Edge of Eons

by Darren Hultberg Jr

  “Alright!” Remley spat, dropping to his knees. “I am nothing in the wake of your genius... please headmaster... spare my crew and allow me the honor of serving you in any way you see fit.”

  Zion paused his technique, a stunned look strewn across his smug face. He folded his arms over his chest and looked down on Rem, far too pleased with himself than he had any right to be. “I’m glad you're finally seeing it my way,” he said in his superior tone. Then Remley shot him a grin.

  “Me too.”

  The headmaster’s eyes went wide as he heard Roy’s footsteps approaching quickly from his flank. He turned as he drew in aura, ready to turn the void adept into ash.

  Roy met the headmaster’s gaze just as a technique began to form on the bastard’s hands. Roy immediately ducked, sliding out of the way as Zion lifted a hand and the water clones crashed into him, breaking apart as their unstable bodies washed over his skin and robes.

  The headmaster had barely a second to blink as Roy leaned over and blasted his new weapon into the man’s thigh, sending a massive bolt of electricity into his soaking wet body. Zion shrieked as his lightning energy was turned on him, attacking every inch of his body with crippling pain.

  Normally an adept would be somewhat resistant to an element they were attuned to. However, bolstering the lightning technique with water aura made the attack far more potent. It was quite brilliant, actually.

  Remley watched as Roy climbed to his feet and delivered a vicious right hook to the headmaster’s head, dropping the man low. He followed it up with another empowered strike to the headmaster’s back, a shot meant to keep the thunder adept down.

  Remley couldn’t help but be impressed with how much his young pupil had grown in such a short time. It’s not like Rem was a master or anything of the sort, but it felt good to take Roy under his wing, to teach him the ropes. And he just looked so much like Rygan...

  “Remley, uh, a little help!” Roy hollered, shielding himself from the downed headmaster. Around Zion’s body, a small thunderstorm had formed, its winds spiraling around his body and forming a protective shield.

  Slowly, Zion rose to a knee, his eyes glowing and expression furious. “I didn’t want things to go this far,” the headmaster spat. “You could’ve prevented this. You could’ve yielded the relic to me... Instead, you now face annihilation!”

  The air grew dark as the headmaster reached towards the heavens, lightning dancing on his fingertips as he channeled his final gambit.

  “Stop him!” Remley shouted, his voice barely audible over the roar of the growing storm. He tried to make his own approach towards Zion, but the wind forced his weakened body back to a knee.

  Roy and Quinn were similarly unsuccessful, forced back by the thunder adept’s swirling winds, and Kimoura was too far out of range to launch an attack. The storm seemed like it was going to spin out of control, like it was going to grow until it consumed the entirety of Atherune... and then it stopped.

  Headmaster Zion grinned as his conjured storm condensed within itself, its wind and lightning becoming a mass of incredibly dense spirit energy as it took the shape of a creature. A large, humanoid body took shape first, its form taller than the nearby houses with limbs thicker than trees. A long neck jutted out from its shoulders followed by an elongated head decorated with a singular, shining horn. With a long, glimmering mane of lightning, the creature looked like a beast forged by the storms themselves.

  Kirin had been summoned... and now they were surely dead.

  Chapter 23

  Earning Your Keep

  The outskirts of Atherune City, Eon

  Roy and the others looked on in horror as Zion unleashed the Kirin, a spirit summon with the destructive power of a thousand storms. The Kirin let out a thunderous roar as lightning aura danced across glowing flesh, the horn atop its head shining like a beacon of deadly light.

  “Everyone, scatter!” Remley yelled, nimbly leaping out of the way as an errant bolt of lightning ripped a trench through the earth where he stood.

  “Little easier said than done, Rem,” Quinn growled as he summoned a fresh pair of bone blades into his hands. Before he could flee, The Kirin pointed its horn in his direction and unleashed a beam of light, blasting apart his blades and sending him spiraling through the dirt with scorch marks on his forearms.

