Into the Fire Part I_Requiem of Souls

by Christian Kallias

  “I can take Arakan down, with or without your help. So what is it going to be?”

  Chase shook his head and walked away.

  “Don’t you dare turn your back on me, Chase!”

  Chase’s feet began to get covered in ice, and soon he was stuck to the floors of the Hope’s corridors.

  “Really?” said Chase with sadness in his voice. “You think this will convince me that you’re ready to take on Arakan? You can’t even deal with your hatred right now. You act rashly and without thinking.”

  Chase grew his aura and melted the ice around his feet. He turned around, and his eyes shone purple.

  “Oryn,” he continued. “Right now I could take you down without even having to use my Ultra Fury powers. And yet you want to rush to a fight that could claim your life. Try and understand that I’m not afraid of Arakan and that together I know we can bring him down. I just don’t want us to rush and make irrevocable mistakes that could claim lives.”

  “I never thought I would say this, Chase. But right now: you’re a coward!”

  Chase was not so much angered but saddened by what Oryn said. Everyone wanted their pound of flesh for the losses they had suffered, and that included Chase, but he knew better than to rush unprepared into what could possibly be yet another trap.

  Chris and Argos exited the cargo bay.

  “Thanks, Uncle. Another great training session, and thank you also for teaching me how to heal myself and others. I felt I managed to heal myself faster than last you showed me.”

  Argos ran his hand over Chris’ hair. “Anytime, Chris. You’re also getting better and stronger every day. I get the feeling by the time you’re twenty or so you’ll be kicking both mine and your father’s asses.”

  Chris chuckled. “Only if the two of you get lazy and stop training.”

  Argos couldn’t help but still see Chris as a boy, even though he looked like a young adult already, and while Chris was smaller than him, he was still in the process of growing up. No longer at the accelerated speeds that would have claimed his life already had they not stopped that process. Argos was proud of the young man Chris was becoming.

  “Then we shall not stop, and in fact, whenever we can, we should try and train together, as a family.”

  Chris smiled.

  “I’d love that, and I’m sure mom and dad would too.”

  I doubt it.

  Argos knew in his heart that Sarah might never fully trust him. After what he’d done to her and others, he couldn’t blame her, though. But it mattered not that she trusted him, only that she accepted his role by their side. Argos was surprised that none of the hatred he felt not that long ago seemed present in his psyche anymore. As for Sarah, he hoped she would come to grips with her powers soon enough, as they would need all the firepower they could get to defeat Arakan and the Furies.

  “Are you alright, Uncle? You seem distracted.”

  “Sorry, I was thinking about what is yet to come. Can I ask you something, Chris? Why don’t you call me by my name?”

  “You’re going to find it silly. But that’s what people called you when—”

  “When I was the enemy?” Argos finished the sentence for him.

  Chris nodded with a shy smile.

  “Yeah. Calling you Uncle feels more natural. But if you prefer I call you Argos, I can.”

  Argos thought about it, and part of him longed for a new name, just like his brother Laiyos was now called Chase, and it sure seemed to feel natural for him. But it warmed his heart every time his brother’s son called him his uncle or just simply smiled at him. Of everyone he had become close with, the bond with Chris was the strongest.

  “No, that’s alright, call me whatever you like.”

  “Okay, grumpy!”

  That made Argos pause for a second before they both laughed.

  “Whatever you say, little rascal,” answered Argos.

  “Little or not, I can still kick your ass.”

  Argos smiled broadly.

  “Wanna go back to the cargo bay and put your money where your mouth is?”

  “Hell, yeah. We might as well, doesn’t look like we’re going to Erevos anytime soon.”

  “We’ll get there, soon enough,” said Argos absently and without realizing he had made fists.

  He saw Chris’ gaze checking on his hands.

  “I can see that’s frustrating you, though. You think we should go there now, don’t you?”

  “Doesn’t matter what I think; if I’ve learned anything lately, it’s to trust your father.”

  “And, normally, I would agree with you. But he seems a little worried, more than usual, lately. Doesn’t he?”

  Of course, Argos had noticed that too. But they had lost Zeus, and so shortly after he had already lost his main father figure, Commodore Saroudis. That had to have shaken his brother’s confidence on some level. Everyone around him seemed to have felt that he wasn’t as sure of himself as he used to be. That scared Argos, even if he would not vocalize this fear with his nephew.

  “He’s lost too many people since this started; I’m to blame for most of it, you know.”

  “It’s important you let go of the past, Uncle. You’re not that man anymore.”

  “Thank you. Your words mean more to me than I can express.”

  Argos knew that no matter what came next, he would risk everything to protect his newfound family. He would lay down his life for any of them in a heartbeat.

  “Because I really like you, I’m going to let that slide,” said Chase, his tone almost as cold as the temperature around them.

  “I don’t give a shit that you let it slide. And honestly, if you think I can’t take you down, you’re as delusional as Arakan. At least he suffered a brain injury in the first Fury War, what’s your excuse?”

