Beast of Xeriel

by Elijah Isaiah

  The cheers of the soldiers reduced to a dull roar before the battlefield was ushered into complete silence. The soldiers couldn’t grasp the gravity of the power in front of them, but even the blinded warriors noticed the ominous presence that had taken over.

  Every party involved afraid to make the first move. “My love.” Lale said, stepping out from behind her son. She moved toward Fei. Kyah refused to drop her guard, until Fei’s intensity subsided. “This is your son.” Lale said gesturing to their child. “Look at our boy……. he’s alive.” She said, tears dripping down her cheek, in amazement at her son, so proud and loving.

  Fei heeded his loves words and looked upon Jesh again. The dark energy slowly dissipated around him. His eyes swelling, he tried to hold back his tears, but they narrowly escaped as he blinked. “My mother’s blood flows through you. You possess Liis’s heart. Your mother’s valor. My Power. The blood of a God.” Fei praised.

  Jesh finally managed to stop trembling before his father. “I’m happy to meet you father. Mother……I thought you were gone.” Jesh muttered.

  Lale smiled, letting a brief laugh go as she marveled at her son. “Your father……somehow, he brought me back. We’re finally together again.” Lale sobbed. She looked to her sister. Kyah fought the urged to shield Jesh from his parents.

  “Thank you Kyah. I don’t know how you saved our boy, and I know I can never repay you. But thank you for saving my baby. Thank you for doing what I couldn’t.” The sight of her sister was too much for Kyah to suppress.

  Kyah’s tears ate at her. She missed her sister, but even more she did not want to relinquish Jesh to his mother. She was his mother, she didn’t require the birth, it didn’t matter to her.

  He was her baby, her boy; the thought of him going to Lale, meant him somehow leaving her. She couldn’t bare it. She wanted to grab Jesh and hold on forever. “He’s stronger than you know.” Kyah managed to muster up.

  Her voice shaking with each word. Jesh glanced at his aunt. He could feel it, their connection, powerful and unique. Different from the feeling he had finally, meeting his parents. “She’s gone. You guys…. Yaffa’s gone.” Zeeba’s voice funneled into their connection.

  The remaining crew collectively shared a look. Zeeba’s sniffling progressed into a complete emotional breakdown. Da-Xia covering her face at the news. The information reminding Kyah of the task at hand.

  “We need to act quickly. Magnus and the Council will surely attack soon.” Kyah interjected. Everyone looked amongst each other. After a brief silence Fei spoke up. “Magnus is of no concern any longer.” He said cryptically.

  “It was he who restored me, the raw Iku, granting me the power to return from the darkness. He sought to control me. Weaponize my strength to seize control of the galaxy and beyond.” Fei continued.

  “I cannot be controlled any longer. My divinity is near. His death was no longer vital to my victory.” Fei proclaimed.

  Jesh saw his mother slightly wince at his words, before he felt it too. His connection with his father was feint, but he could feel something was off. “Father, what could be more permanent of a defeat than Magnus’s death?” Jesh asked. Not entirely sure he wanted to know the answer.

  Lale looked at her love with a trace amount of disdain. “I have destroyed his line. Crushed his spirit right before his eyes. As they did to me so long ago.” He said. Da-Xia jumped at the end of his words.

  Her eyes attentive to Fei. She gripped her blade tightly. Tears streaming down her face as reality of his words set in. “Where is Gala?” Kyah asked, holding her mace toward Fei. Jesh saw Da-Xia priming for battle. Lale stood between Da-Xia and Fei, trying to prevent any ideas of attack.

  Kyah and her comrades heart intertwined in hate for Fei’s alleged actions. However, Kyah was capable to maintain a level state of mind. “She was just a kid.” Kyah aimed at Fei, her tightness masked by her calm tone.

  “So was mine. Yet, he didn’t waver. He and the Council manipulated us. They created a lie to extinguish my family. She was a part of that lineage. His lineage. But no more.” Fei retorted. “She was different! She wasn’t like him!” Da-Xia screamed.