  Kimoura appeared from behind and leaped into action, dashing by Quinn and grabbing him by the shoulder as another beam of lightning aura tore up the ground near her feet. Without hesitating, she rolled across the dirt and took refuge behind a jagged piece of rock. “Where the hell is Leila?” she yelled, wincing as another bolt of lightning crashed into the ground nearby.

  “She’s left you to your demise!” Zion shouted, a vile sense of satisfaction in his voice.

  “Like hell she has!” Remley replied, whipping an errant fireball at the headmaster that he easily deflected with his staff.

  Roy’s eyes darted from his companions to the headmaster to the monstrous lightning beast as carnage continued to swirl on all sides. He had to do something, had to act before they were all swallowed up by the power of Zion’s storm.

  With the spiritual pressure coming from the Kirin, he knew there was no way they could take that thing down on their own. However, if he could land another shot on the headmaster, then perhaps he could put the man down and dismiss his nightmarish pet... or perhaps the creature would just run rampant and destroy them all. But hell, what other choice did he have.

  Drawing aura into his legs, Roy leaped back in Zion’s direction, a dark spiral forming in the palm of his right hand. He came within mere feet of the headmaster, but a monstrous hand appeared out of nowhere and swatted him away. It was only a glancing blow, but the pain lingering in his body afterward made it feel like he’d been hit by a truck. It was clear that the Kirin was not going to let anyone near its master.

  “Damn you,” Roy growled between clenched teeth. “I’ll rip that horn off your head and shove it up your-“

  A beam of light shot from the Kirin’s horn, cutting Roy’s words short as it blasted into his shoulder. He immediately started backpedaling, stifling a cry of pain as the smell of his own burnt flesh began to fill his nostrils.

  The Kirin didn’t relent as it locked eyes on Roy. Letting out a low growl, it dropped to all fours and began to charge, its gleaming horn aimed directly at his chest.

  Void energy began to spin in Roy’s palm as the Kirin closed in, forming into a large sphere as he prepared his dark spiral. Then as the creature closed in, he acted.

  Slamming his palm into the ground, Roy unleashed his dark spiral, propelling him into the air just out of range of the charging Kirin. Storm winds pressed at against his back as Roy flew upwards, slowing his ascent before gravity took hold and sent his body soaring back towards the ground.

  Suddenly, he felt a swell of energy at his back. He turned in mid-air to see a bolt of lightning rip through the sky before arcing into his stomach, hitting him like a gut punch straight from the heavens. A breath later, Roy crashed into the dirt, the impact of his fall forcing the air from his lungs and a ring of dust to rise around his crumpled body.

  Keeping his wits about him, Roy reinforced his body with void aura and forced himself back to his feet. He knew that the Kirin would come back for him. Creatures in this realm didn’t take kindly to letting their prey get the better of them.

  What he didn’t expect to see was the beast just feet away from him, its horn aimed at his still-beating heart.

  ****

  Remley gathered whatever fire aura he had left in him and charged at Headmaster Zion, determined to remove the smug look on his face by whatever means necessary. In fact, Remley was more than certain that Zion had that same look the day Rem had left the academy...

  It was time someone cut him down to size.

  “Fool!” Zion howled, summoning an orb of lightning in each palm before launching them in Rem’s direction. “Bow before the thunder adept! Bow before you get your
friends killed!”

  Remley ignored the man’s words as the dual balls of lightning came buzzing in his direction. As the technique closed in, he leaped into the air and spun, performing a corkscrew maneuver that left the balls of energy zipping by with mere inches to spare.

  As Remley landed he channeled fire aura into his blade and unleashed a mighty slash, sending a wave of flame directly in Zion’s direction. His chance at getting back at the headmaster had given him strength, had let him push his aura farther than he thought possible. “I’m afraid dear Headmaster, that you’ll find my friends and I far more capable than you think!”

  Zion scoffed, destroying the wave of flame with a bolt of energy from his staff. For a split second, the air grew still and the storm above calmed as Remley and Zion exchanged spiteful gazes. A light rain began to fall from the clouds above, then a bolt of lightning struck the ground and the two adepts launched their attacks!

