The Shadow of All Worlds

by Shane Porteous

  Chapter 27

  The world looked different through his eyes, though not by much. Aneeku could see strange blurring black shapes, like coins forged from shadow around each enemy before him. The powder that Oos had given him was no trick. It really did allow him to seek out the greatest fighters on this part of the battlefield. Of course to him it was like choosing the least putrid apples in a basket of very rotten fruit.

  He had already killed a good two hundred of them during this battle alone. All, save for about a dozen, possessed no military training, their lack of form or skill was painfully obvious, something this powder wasn’t needed for to see. Of the remaining dozen he had already butchered, none had shown much promise. They seemed to die almost as quickly and as easily as all the other refugees. Their blood painted most of his torso red. Once upon a time it would have felt like bathing in milk. But the blood was like mud to him now, it didn’t cleanse him at all, but rather the opposite.

  He had been eager to be on a battlefield again, it had been too long since he had killed someone or something. It had been a downright pleasure slaughtering so many Ebulon soldiers on the first attack on one of their mines. None had been able to put up much of fight then and he reveled in their helplessness. But now their lack of fighting skill was starting to become a problem for Aneeku.

  He had no love or loyalty for the Ulnath, or any of those who had answered their call for help. He would gladly kill any of them, especially the Red Lady and the fool who wore the rounded helmet. The lack of a good opponent, a real kill, had even made him consider switching sides and joining this Yadi. But the idea of serving a human was sickening to him, akin to bathing in piss. Yet, he still enjoyed this battle, even though it was a letdown. He was used to fighting battles consisting of millions of warriors, and this clash of only tens of thousands felt little more than a skirmish.

  Though he would have stayed in this world over the realm he had come from, he still missed his homeland, Noonsva, a place where real battles were fought. If this Shadow Stone the Ulnath were so desperate to claim was really powerful he could use it to get to Noonsva. He doubted he would have much problem forcing Morzu to give him what he wanted, but he would have to wait until the stone was found. In the meantime, he killed time by killing many more refugees, allowing himself to get lost in the frenzy of blood and butchery.

  He cut off the head of a refugee with enough speed and strength that it flew through the air like a catapult’s boulder, breaking the nose of an Ebulon soldier on the other side of the field. Aneeku chuckled at this, and the laughter was like medicine to his disappointment. He had almost forgotten the kind of fun that one could have with beings as fragile as humans, even if they smelled terrible.

  His eyes began darting across the field, moving like insects that had been caught a flame and were flying madly in circles trying to extinguish themselves. It was an eerie sight to behold. Aneeku had met few who weren’t unnerved by the way his eyes moved.

  They came to a stop as suddenly as they had begun, resting upon a certain individual amongst the fighting. On the refugee side of the battle the individual stood out, for amongst the thousands he was the only one who wore a black uniform. Aneeku could see the dark green of his eyes, widened by adrenaline, and that look made Aneeku almost drool.

  His own large yellow eyes never wavered from him even as the masked one literally cut a path towards him. His sword was a blur, cutting through flesh and the occasional piece of armor, like a mace destroying a toothpick.

  It didn’t take long for Kae to notice Aneeku. He freed his sword from the neck of an enemy grunt, and waited. Even through the red steel of Aneeku’s mask, Kae could tell he was smiling, as the morbid expression had bent and shifted the mask enough to reveal it clearly.

  Kae didn’t blink, it was as if the ability had been taken from him. In Aneeku’s path, the refugees’ blood exploded into the air, like horrific fireworks. It wasn’t long before there were no more refugees in Aneeku’s path, their bodies lay behind him in pieces like confetti.

  Kae hated the way Aneeku walked without caution in his step as if he thought the entire world was nothing more than a pillow for him to trample upon.

  “Aneeku!” Kae spat. His words held an edge sharper than that of a sword. But such a weapon didn’t seem to cut the masked one, he was clearly still smiling under the metal. Though it did make him stop.

  “Ah,” Aneeku began, his voice sounding more like a growl. “There you are. I had almost forgotten about you…then again,” Aneeku paused only to flick the blood off of his blade. The controlled motion was as morbid as it was impressive. “It is pretty easy to forget about a single sheep. I doubt even that shepherd of yours knows that you have switched sides.”

  Kae’s eyes narrowed and the familiar curling of his lip revealed his anger and disgust. Kae hadn’t forgotten Aneeku’s mockery and threats. “Come closer, dog man. You might just learn a new thing regarding sheep.”