  “She was of her father. I used her to devour my mortal enemy. My last connection to the flesh.” He answered unphased by the lashing out. Da-Xia’s inhales and exhales became heavier. She was ready to strike at any moment. “Zeeba, we need an exit. We need to leave.” Kyah reached out through their connection. “No! We can figure this out. We don’t have to fight.” Jesh intervened. “On my way.” Zeeba responded.

  “Get Dara and Jesh out of here.” Kyah instructed. “No! I won’t leave. Let me try and talk to him.” Jesh pleaded. “You all understand so little. I am on the cusp of my true purpose. These mortal matters will be over soon.” Fei explained.

  “Without my failure, the agony of defeat. My true realization of power wouldn’t have been complete. I would have never ascended. You see, every moment has served my purpose. I needed each downfall, each lesson. Each loss.

  Pratham will be my catalyst to divinity. Only my line will remain. There will forever be one God. One who will have no quarrel demonstrating his power.” Fei boasted. “You don’t have to do this. We can start over. Together. The three of us. You, Dara and I possess the power to create a better world. A new world.” Jesh said. Fei beheld his son with such disgust.

  “I do not blame you for your meek heart. But it will not serve you well.” Fei admonished his son. “Father. I want you to teach me. Help me grow. I want to help you create everything you envisioned. Don’t push everyone away.” Jesh responded.

  Fei scoffed at his son’s remarks. “How little you understand. Help me? I am the vision. I am the force that will balance the universe. My duties lie beyond this.” Fei said, holding his hands to show the ruins around him.

  “The old races are done. You are my son. There are none like us. You will become the reverberation of my divine nature. Unimpeded by such feeble influences.” Fei continued. Jesh looked around. His thoughts dwelling on the soldiers, Da-Xia, Kyah, Yaffa, Zeeba, Gala and his mother.

  He lingered most on Dara. Everyone in attendance looking for his response. Jesh looked into Dara’s eyes. “It’s ok.” She called out to him through their connection. “He’s your father. I understand……besides. It won’t be all bad. I’ll get to see my mother and Tuma again.” Dara said. The peace in her voice bringing tears to Jesh’s eyes.

  “I can’t do it.” He whimpered. “I can’t let you hurt my people. I can’t let you wipe them out.” Jesh cried. Lale transitioned her focus to her love. Unsure how he would take the refusal.

  “Baby don’t do this. We can figure everything out with your father later. This place has caused nothing but pain.” Lale said, trying to prevent further destruction of her family.

  Jesh shook his head in denial. “I don’t know what you’ve been through. I can’t imagine how you two feel. I know what I’ve done on behalf of the Council. I assume the war was worse for you both.” He said.

  A smile beginning to creep across his parents faces. “But I can’t. You’re wrong father. You’re wrong mother. My purpose is not to destroy. Or to become like you. Maybe I don’t understand. But what I do know is, they are my family. Just like you. I don’t know what Dara’s future holds. But I know I’m a part of it……. So, I can’t give up on them. I won’t start over.” Jesh said.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  L ale’s eyes begged her son to reconsider. Only submitting to Fei’s will would avoid a fight. The thought of her son and love fighting was nauseating. “Everything we did, was for you. To protect you. Prevent you from ever having to live in turmoil……And you can’t do this?” Fei growled.

  Black energy reemerged over his body. Quakes stronger than before. “My love, he is still our boy, give him a chance.” Lale pleaded. “You clearly have misunderstood me my son. There is only my path.” Fei scolded, not even acknowledging Lale’s appeal to his senses.

  Growling fiercely. “I c
hoose my own path.” Jesh said. Unwavering in his spirit. He couldn’t agree with his father’s methods. Having no other alternative, he prepared his mind for battle. Ready to protect those he loved. Jesh stood firm, even while being afraid of the outcome.

  He wasn’t sure if he was strong enough to defeat his father, he hoped against hope that maybe something, anything would transpire to calm him down. Praying he would see reason. In the meantime, he had to fight.

