Twilight of a Hybrid

by Ryan Johnson

“I know their spirits should send her to an eternal damnation in another realm, but killing her for only revenge won’t ease them yet alone the son of the Crystal Dragon. Is this how you’re going to be: a second version of Lusìvar? Are you going to call yourself a son of the Shadow King who wants evil power or the God Ruler who kills evil power? Which is it, Demigod: son of the Shadow King or the dragon god?”

  Valverno groaned of Sora’s stance against him. She stood by his side, from birth to the time of losing their home, and this is the first time Sora was standing against him.

  Soon enough, his eyes turned back to Belverda near close to death, as his anger was mostly gone but not completely. Valverno withdrew his arm from Belverda’s neck and dosed the flame from his other arm. After he released the witch, Valverno took many steps away from her. He saw her kneeling after the ground gasping for air.

  Sora withdrew her spear and pointing toward the ceiling. Other than using her twin daggers she had, she was using a magic spear she drew from thin air. Sora knew of her brother’s skin, and she knew manmade weapons couldn’t pierce his skin but a magic weapon would.

  Valverno looked at the witch breathing and coughing hard. Exhaling and inhaling, Belverda slowly began to stand on her legs. She leaned was against a wall to help her stand up.

  The amount of time of being choked to death would have killed a human. Valverno was surprised the witch managed to stay alive after his attempt to kill her, knowing his choking grip could have killed an ordinary human.

  “Before I carry out a death sentence that you rightfully deserve, Belverda, I want to hear your side of the story. You’re reason for experimenting on me better be damn good.”

  After taking the time to breathe the air she couldn’t breathe, Belverda stood back up. “Your grip is stronger than I thought it would be.”

  Then King Uragiru strolled over to Valverno. The king had a very extremely, bizarre disappointed look on his face. His eyes gave a big glare at the hybrid, who didn’t seem to mind the king giving Valverno a good or bad look.

  “Do you realize what you have done? Do you realize what your attitude has gotten you into as of right now, in this very hall of my very own house?”

  “Yes, I do realize the trouble I have caused and what would have happen if a citizen had rudely talked back to you, but I really don’t care. I am a demigod, and I will not answer to you or anyone who is a king of an island. I’ll take my chances with the gods for my actions, not to you.”

  “Geraldus, I thought you have raised this hybrid to be a better person than a reckless teenager than a bad attitude. He is just simple the worst hybrid person ever to have stepped into my kingdom, into my home.”

  “I am a demigod to remind you. I was born somewhat close to twelve thousand years ago, during the end of the Second Generation. My half-sister and I, along with three other survivors had survived the destruction of Pangaea and lived to tell the tale about it. And in doing so, we taught the early primitives living on the two islands of how to live.

  “So if it wasn’t for me and my fellow White Knights from the Second Generation, you humans would still be living in caves. No creature or human could have evolved without the White Knights and I. All humans owe me and my White Knights great gratitude.

  “Geraldus may have raised me, but I am not his blood-related son nor am I living under his roof now. I know how to look after myself and live on my own, as I had did almost ten thousand years ago. Ten thousand years ago, I lived life to the fullest for almost two thousand years before the Shadow Men ripped my bodily parts from my demigod body.”

  “Not only you have overconfident in your position as a demigod but very arrogant,” said the king. “The tales have been told that you have had a better personality than a reckless personality of an arrogant teenager.”

  “Well, I’m showing off a darker side of myself not told in the tales everyone has heard of, and I know for sure this is the first time I have ever shown to have a darker side,” said Valverno. He quickly turned to face the witch, wondering why for a fact she is in the throne room standing in the capital city.

  “And for you, I want to know everything there is to know from you. So before I make a final decision of killing you, why did you experiment on dead animals and bring them to life? Why did you use dead animals in the first place? Why use my DNA to bring them back to life?”

  Belverda stood silently by the king’s throne, hearing so many “whys” being thrown at her. She was still rubbing her neck where Valverno squeezed with such strength that could have easily killed a human.