  Aneeku glanced at his blade admiring his reflection within it. “Dog man?” Aneeku said before growling in laughter, “Your words are as weak as your loyalty. I have wanted to kill you ever since I saw you, and what do you know?” His eyes rose like a pair of bows ready to volley. “Here is my chance!”

  “The feeling is mutual!” Kae spat, his tone ripe with anger as he took a step forward, his knuckles turning white from the strength of his grasp. His separated self already stood beside the creature, studying it closely, waiting for the inkling of the first strike in the way his muscles moved.

  Aneeku shook his head and even this slight action was condescending.

  “I have already seen you take a step forward once, you did nothing more than that, please tell me this time is going to be different…”

  Aneeku was just as smug as Rhaldan, but after Kae was finished at least Aneeku would have nothing to smile about.

  Kae’s legs hammered into the ground like sticks upon a drum as he came for Aneeku, his sword raised and ready. Aneeku slowly lowered his blade just as Kae reached him. Kae attacks were of anger but not frenzied, they were talented strikes that would cut down many a skilled man. Though witnessing what unfolded seemed to contradict that.

  Aneeku didn’t move from the spot, he barely moved at all. Yet Kae didn’t cut him, it was like Aneeku could see his attacks with the speed of lightning and Kae was moving with the quickness of a snail.

  Kae suddenly became aware of this when something flashed before him. He could feel the wind it created strike him like a flash of ice and he stumbled back, his nerves twisting as if on fire. All he could do was stare at those haunting yellow eyes as his mind replayed the image over and over again.

  It had happened so quickly, he was sure his mind was conjuring illusions. How could anybody move a sword that fast?

  Kae fell back and assumed Form 14, defense, waiting for Aneeku to make his next move. Kae’s separated self stood right beside the creature and even it had no forewarning as to what movement Aneeku would make next.

  Aneeku’s mask was still twisted into the smiling grimace.

  Backing down wasn’t an option for Kae though. All this situation needed was a different approach. But what?

  Aneeku had his own curiosity about Kae. The coins of shadow that circled him were darker than most Aneeku had seen, meaning this Kae was a superior warrior to any body he had fought in this world, but that wasn’t saying much.

  Aneeku was very glad when Kae steadied his shaking hand and grasped his sword in both palms.

  The masked creature just stood there and made no move. Kae decided to try for another attack. Such speed had to have tired the creature in some way.

  Kae switched to Form 3 and attacked, running towards Aneeku jumping to aim a downward slash at his exposed neck. A move almost impossible to deflect. Aneeku didn’t try to. He merely sidestepped, with speed akin to flying. One moment he was right beneath Kae’s sword, the next he stood a pace to the left, leaving Kae to regain his balance in a cro
uched Form 5.

  Aneeku showed no admiration for Kae’s sword wielding ability, as impressive as it was.

  Kae felt like screaming at Aneeku, he couldn’t stand such arrogance. In place of a scream came a grunt, followed by a gasp as Aneeku suddenly struck his own sword upon Kae’s. Kae just managed to deflect the blow, but his arms felt like they had been pulled halfway out their sockets. He looked down at his own blade, its tip was buried an inch into the ground. Aneeku was well framed, their wasn’t an inch of fat anywhere on him, but that still couldn’t explain the strength of his blow.

  Kae began to wonder if this creature could even be bested by human strength.

  “You’re supposed to be a Protector? Let me ask what is it you protect, carrots from being eaten by rats?” Aneeku growled.

  The taunt destroyed any fear Kae might have felt, and spit left his mouth like a bolt from a crossbow. Aneeku didn’t flinch as the bubbling water fell down his mask. “Oh why not?” Aneeku said, “If your steel didn’t hurt me, perhaps your salvia will…but I doubt it…”

  Kae had heard enough of his taunts. He raised his sword again, feigning a right-handed blow, but changed hands mid-strike. It didn’t work. As easily as a respected king raises his hand to bring silence to a chatty court Aneeku, stopped Kae’s blade with his sword. Aneeku had put no power in his blow, he had simply placed his sword in the path of Kae’s, stopping it instantly. Kae stepped back, his eyes consumed with hatred.

  Aneeku was making him look like a fool, belittling all the hard years of training, all the sacrifices. Yet anger was not his friend in this. Fight in ire and lose, Kae’s trainer had always taught them, always shown them. Perhaps that was Kae’s mistake now. He had let his hatred of the creature consume him.