  Not having memories beyond the last ten years was one excuse, but Chase never looked at it as something bad per se. He was sometimes curious about who he had been before. But he knew right now he had to let the past stay buried and focus on their current predicament. It saddened him that Oryn and others mistook his unwillingness to rush into the eye of the storm unprepared for cowardice or unwillingness to do what needed to be done. Chase knew better than anyone that the path they were on needed to be walked with a calm head. Rushing toward it felt foolish and dangerous.

  But then perhaps parts of his friends’ worries had merit. Having lost both Saroudis and Zeus in such a short amount of time had shaken his confidence, and he wasn’t willing to bet the lives of his loved ones. But was that wrong? Chase wondered.

  “In your current state of mind, you couldn’t take me down even if there was three of you. I’m sad that you don’t see that I only have you and all my loved ones’ best interests at heart.”

  Oryn growled.

  “Now, you’re just proving my point.”

  Unfortunately, words were not enough to get his point across, so an idea came to him.

  “If you’re so overconfident,” added Chase before Oryn could rebut him, “why don’t we make a wager.”

  Her eyes shone bright white as the temperature kept dropping, and her icy aura illuminated the walls around them into a cold, bright frosty light.

  “I’m listening.”

  “Right here, right now. You take me down, and you get to give the orders from now on. But if I beat you, you stop harassing me and let me come up with a plan that has at least a chance to both accomplish our mutual goals but also limit the risks of incurring casualties we can’t afford right now.”

  Oryn smirked. “Deal.”

  Chase raised an open palm.

  “Give me your word first.”

  “You have it.”

  “Then, by all means, show me how you intend to bring down Arakan. The man who singlehandedly killed your father and almost killed Poseidon. Not to mention destroying the cradle of one of the oldest civilizations that ever existed. But, let me give you a piece of advice, don’t hold back.”

  “I could kil
l you if I don’t.”

  “Don’t worry about that; I want you to give me everything you have, and prove to me you can take Arakan down when the time comes.”

  Chase could see the hesitation in her eyes and decided that was a good sign. At least it meant she didn’t feel comfortable unleashing all her power onto him. Losing Zeus had cemented her allegiance to him and the Earth Alliance. It was just sad that it took this tragedy for her to make her final choice, but Chase was relieved that she was finally on their side; even if they would now have to fight to settle their current disagreement.

  “Very well, but don’t hold back either. Use your Ultra Fury powers,” said Oryn.

  “I won’t have to, but I will if needed. The first of us to either abandon or lose consciousness will accept defeat and no longer argue on what needs to be done.”

  Oryn’s look turned glacial, and her aura grew exponentially as she took a fighting stance.

  “On second thought, let’s not fight here,” said Chase.

  “Why not?” insisted Oryn.

  “We don’t want to destroy our ship, do we?”

  “Where are we to go, then?”

  Chase smiled as he approached Oryn.

  “What are you smirking about?” she asked.

  “You’ll see. May I?” he asked, approaching his hand slowly toward her shoulder.

  Her look was still ice cold as she nodded.

  Chase put his hand on her shoulder, closed his eyes and took her to the last place she ever expected.

  Soon the sandstorms of Erevos blasted on both their faces. The crimson sky above was filled with dark red clouds as powerful lightning bolts struck the sands around them, generating splashes of sand similar to objects hitting water.

  It was Chase’s first time on Erevos. He had been there when the planet rematerialized, which was soon after Argos had forced him to let Aphroditis enter the machine to bring the Furies planet back into their dimension.

  Oryn blinked multiple times, clearly shocked at where they stood.

  “Is this a trick? Did you send me to a place in your mind?”

  Chase shook his head as he took several steps back.

  “No trick; we’re on Erevos. If you bring me down, you won’t even have to worry that I could go back on my word; you can then seek Arakan and unleash your wrath upon him.”

  “You’re crazy!”

  “I thought I was a coward.”

  Oryn flinched.

  “About that—”

  “Let me stop you right here, Oryn. I understand how you and my brother feel and the rage and hatred that’s broiling in your hearts right now. I’ve been there! And I can tell you that while you may think you’re ready, I know you’re not. But here we are, on our home world, thousands of miles away from any Fury cities. Nobody knows we’re here, and nobody can intervene.”

  “But then if I mortally wound you?”

  “Then, I die. Don’t hold back Oryn. If you are truly determined to go after Arakan right here and right now, you’ll have to unleash everything you have to bring me down. But I’m not gonna make it easy for you.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “Shall we get started? I don’t suppose we can fight here for too long until we’re detected.”

  “What do we do if they send reinforcements?”

  “We’ll deal with them, but I’m hoping we won’t have to. Stop stalling now, and unleash your inner Fury and show me you can take Arakan down. But remember, you’ll do as I say if you lose.”

  “I’m not going to lose,” barked Oryn.

  Oryn’s aura exploded around her, transforming the hot and sandy landscape into a white winter wonderland around them for hundreds of yards.

  Chase pushed his aura to the maximum but without having to turn into an Ultra Fury. He could prove his point better if he managed to take down Oryn without having to push himself to his limits, which he had no doubt would be required to take Arakan down when the time came.