  “You are full of questions, aren’t you?” she asked.

  “Why shouldn’t I be? You have done a great taboo not just to me but to the gods as well. I am considered to be a son of a god, and by experimenting on me you have abused your talent against me and against the gods. Experimenting on dead flesh. Couldn’t think any other material to use other than skin-and-bone.”

  Belverda shook her head. “Blood and skin are perfect materials when it comes to trying to use for experimentation,” she said. “Metals and rocks are cheap from of labor and could break easily. Bodies tolerate magic better than metal swords and heavy wooden clubs.”

  Valverno rebuffed at Belverda’s answer to the questions he had ever since he was in her laboratory. He heard a pathetic answer as to why she was using dead things instead of using rock materials similar to how a blacksmith would. He needed to know more answers, because he thought of her one answer as excuses than a statement he was looking for.

  “Maybe I am asking the wrong question: why did you leave me behind on Geraldus’s doorstep than raising me as a son?” asked Valverno.

  “Why do you want to know so many things?” asked Belverda.

  “To see whose side you are on? Are you an ally of the Crystal Dragon: trying to kill the darkness? Or are you an ally of the Shadow King: trying to kill the light? Or are you just on the grey area: the neutral side?”

  “I’m not on anyone’s side; it is only natural for a scientist to have a strong sense of curiosity,” said Belverda, stroking her hair from her face to behind her shoulders.

  Valverno shook his head in frustration. He still didn’t feel he was getting the answers he wanted to hear. He walked to the large table’s nearest corner. “And why did you leave me behind instead of raising me as your son?”

  “Didn’t you hear me? I’m a scientist. I’m not cut out to be a mother. In fact, I spent I life into studying the aspects of life and how small things can grow into big things. I didn’t see how raising a hybrid demigod boy would satisfy a scientist’s curiosity.”

  “Then you know nothing the aspects of family bonding. Now I’m starting to wish I never met you now and never laying my eyes upon you, Belverda. In fact, I never should have crossed my path into your path filled with questions. I have wasted enough of my time with you. I no longer have any reason to seek of what I need from you.”

  Valverno strolled past everyone while walking to the door. He didn’t look or glare at anyone or didn’t look back. His eyes were toward the door.

  “Wait! Where are you going?” asked Marina.

  “To find the last armor artifact,” answered Valverno, without stopping. “I, along with some people, have come this far. I might as well finish what I have started.”

  As Valverno walked to the exit, he stopped suddenly. “Although, there is the matter of other things.” Valverno turned back to the king and Belverda. “Not just the threat of the Titans but also other minions Lusìvar might use against the islands.”

  Valverno strolled on back and stood at the table’s end while Belverda and King Uragiru were at the far end of the table. “I’m dropping this entire experimentation subject, and it’s about time we start to talk about the future of Shimabellia and Isle Maeli. If the Titans come and Lusìvar strikes with an army of multi-creatures of Banshees, Basilisks, Black Dogs, Chimeras, Cyclopes, Harpies, Manticores, and Minotaurs, we all need to be ready.”

  The king softly s
troked his chin and showed a sign of disrespect of Valverno. “Of the attitude you have shown me, demigod, why should I help you against this ancient struggle the gods gave you to take care of?” asked the king.

  “Because has the king of Shimabellia, it is your own responsibility to protect the island’s inhabitants from danger. The inhabitants who don’t have the ability to fight against a Minotaur or a Dragon. Lusìvar is my responsibility while the civilians of Shimabellia are supposed to be your responsibility, your Highness.”

  “How would you suppose who to we fight against an enemy who walks unseen?” asked Belverda, walking to the king’ throne. “There isn’t just Lusìvar or the Titans or the creatures of Shadow, but there are also the Shadow Men, the eternal servants of the Shadow King. There are so many enemies the two islands would face.”

  The king and Belverda had shown down, unhopeful faces. It seemed they lost all hope.

  “There are also the White Knights,” said Sora. The White Knight of Charity walked beside Valverno’s side. “The White Knights will fight beside Valverno and help bring victory against all the evil threats. After all, the White Knights are the ancient followers of the Demigod.”