  He tossed his sword on the ground, and reached back for his two staffs. They slithered free of their bindings with the sound of a soft summer breeze, carrying the promise of a terrible storm to follow. Kae had always preferred to fight with the staffs. As always, the wood seemed to melt into the very flesh of his palms, becoming a part of him.

  There was a brief look of confusion in Aneeku’s eyes as Kae put his sword away, but the look dissipated into the familiar glare of arrogance when Kae reached for the staffs on his back.

  “What’s this?” Aneeku said mockingly, “steel didn’t work and neither did salvia, so I am going to put my trust in wood, that should do it…my you really are as stupid as you are smelly aren’t you?” When Kae only replied with a curled up lip Aneeku said, “very well…” he struck his sword into the ground, it hadn’t seemed like much of a motion yet the blade was driven half into the hard earth. “I’ll forfeit my steel as well for the time being…give you a bit of a chance…”

  Kae merely gripped the staffs tighter, and held them crossed before him in Form 1 defense, ready to attack. He looked forward to adding Aneeku to the list of men who fell beneath his staffs.

  With a steel determination free of anger, Kae rushed for Aneeku, who stood with his arms lowered, showing no interest in reclaiming his own weapon. No sound escaped his lips as he aimed his staffs sideways, ready to meet in the center and crunch Aneeku’s thick neck between them.

  A hard thud sounded as the staffs collided with Aneeku’s neck, yet the creature didn’t even gasp. It was impossible. A blow like that never yet failed to render the recipient unconscious. Yet Aneeku’s flesh hadn’t even bruised, the staff blow had done absolutely nothing to harm him.

  Kae looked into his eyes, trying to find some suggestion of pain. There was none. Then Aneeku’s hands reached out like a blur, each grasping the ends of Kae’s staffs. Slowly he pulled, and the staffs slipped from Kae’s grasp no matter how hard he held on. It was surreal, like a nightmare, but no nightmare was this terrifying.

  A moment passed and two loud cracks came from the staffs. With no apparent effort Aneeku had crushed them in his palm. As the dust from his ruined staffs fell towards the earth, Kae looked back into Aneeku’s eyes. The masked one raised his hand and flicked his fingers into Kae’s chest.

  Kae didn’t just fall, he was propelled backwards, striking the ground like a boulder dropped from a mountain. He had never been hit that hard in his life and as he struggled just to breathe, his hands clambered at his chest, feeling for any blood or penetration.

  Aneeku listened in silence to the grunts and groans of pain that came from Kae. In all honesty Kae had shown skill that rivaled the talent of an Helluvan, but just like them he was far too human, far too fragile to give Aneeku a decent fight. It had been fun to toy with the boy for a little while, but that time had come to an end.

  Kae watched as Aneeku reclaimed his weapon, taking it from the ground as easily as he had once put it there. Kae forced himself onto his knees, he would not just lie there as Aneeku finished him off. He looked into the masked ones eyes, refusing to blink, to show any weakness.

  “You are not the first to look at me in such a way,” Aneeku said slowly, his words somehow less arrogant than they had been. “But if all it took was anger and hatred to kill me I would have died centuries ago.”

  Kae wanted to say all sorts of things to Aneeku, but he stayed silent like there were so many words wanting to escape his lips that they had jammed themselves in his throat. Aneeku took a single step and then stopped, Kae couldn’t shake the feeling that Aneeku was mocking the step Kae had once taken as a sign of defiance towards him.

  “You know…” Aneeku began, the arrogance returning fully to his voice. “Your stupidity shouldn’t have been a surprise to me. A sheep is worthless without its shepherd.”

  The yellow of his eyes seemed darker to Kae, his voice more menacing, even the way he stood felt offensive. “You should have known that a sheep who strays is always the first to be slaughtered…oh well…little you can do about it now. I would tell you that it will be over quickly, but not even you are stupid enough to believe that….” As he raised his sword he finished his words. “Are you?”

  All around them the battle raged. Screams mingled with thuds, grunts, curses and yells for help. Kae had brought the refugees into this fight, he could not abandon them now. If not for himself, for them, he had to defeat this vicious beast.

  Yet how? All his training, his skill with the staffs and sword were not enough to beat this monster. Even with his senses heightened by his separated self standing by his side, Kae had not been able to get a single good hit against his enemy.

  But there was a thing he had not tried yet. A thing he wanted to avoid at all cost, as it would show just how different he was, just how much more powerful he was compared to those who fought by his side. Yet if he did not draw on his power, use his separated self in the way he alone could, all would be lost.

