely needed the will to reach out and grasp it.
“Soon, I hope,” Roy said as his void aura swirled restlessly inside his body
“Soon indeed,” Rem quipped. “But first, you need to train. Now come.” Remley widened his stance and raised a fist into the air, the other hand beckoning Roy forward.
Roy nodded then quickly removed his sapphire-colored tunic, tossing the garment to the ship’s deck. By comparison, Roy was built fairly larger than his slender opponent, his body forged by years of training and marred with scars from past struggles. Unfortunately, size mattered little where an adept’s power was concerned... a lesson that previous sparring sessions had taught him all too well.
Dropping into a fighting stance, Roy squared off against the nimble flame adept, quietly drawing spirit energy into his fists. Slowly, he inched his way forward, gauging his opponent like a viper preparing to lunge at its prey.
The air fell silent as Roy’s spirit energy thrummed with the anticipation of battle. Then, after locking eyes with Remley and drawing in a final, calming breath... he lashed out!
Roy lunged forward, drawing aura into his legs to propel him across the deck as he took aim at Remley’s chin. He knew that he couldn’t match the flame adept’s speed, but a preemptive strike might be just the advantage he needed.
Unfortunately, Remley had other ideas.
Roy’s fist came within in an inch of Rem’s chin, though ultimately his strike went wide as the flame adept deftly side-stepped the empowered blow. Roy tried to make an adjustment but Remley was already ahead of him there too, stepping in to deliver a vicious counter-punch to his diaphragm.
Roy’s momentum ceased and his knees buckled as the blow forced the air out of his lungs, momentarily sapping his energy.
“Still going with the direct approach, eh?” Remley mocked as he folded his hands behind his back. “I thought we decided that wasn’t going to work.”
Roy let out a grunt of frustration. In their previous bouts, he’d attempted the same frontal assault, and each time he’d been shut down by a swift counter. By now, most fighters would’ve sought a different method of attack, but Roy was far too stubborn for that. No matter how many beatings he absorbed he was going to beat Rem, and he was going to do it on his own terms.
Rather than mouth a response, Roy slammed his right fist into the deck, channeling divine energy into his strike. Suddenly, a wave of icy-blue spirit energy rippled across the floorboards, encircling the area where Remley stood as ice began to rise from the floor’s surface.
The flame adept went wide-eyed as Roy’s icy power licked at his heels, threatening to freeze him where he stood. However, a quick backflip elevated Remley onto the deck’s railing and away from Roy’s icy grasp.
“Cheap trick, Royboy,” Remley said as he crouched on the railing’s edge, his long, black hair blowing freely in the wind. “But you’re going to have to do better than that.”
Again, Roy pursued, leaping onto the railing before attacking Remley with a barrage of punches. His fists glowed with spirit energy as they soared at Rem’s chin, barely missing their target as the flame adept dodged each and every blow. This dance continued for several seconds as each step they took brought them closer to the railing’s edge, a battle on the very edge of oblivion.
Growing brash in his technique, Roy lunged in and threw a side-kick at Remley’s midsection, an attack that had the potential to send the flame adept careening off the side of the airship. Rather than parry, Remley performed another flip, leaping over the strike and landing back on the deck...
Just where Roy wanted him.
Remley let out a yelp as his feet landed back on the deck. A single breath later he was on his back, his body slowly sliding across a paper-thin sheet of ice.
It was Roy’s turn to grin as he took aim at the flame adept who now struggled to climb back to his feet. He’d played out this scenario nearly a dozen times... attacking Remley, chasing him down, and forcing the man into just the right position. And each time Remley had provided the perfect counter. But what the flame adept didn’t know was that much of Roy’s meditation had been focused on aura manipulation, or more specifically, developing greater control of the icy blue divine energy that coursed through his right hand. But no matter... he’d surely know after this.
Roy pulled void energy into his fist as he leapt back onto the deck, sliding across the ice as he took aim at Remley with a potentially devastating blow.
As Remley stumbled back to his feet Roy slammed his fist into the man’s f
ace, attacking him with the pent-up rage of a thousand missed strikes. He actually felt a tinge of guilt as he delivered the punch, fearful that he might actually hurt his nimble mentor. It was only sparring after all, but Rem had insisted that he go all out...
Seconds later, Roy knew why.
Remley’s head snapped to the side as Roy connected with his cheek, landing a punch thrown hard enough to send any normal man into the realm of the unconscious. But Rem was no normal man... he was a spiriteka, an adept of flame.
A wave of debilitating pain shot through Roy’s hand as he completed his technique, causing his concentration to break and his spirit to falter. Even worse, his nimble opponent seemed to absorb the blow in stride. Rather than fall to the deck, Remley launched a hand forward, snatching Roy’s outstretched wrist and steadying himself in the process. He then used his free hand to launch a thunderous uppercut directly at Roy’s chin.
The void adept went crashing to the floor as the last bit of fight he had left him. As he sprawled out on the deck, he felt a throbbing pain resonate in his knuckles, a feeling that was quickly overshadowed by the ache in his jaw. Roy was certain that he had Remley this time, that at the very least he was going to inflict a little pain. And yet, the first strike he managed to land on the man almost felt like punching steel... Just what the hell had he done?
“Great effort, Roboy!” Remley said as he leaned down to meet the void adept eye to eye, his footing now steady on the receding sheet of ice. “You finally landed a strike!”
Roy suddenly felt the urge to land a second strike on his mentor. Instead, having soundly been defeated, he let out an exasperated chuckle and let his head rest on the icy deck.
****
Moments later Roy sat, propped against the ship’s railing as the last remains of his ice technique melted away. Remley remained at his side, his body sprawled out across the railings edge and a thin pipe pursed between his lips.
The Adept Archives: Volumes 1-3 Page 24