  “I will not shirk from my purpose. I will remember your bravery. Your courage, although misplaced, is admirable. For that, it will be your downfall. Let it serve as a cautionary tale for my new race.” Fei snarled. Fei’s massive halberd appeared in his hand.

  The ground moved at her command. Da-Xia rode a wave of land into the air, catapulting herself into the sky. She bolted down with great force at Fei. The clash of their blade sending a gale of wind in all directions.

  Kyah leaped forward to aid her comrade against their common enemy. Lale cut off her sister’s advance, ramming into her, knocking her down. Kyah tumbled before planting her shield into the ground, allowing her to roll back to her feet.

  Lale readied her crescent blade for her sister’s attack. “Please Kyah, don’t do this!” Lale begged. Kyah sprung back after Fei. Lale protected her love again, reluctantly engaging in one on one combat with her sister.

  Meanwhile, Da-Xia attacked Fei with the ferocity of a thousand Pratham soldiers. Her guan dao swinging faster and faster, nearly landing a blow before Fei evaded or parried. Much to his surprise he was on the defense.

  Kyah attacked her sister to disarm, looking for any opportunity to attack an unsuspecting Fei. Kyah tried to close the gap between her own duel and Fei’s. Lale refused to make any attempts at an attack against her sibling, primarily exercising her unparalleled defensive techniques against her sister’s vicious attacks.

  Kyah was relentless and one mistake could easily render Lale unconscious. Finally, Kyah took a risk to advance at Fei again, a swift kick to the abdomen from Lale sent Kyah backpedaling.

  The first hit had landed. The startled look on Kyah’s face informed Lale, she was done playing around. Before Lale, could attempt to aid her love, Kyah ushered a concussive blast sending Lale flying up into the air.

  Distraught and confused, Lale’s body began its descent back to the ground. A breeze of wind caught her before she hit the ground. Serving as a gusty platform, Lale seized the opportunity to return to the duel against her sister.

  Jesh and Dara exchanged looks. Not sure who impeded Lale’s fall. Dara peered among the crowd, but only saw the awe of the spectators. Da-Xia pursued Fei into the sky, riding a channel of land after him.

  Fei parried many of her attacks, barely escaping a cleaving blow to the neck. Da-Xia screamed with each miss. Her will to kill growing. She couldn’t remember the last time she worked this hard in a fight against one person.

  Even hordes of enemies were usually a light training session. Fei retreated toward the ground; Da-Xia took the proper angle to cut him off. Deviating from her terrestrial transport, she plunged down blade first at Fei.

  Suddenly, another powerful gale forced Da-Xia off course. Jesh and Dara caught the culprit. PTong provided support from a safe distance near the compound. “I got him. Help Da-Xia.” Dara called out through their link. Dara enflamed in her red energy sped toward PTong. Realizing he didn’t have much time, Jesh flew to protect his vulnerable friend.

  Fei proceeded to crush Da-Xia as she laid flat on her back. Jesh used his twin swords to block his father’s blade just in time. Kyah and Lale were intrenched in an intense duel just as captivating as their other battling counterparts.

  Their purple armor gleaming flawlessly as they fought. The sisters moving at such a pace, it was hard to tell them apart from the naked eye. Neither wanting to give in inch. Lale could not allow her sister to kill her love and take her son away.

  Kyah refusing to allow her sister to destroy her family. Dara cascaded through the sky toward PTong. Large gusts of wind whizzing past her. She closed in on her target. As a desperate attempt to protect himself, PTong summoned a great force of wind, just before she could reach him.

  Dara immobilized the powerful gale in front of the conjurer. Her mastery over the elements far greater than his. Dara forced the wind back with more might than he could sustain. PTong was hurled through the wall of the compound.

  Jesh and Da-Xia fought valiantly. Fei blew Da-Xia away with a powerful dark energy blast, only for her to use her command over the ground to catch her mid-air. Da-Xia flung a massive chunk of terrain toward Fei, which his halberd easily cut through.