  Kae summoned all the Life Force he could hold in his chest, until its searing, red heat threatened to burn him from the inside. He fed it all to his separated self as he had done once before, during the original battle of Ebulon.

  His separated self, almost useless in his fight against Aneeku so far, absorbed the added energy, turned as red as the hottest flames. It was pulsing now, giving off heat like a raging furnace. Those flames had once killed thousands of orcs. Concentrated now on one creature they could not fail to make sure Kae won this fight.

  He flicked his eyes up to gaze at the creature before he attacked. But instead of a defiant gaze and the beginnings of a deathblow, his enemy was backing away, his weapon hanging loosely by his side. Kae had no idea what scared him so, nor did he truly care. All his awareness, every last ounce of him was tied up in his burning separated self now.

  Aneeku saw the shadow coins around Kae turn red, a burning crimson that shone brighter than even the sun itself.

  “No,” Aneeku growled, his tone as bestial.

  Aneeku had only seen a red like this once, long ago but he remembered it all too well.

  “It cannot be,” Aneeku gasped more to himself than to Kae, whose separated self burned ever brighter now. “There’s only one
of him.”

  Aneeku watched on in complete bewilderment, this shouldn’t have been happening. The being whose power he recognized in the red was from another world, not this one!

  In his yellow eyes the red cast shadows, darkening Kae’s face, replacing the green of his eyes with the burning red like those of a being he never wanted to see again. Aneeku’s crazed mind filled in the rest of the details too. Kae’s hair changed to a sharp white, his clothes remained black but changed to a different uniform.

  “This is impossible!” he growled, but his mind would not be quelled. It made him face his reality.

  Suddenly, the ghost of Cada Varl, the one warrior who had not only defeated Aneeku but had humiliated him vanished from his mind. But the red energy shimmering remained.

  Kill the boy! His mind screamed from within. Aneeku rushed forward, his sword raised with inhuman speed, he would cut this boy in half before the second was over.

  Kae had fed all the burning red energy he could hold into his separated self. As Aneeku charged, Kae willed his separated self to assume the shape of a ball and urged it forward towards the creature. To enter it and burn, explode, end the fight.

  Before the second was over Aneeku met the oncoming sphere of red striking through it with speed great enough to create a rush of wind around his blade. But it was useless, he might as well have been trying to slice a specter.

  The red energy engulfed him, seared away his armor, and melted his skin. Raging heat consumed him, yet it wasn’t exactly the same as Cada Varl’s power. But it was close enough and it was having the same effect.

  What followed wasn’t a mystery to Aneeku, this chilling cold was the consumption of death, his death. It wasn’t that the world was slowing down, it just seemed so in his mind. Like cracks caused by an earthquake blackness slithered into his vision, but this was a much older darkness than the power Oos had given him.

  He would have snickered if he had the strength left to do it, not because it was funny but because its irony was too great to overlook. He had made the same mistake he had made against the Helluvans, he should have killed them as soon as possible. If he had, he would have left the area before Cada Varl could have shown up to butcher him. Just like then he should have just killed Kae as soon as he saw him. The boy would have died so easily, should have died so easily. Aneeku didn’t want to go back to where his kind dwelled after they died, he had ruined his chance and should have learned from the past.

  Old dogs can’t learn new tricks, it was something he had heard the Ebulon guards speak about just before he and the Red Army soldiers, that cat and his minions and that moronic teenager boy had attacked and killed them all in a mine raid. It was a saying never spoken in his own world, a saying that once would have made no sense to him. Now he couldn’t think of better way to describe himself.

  Then again that is who he was, a being abandoned by his brethren, all those who once called him a freak because he had lost the ability to transform and needed to wear this mask, were in the ground by his hand. They had all tried to kill him and he made their deaths as pathetic as possible, his taunts and toying with his enemies were responsible for that. Having lost the ability to transform at will he had refused to allow who he truly was to ever change and he never had, even if it meant he could have kept living in this world. Better to die as whom you are than to live as a stranger. It was a fitting final thought.

  Kae’s separated self had done as he bid it and surged forward, pierced the creature’s chest and exploded. Aneeku’s growl was cut off as he tumbled to the ground, slightly scorched, but dead all the same.

  Kae panted as he struggled to make his separated self return to its normal shape. The world spun around him, sounds of the battle still raging all around keeping rhythm to the pulsing, burning red of his Life Force.

  Slowly, and with great effort he finally managed to quell the burning. The creature Aneeku lay lifeless by his feet, the mask still covering his face. But the sickening grimace of his smile had finally left his masked face.