  Techniques began to form in either man’s hand as the distance between them rapidly shortened…

  And then they clashed.

  Remley struck first, slashing his fiery blade three times in quick succession, sending three separate waves of flame at his foe. Zion responded in kind, rotating his staff with enough speed to form a whirling shield of lightning that easily deflected the blows. Then with a quick step forward, he slammed his staff into Remley’s approaching blade, showering the area in sparks and holding the flame adept fast.

  “This is futile!” Zion growled, but Remley was already gone. With a quick disengage, the nimble flame adept spun around to Zion’s back and struck out, slashing the man’s shoulder and landing his first clean strike on his foe.

  “Slowing down, Headmaster?” Remley prodded as the thunder adept returned fire with his staff. The weapon slammed into the ground just as Rem stepped away, creating a flash of spirit energy that left the ground smoldering.

  Now a grin was beginning to return to Remley’s face. Zion snapped around and launched and an unrefined wave of energy at the man, but he was gone again, nimbly leaping over the headmaster before delivering a flying kick to the headmaster’s back. Zion stumbled forward before slamming his staff into the ground, summoning a globe of energy around his body and affording himself a second to breathe.

  Remley paced around the headmaster, gripping his curved blade in both hands as flame aura danced across its edge. During their skirmish, he’d noticed something, a slight change in the headmaster’s energy output. It took him a second to figure it out, but once he did the cause was all too clear... Zion’s spirit summon.

  Summoning techniques were taxing on one’s aura and typically required an immense amount of spirit energy. Typically, that wouldn’t be a problem for a spiriteka like Zion, but this was no simple summon. The Kirin was a force of nature, a beast forged of the storms that seemed to constantly draw on Zion’s powerful aura. All they had to do was keep the two separated and eventually, the headmaster would wilt. Then, finally, he’d be free of-

  Suddenly, Zion dropped his barrier and fired off another technique, sending racing bolts of lightning from the tips of each of his fingers. Remley reacted instantly, moving with haste as he tried to position himself out of range. However, it appeared Zion was adapting as well.

  The bolts of energy forked off in every direction, giving the flame adept little room to maneuver. Lightning struck him in the leg, the shoulder, the side as he did what he could to escape. It was a technique designed specifically to neutralize dexterous opponents, and to Remley’s horror, it was working impeccably.

  A final bolt of energy shot forward and caught Remley on the forehead, slamming him into the ground with the force of a warden’s hammer. Rem’s vision immediately blurred but his fighting instincts kicked in and a quick reinforcement of his body had his head clear once more. Unfortunately, that didn’t matter.

  Dancing across Remley’s skin were tiny sparks of lightning energy, sparks that attacked his muscles, keeping them tight and immobile. He tried to rise, tried to use his own flame aura to force away the headmaster’s technique but it was futile. Zion had trapped him in his paralysis wave.

  “You honestly didn’t think I’d let you get the best of me, did you?” Zion said as he began walking in Remley’s direction. “I am the headmaster of Atherune Academy... the unsung leader of this city!” Zion pointed his finger and launched another charged bolt into Remley’s body, causing him to grimace in pain. “I will not allow the orphan of some long-buried guild to disrespect me any longer!”

  Remley’s eyes widened as burning rage ignited in his pupils. “What did you say?”

  “You heard me, dog,” Zion replied, sending another bolt into the flame adept. “I allowed you to scavenge scraps from the academy, I turned a blind eye to it! But no more... I’m going to send you to an early grave just like your pathetic family!”

  At that very moment, at that single instant in time something snapped inside of Remley. Slowly the flame adept rose to his feet despite the pain and resistance that Zion’s paralysis wave gave. One hand tightened into a fist while the other wrapped tightly around his sword’s hilt, knuckles white and spirit flaring.

  “Don’t you dare speak about them,” Remley growled, his spirit aura growing with each passing second. “Don’t you dare bring them dishonor with your vile tongue!”