  Da-Xia landed prepared to commence the next bout. Fei wiped his hand down his halberd, emblazing it in his shadowy energy. With a long swoosh of his halberd, Fei sliced a wave of energy after her.

  Jesh dropped in front of Da-Xia to block the attack using the same technique with his twin swords. Holding the energy wave at bay before sending it up into the sky to explode harmlessly. Da-Xia gathered her strength and began hurling sheets of land at her foe.

  Jesh had never witnessed Da-Xia fight at this level before. Together they fought with such continuity, their combined attacks still not enough to overcome Fei’s guard.

  Kyah and Lale circled one another. The two sisters’ so familiar with each other’s combat style, landing a meaningful blow was nearly impossible. Dara soared from out of peripheral view, catching Lale off guard, her red energy shining bright as her punch landed flush on Lale’s cheek. The attack immediately knocking her unconscious.

  Witnessing her sister taking an attack so strong was jarring to Kyah. “Come on! They need our help.” Dara exclaimed, before moving on to aid the others. Kyah took one last look at her sister. She hated that it came to this.

  However, Kyah knew her sister would never give up on Fei. “You leave me no choice. I have to kill him.” Kyah said to her unconscious sibling. She turned to see her crew fighting valiantly.

  Kyah channeled her energy, allowing her body to pulsate as her power funneled through her, the dust and dirt around her pushed away in a timely manner matching her pulses. Kyah stomped her foot forcing a concussive blast between the ground and her body propelling herself upward. Dara and Kyah joined the fray.

  The group circled Fei like an animal. Using their link, they worked collectively to formulate a plan of attack. Fei smirked at the new challenge. He relished the moment before the fight.

  A new opportunity for him to test his new power. Fei’s energy disappeared while his power still elevated further. Jesh could feel his father’s power growing. “He’s far beyond both of us.” Jesh spoke to Dara directly.

  Fei’s body began to grow while his armor still protected him. Dara’s mind reflected on the fight on Tetcht. “It’s the beast! He’s transforming into his primal form!” Dara called out to the group.

  “It can’t be. No one can transform with their armor still active.” Jesh said. Fei’s body increased to his abnormally large size. The gigantic lion encased in his dusk armor. The remaining soldier’s ran for the compound. Their fascination with the fight usurped by the fear of Fei’s eventual victory. His roar shook the bones of everyone nearby.

  The rumble would render thunder quiet. He stood on all fours, never had anyone used their primal form and their armor remain active. The crew hopelessly watched as his display of power was astonishing.

  Finally, one last display of power, Fei’s dark energy reignited around his armored primal form. “We don’t stand a chance.” Jesh groaned. Da-Xia led the group attack. The four on one odds did nothing for their perceived advantage.

  Da-Xia and Kyah took to the air using their respective powers, hurling land and concussive blasts at the massive beast to no avail. Dara engaged her strongest orange energy, while summoning all of the elements at her disposal. Lightning bolted from the sky onto Fei’s armor. Funnel clouds touched down around her, snowy winds gusted, and hail the size of boulders stormed down against her enemy.

&n
bsp; Jesh could not bring himself to join the fight. For the first time in his young life, he felt powerless. His strength simply did not matter against his father. The three women fighting harder for their lives with each second.

  Da-Xia mounted her adversary, twirling her blade before plunging it through Fei’s armor and into his back. Fei roared in pain. His head reached back, his gigantic mouth clamping around her, his large canine impaling her in the side as he flung her from atop his body. Da-Xia’s scream short lived as she landed 100 feet away.

  Only this time, no land came to break her fall. Kyah screamed as she witnessed another of her crew members injured or worse. Dara and Kyah continued the onslaught of attacks. “Da-Xia!” Jesh reached out. He could feel their connection still intact.

  From a distance, blaster fire struck Fei. A fighter jet flew through the shroud of the storm Dara had created. Zeeba joined the battle, taking Fei’s attention momentarily. Dara smashed into the beast knocking him over. But Fei quickly scrambled to his feet, pawing and biting after the trio of women.