Chapter 34
Morzu didn’t know how long he had been standing there for, it didn’t seem to matter anyway. He no longer felt like time could touch him, that a thousand years could pass and not a single wrinkle would appear on his face. The Shadow Stone felt like it possessed such power, time wasn’t the only thing that seemed irrelevant. What he was experiencing now was beyond true description. It could only be felt and it was such a tremendous feeling. The greatness he had felt holding the power in his hand had increased by a thousand fold as soon as he had placed it into the chest plate. It was a flawless fit changing the armor in ways that could only be felt and not seen. Even opening and closing his hand was invigorating, like his fingers were clouds, his palm like stroking the surface of paradise. His whole frame had become the embodiment of euphoria.
“How does it feel?” Krovin asked, he appeared as if pulled from the past. The wounds and blood that had drenched his body were now traceless, showing no memory of Cada Varl’s attack. If it hadn’t been for the many cracks in the wall, no evidence would remain of his near death experience. After he had dealt with the threat of Cada Varl Morzu had used the stone to heal the wounds of Krovin, a miracle performed with utter ease.
“God like,” Morzu replied in a blissful whisper. He had finally found a true description of his feelings, this is what divinity felt like. Krovin nodded, his eyes widened as if feeding on the bliss of his companion. Slowly Morzu’s eyes glanced away, the motion feeling countless times more enjoyable than it should have. With eyes upon the closest broken Ulnath corpse he rose his hand as a pulse of shadow came from it. Watching for a moment after the pulse had vanished the corpse remained still and lifeless, bringing a look of disappoint across his face. “The Shadow Stone cannot bring people back from the dead,” he stated flatly, it seemed at least some powers were beyond him.
“Not to worry,” Krovin said. “There will be time to explore the powers of the stone later, who knows what affects the Za-xayek baths will be able to bring out of it. I look forward to seeing if together with the stone they can resurrect the dead. But now is not the time for such things, now is the time to bring this all to an end.” Krovin seemed almost delirious with dark delight as he envisioned all the things Morzu was about to do. “Now is the time to show Ebulon your power, to show Oos and the other Ulnath that we have not waited a hundred thousand years in vain. Now is the time to fulfil your purpose.”
“Indeed,” Morzu replied. He had waited for this moment his entire life, at least the years memory could summon clearly. He would make Oos proud, he would show the other Ulnath that he was deserving of their praise and he would do it by killing every Ebulon person he came across.
He took slow steps, embracing the invigoration of movement that filled every part of him. Krovin watched on with a held breath, the silence that filled the air was more beautiful than anything he had heard, the steps of Morzu were like the rhythm of victory.
As Morzu stepped out of the tower the sun’s light struck his vision in full force. Yet he did not blink, the golden rays, once warm and powerful were useless against his sight. He could stare directly at the sun for decades and his vision wouldn’t be strained. He was above any torment this world could offer him, whether through heat or cold none of it could inflict him.
He looked upon the city, this once mighty fortification appeared like a city of clay, one that he could crush in the palm of his hand. There was countless possibilities of destruction, endless ways he could shape this world however he desired. The choices were vast and he salivated in such thoughts before taken notice again of the sun’s rays. He had stared at their source for long enough, his eyes now wandering to see what they had created. His vision was drawn to his own shadow, normally an insignificant follower, but its presence gave him an idea, one that would show this world the extent of his powers.
He closed his eyes and immediately felt like he was dreaming, a greater dream than any he had ever known. He raised his hands before him as if ordering the heavens to open. They didn’t, however something equally as unnatural occurred. His shadow that until this very moment had always followed from behind now moved front and center, its darkness pointing towards the light of the sun. This was only the beginning of something very unnatural, the shadow increased in both length and width. It fell over the sunlight without resistance. Every second it grew, an inch was added to his ascent as Morzu began to float upwards. The great city of Ebulon was soon draped in the shadow, there wasn’t a single spot of sunlight that could break through its black wake. But the shadow didn’t stop its growth, it moved out beyond the city, claiming the fields before it where the Red Army and Sack Swords fought. The Darkness didn’t demand attention, it took it like a giant stealing from a bug.
Its presence was more than enough to stop the bloody and chaotic fighting as every red soldier and Sack Sword gazed upwards upon the man in white armor who had summoned it. They each seemed frozen on the spot, their weapons held in mid strike as their eyes danced to a silent song of bewilderment and fear. This shadow was blacker than any darkness of night, more corrupt than any potion. Facts that every Sack Sword and Red Army member became aware of.
The silence that now consumed the city was more than just noiselessness, like the shadow was suffocating all sounds. Now with nothing more than the odd cloud above him Morzu opened his eyes, awakening from his dream and summoning it into the real world. The Red Army and the Sack Swords, both formidable forces, were tiny in his gaze, smaller than even the most irrelevant of insects. He could kill each and every one of them before they had a chance to even blink, but the shadow that continued to grow deserved his attention, it was a darkness that could consume the entire world and nothing could stop it. His vision pierced every one of the Red Army and Sack Swords, thousands of men, women and monsters stood breathless waiting to see what would happen.
He looked down upon them the way a lion would look down upon a common house cat, they were no threat to him, not anymore. His eyes ascended towards the edge of the shadow, what he saw painted a smile on his face. He was glad it was heading to Sorn field.
The Shadow of All Worlds Page 36