  “Who are you?” asked Belverda.

  “I am Sora, Valverno’s half-sister. I am the first and original White Knight of Charity.”

  Belverda raised her eyes. “I’d known the demigod was the son of a god, but I didn’t know the dragon god picked another child.”

  “I am not a demigod. Valverno and I share the same mother, Celestreá la Mùne, but we don’t share the same father. I had a mortal father who would go to be the step-father of Valverno.”

  “I never heard of you, but I do remember such a nameless girl being a relative being side of Valverno,” said Belverda.

  “That nameless girl would be me,” said Sora.

  “Even with you, a White Knight, where are the three others?” asked the king.

  “I know where one other White Knight is: the White Knight of Loyalty.” Valverno quickly eyed at Geraldus, who was standing at the middle end of the table before turning back to the king. “The other two are Trust and Strength. Their powers are lurking somewhere and they will have to be found.”

  ”Even with the power and might of a demigod and the four White Knights from ancient legends and myths,” said King Uragiru, “how can we stand against these seven Titans? Against the power of the Shadow King and seven giant beings, I see there can be no victory. Not even the gods can’t achieve.”

  “What are you saying, King Uragiru?” asked Geraldus.

  Valverno suddenly felt a chill going up his spine. The demigod could sense a large darkness growing in the room, a great Shadow rising from everyone and nowhere at once. He thought to would be Lusìvar lurking in the throne room, but Valverno couldn’t smell any ghosts or spirits lurking nearby but darkness within a certain person yet a small group of people. He gazed at the king’s eyes, going from an unhopeful to lustful.

  It can’t be, he thought.

  “King Uragiru, how can you give up hope this easily?” asked Geraldus. The middle-aged man walked up to the very old man. “There were always bad odds of survival, but we had always survived.”

  “That was just humanity alone when we were facing the bitter cold of winter and extreme heat of summer. And in battles when humans fought other humans, there is always a victor standing upon a hill. But with the Shadow King, there is no victory for humanity.”

  Geraldus shook his head in disbelief. Geraldus knew the king was a man of honor, but he was hearing the king had already given up without starting a single battle. “What would you suggest… then…” Suddenly Geraldus’s eyes popped wide open, and his mind latched out to Valverno’s mind.

  Valverno could see through Geraldus’ eyes in the king in a full view. Since Geraldus was a White Knight who had a small fragment of Valverno’s power, Geraldus could link his eyes with the demigod’s eyes, and they both could see a great shadow lurking in the entire body of the king. In turn, Valverno crossed his mind into Marina’s and Sora’s mind, giving them the sight of seeing what was inside the king.

  “You can’t suggest we should join with Lusìvar?” asked Geraldus.

  “We must,” said Belverda. “It would be a wise thing to do. Lusìvar has more forces than we do. Outnumbered and outmatched, there is no victory for the Light.”

  Geraldus walked backwards, not believing of what he was wearing. The two people he had known all his life had turned away from the Light and turned into the ways of ancient Shadows.

  “Tell me then,” said Valverno, calling from the other side of the table as he watched Geraldus reaching for his spear he had tucked away, along with Marina and Sora. “When did two well-known people who were trying to do the best of the greater good ended up losing their humanity in the process?”

  Then a large shout echoed in the throne room.

  Valverno heard Belverda muttering something as a green sphere sprouted from her eyes, and the old king man was getting up from his throne. Then Valverno swiped the table sky-high with his wings and blasted two red balls at the king and the witch.

  Belverda swiped away Valverno’s two magic balls, and King Uragiru sent his own throne he sat upon at Geraldus, who pulled out his spear and swiftly cut the flying chair in half.

  Then Valverno pulled out the Crystal Sword and charged toward the two traitors. He saw Belverda unleashing a magic, plasma energy beam at him. Valverno blocked it with the sword as he kept flying forward to her.