  Suddenly, Remley burst free of Zion’s technique and charged, moving like a blur before executing a mighty overhead slash. Zion, surprise by the man’s sudden burst of strength, barely managed to get his staff up to block.

  “Stupid fool,” Zion growled as his composure returned. “That last strike must’ve left you delirious if you think you’ve enough power to harm me,” With a quick push-off, he launched himself backward through the air, landing with aura already channeling into his palms.

  “Perhaps,” Remley replied as his aura grew even larger. “But I’m not alone...”

  Remley’s free hand reached for his sleeve and promptly yanked it up to his elbow, drawing a gasp from Zion Sho. There, etched into the flame adept’s forearm was a marking not seen in years, a pair of crossed blades encircled in flame ... the guild insignia of the steel brotherhood.

  “You wouldn’t,” Zion spat, his tone suddenly reflecting the fear that was quickly infecting his soul. “You’d be putting a target on your back!”

  Remley took a step forward as the insignia on his arm began to glow. “I’ve always had a target on me,” he responded, his tone fierce. “I’m just done running.”

  Remley’s aura flared to its peak as the silhouette of six swordsmen appeared at his side. Moving in unison, the seven lifted their fiery blades into the air, drawing in a torrent of silver and red energy.

  “Y-you can’t,” Zion stammered. “The dark guilds will never stop hunting you! They’ll destroy everything you’ve ever known!”

  At that moment, Remley didn’t care. The legendary technique forming around him was a skill unique to his bloodline, an ability forged by his very father. Word of the technique would almost certainly find its way back to the dark guilds who had hunted his family down many moons ago, but so be it... if they came for him then he’d burn away the darkness with the blinding light of his spirit!

  “I call upon the power of my brothers. I ask them to lend me the flames of their burning souls...” Remley’s eyes narrowed as the six silhouettes readied themselves to charge. “May you feel the sting of their blades long after you’ve perished... Steel Brotherhood technique: Seven blades of Retribution!”

  Remley swung his blade with everything he could muster, unleashing a wave of destruction in the headmaster’s direction. Zion scrambled to create another lightning barrier, but the technique quickly proved futile.

  The six phantom swordsmen flung themselves at the headmaster, cutting through his barrier before slashing away at his body with curved blades of ghostly steel. He tried to scream out, tried to protest his demise, but his venomous words came out as little more than unrecognizable gurgles as one of the blade
s passed over his throat. As the headmaster began to falter a final blade approached. Blazing brighter than the worldstar itself, Remley’s sword passed through the headmaster as its red-hot steel slashed the man straight down the middle.

  The air settled and for a second both combatants stood completely still. Then, after letting out a soft, final groan, the headmaster’s lifeless body unraveled into pieces.

  Remley’s once brilliant aura simmered to a mere spark as the man collapsed to a knee, his still glowing blade the only thing stopping him from completely collapsing into the dirt. With complete and utter exhaustion setting in, Remley shifted his gaze to Zion. Perhaps the man was right... perhaps he would be hunted down for his little display, but so be it. He was a sky wolf, but he was also the last surviving member of the steel brotherhood and if they wanted his life for that, then he’d introduce them to red hot steel.

  ****

  Roy braced his body with spirit energy as the monstrous Kirin closed in. His instincts were screaming at him to dodge but with the creature being so close he knew there’d be no escape.

  As Roy’s arms came up in defense, a notification appeared in his vision, one he barely managed to get a glimpse of.

  //////////

  Battle Monk Skill: Devastating Palm

  //////////

  Roy’s eyes widened as Kimoura appeared out of nowhere, darting in from the left to deliver a strike of her own. Her hand glowed like starlight as she slammed it into the side of the creature’s head, deflecting its charge and sparing Roy by a matter of inches.

  As she completed her technique, Kimoura glanced at Roy and gave him a slight wink, a final endearing act before the Kirin’s tail came around and smashed her into the ground.

  “You horned bastard!” Roy growled, rising to meet the creature’s dreaded gaze. Together the two locked eyes, the Kirin’s massive frame towering over Roy’s cloaked body... and then they clashed.