  When he was upon her, Valverno swung the blue blade and aimed at her throat, seeking to give her what he wanted to do earlier: kill her. However, before he could cut through her, Belverda drew out a long staff with a ruby attached to the top; she stopped Valverno’s attack at of her staff.

  Valverno backed away from the witch and saw her ready for battle. As it was clear to him, Belverda and King Uragiru have joined up with Lusìvar.

  A STIFF STANDOFF

  Valverno leaped forward and slapped the Crystal Sword against the witch’s staff. Seeing a lust of power in her eyes, Valverno sees the witch of who he is and he has the intention of ending her life.

  “You want answers for your ‘why’ questions?” shouted Belverda. “Here is why: magic is created from the flesh. Magic comes from within the body. And using magic comes at a great cost when using it, even the dead have left over magic energy.

  “Ralenskrit and I have tried to harvest the magic from dead creatures. Unicorns, Centaurs, Dragons, Minotaurs, Gorgons, and many other creatures have magic after they die, but using one whole body wasn’t enough. I ripped legs, arms, and heads from one torso and sew them into one new form.”

  Valverno pushed back Belverda and treated away by a few steps. “So, you were creating toys for Lusìvar to play with?”

  “No, I was trying to harness magic of the dead and try to use them into minions for Lusìvar. Having different creatures with multiple body components such as a horn of a Unicorn, the head and upper body of a Minotaur, a Dragon’s and a Pegasus’s wing, a Gorgon’s eyes, arms of a human, and the horse body of a Centaur formed into one life form under my control would have been a perfect example of a perfect specimen.

  “However, after one multiple-bodily infused form, even with your DNA to bring them to life had such abilities to consume magic so suddenly and went out of control. After every creature I made I’d thought was going to be a success, but when I try to use mind-control magic on the living corpse, they proved too resistant and tried to kill at first sight. I did the same with every single creature I made, but everything proved very resistant.

  “So, I turned to you, when you were in your cursed embryo form. The Shadow Men couldn’t kill you, because there was a great barrier protecting you from harm. So I thought if I could mind-control you, then Lusìvar could have a stronger pet chained to its leash than have the legendary hero fight against him. But your godly power kept all the power magic abilities I gave you in balance instead of overwhelm
ing you and controlling you myself.”

  Valverno smirked.

  “Serves you right when you try to play as gods. All mortals, including me since I am half mortal, cannot be gods and must not try to bring the dead back to life. One thing all creatures have in common: they all of souls or spirits.

  “And when a body dies, the spirit leaves the Mortal Realm, never to return. You may bring the dead came to life, but you can’t bring back spirits into the dead bodies, even if you combine multi-bodies into one body.”

  “I learned that the hard way.”

  “And when it came to your experimentation, you are really, really, really missing one very, very, very, very, big, gigantic, critical, supernatural point when it comes to gods,” said Valverno, in a very dramatic dragon voice.

  “What would that be, demigod?” asked Belverda.

  “You adults should already know the very biggest point when it comes to gods, and spartanly you don’t: gods don’t bleed!

  “And since I’m half god, half of my body doesn’t have blood. My glowing dragon legs, scales, tail, and legs do not have blood. That is the biggest point you have been missing. My human flesh has blood, but my dragon points do not have blood. That alone is why your experiments have mainly failed: the god power flowing in me cannot flow through other living things. I wield the god power, because I was chosen to wield it. No other creature or living beings were chosen to wield the power, me and me alone.”

  “And no one else is qualified to wield the power?”

  “Unless if they are chosen by the gods, yes.”

  Belverda led a great madness strike her eyes. “Lair!” The witch pointed her staff at Valverno’s head.

  Without making a nerving flinch, Valverno grabbed at the staff’s top before the witch cold cast a spell. His left wing grabbed it quickly as he swung the blue sword toward Belverda’s neck, who grabbed the witch grabbed with her hand. Both enemies had their eyes watching at each other.

  Then Valverno looked at King Uragiru charging toward him. However, as the evil king was coming to the witch and Valverno, he was hit by Geraldus. King Uragiru soared across the throne room and slammed into the wall.