  Oryn thrust both hands forward toward Chase and unleashed a column of freezing energy at him. He teleported away from the attack just as it was going to hit him and reappeared right after it passed. To human eyes, it would have looked as if Oryn’s attack had passed through him, but Chase had no doubt that Oryn had seen what he had done.

  “First mistake,” said Chase. “You need to be careful how you use your energy. You can’t expect to go all in from the beginning and squander the one resource that will get you killed once you run out of it.”

  Chase could tell his last comment angered Oryn. She didn’t even bother to answer and unleashed her next attacks through grinding teeth.

  A multitude of smaller icy-colored fireballs came toward Chase. He extended his hand forward and blocked every single one of them, letting them impact and dissolve, one after another in the middle of his palm.

  By the time the last attack was blocked, Oryn was already flying toward him, an ice spear in each hand. Chase aimed his hand toward Oryn, but before he could fire, she adjusted her position and jumped high in the sky, arching down toward him.

  Chase smiled. She was a resourceful fighter.

  She threw one of the ice spears at him with impressive speed. With a single thought, Chase pushed his aura and concentrated all of the energy in front of him to cast an invisible shield. The ice spear impacted with it and completely disintegrated within an inch of Chase’s face.

  Oryn sent more energy to her remaining spear, making it grow and imbuing it with icy blue energy from within. She prepared to thrust the deadly weapon, and that’s when Chase acted. His eyes flashed purple for just a second and, to Oryn’s shock, the spear exploded into a million pieces.

  Watch and learn, thought Chase.

  Before she landed in front of him, no longer armed with her weapon, Chase unleashed a mental shock wave that sent her flying for miles and crash into the nearest rock formation. It exploded when Oryn passed through it.

  Chase heard her growl in frustration and saw a large shock wave explode in the distance. It sent a tsunami of sand his way. The sandstorm wall was approaching him at tremendous speed, but before it reached him, an angry Oryn emerged from the sandy wall, her eyes glowing like two diamonds in the dead of the night. The wall of sand instantly crystallized into ice the moment she pushed through it and exploded like a broken mirror. She was bleeding from the mouth, and Chase could feel her anger grow exponentially as she approached him.

  She infused blue light energy into her entire forearm, leaving a beautiful blue, steamy trail in the air as she pushed forward with all her might and threw the most powerful punch she could muster toward Chase’s face.

  Chase tilted his head to the side just enough to avoid the terrible blow, and the moment her fist passed next to his neck, he thrust both his jaw and shoulder and used them to snatch Oryn’s wrist. He did it with such speed, precision and power that he broke multiple bones.

  Oryn yelped at the excruciating pain, but before she could react, Chase unleashed a battle roar. His purple aura retracted and then exploded in a split second, sending a powerful shock wave, which smashed Oryn backward to the ground as she rebounded uncontrollably for a few hundred yards.

  When she got back up, blood ran from both her mouth and nose. And Chase saw in her eyes something that he knew she needed to experience. Both doubt and fear. Tears formed and were blown away by the heavy wind and crystallized into shining snowflakes before disintegrating into the dusty and oppressing atmosphere of the planet.

  She unleashed a roar of frustration, and Chase felt she had already spent too much of her energy to ever be able to claim victory. But he was not done teaching her today’s lesson.

  Oryn ground her teeth as her aura grew more and more. She grabbed her broken wrist and froze it into place to attenuate the pain. Chase wanted to heal the terrible wound he had caused her, but first, they had a fight to finish.

  He taunted her by waving two fingers toward him.

  She closed her eyes for a minute as she accessed as m
uch energy within herself as she could. Chase then felt she had managed to reach a higher potential than he thought was possible in her current condition. As if she was draining some energy from the planet.

  Is that even possible?

  It seemed to get confirmed when massive currents of sand turned to snow and danced around her in a mesmerizing fashion, looking like snow serpents. Three crimson lightning bolts shot from the sky and impacted her. But instead of causing damage, it improved her abilities and recharged her energy pool. Whether or not she was conscious of doing so, she had managed to get energy from the planet itself, something Chase found fascinating and should probably investigate further. She was the daughter of Zeus after all, so perhaps, on a biological level, she held more power than she even knew.

  Chase hadn’t even spent a percent of his own pool, but the lightning strikes she had received had almost regenerated her entire reserve. He could feel she was bursting with powerful energy and that her next attack would be something he would have to be careful of. Especially with her current unstable mental state. She was angered, scared and resentful all at the same time. A dangerous mix Chase knew he needed to thwart in the right way.

  As much as he admired Oryn’s resilience in the matter, he needed to end this fight. He hesitated to turn Ultra Fury but then decided against it. Chase always enjoyed a challenge, and these risks that he knew he could take with Oryn now, he wouldn’t be able to when it would be time to fight Arakan.

  When Oryn opened her eyes, they shone with such a bright light that Chase had to instinctively and partially close his own. She growled like a wounded animal that wanted revenge as she raised her good fist toward the sky. A blue, almost liquid-like energy enveloped her fist and grew in size quickly. She smashed it to the ground in front of her, sending the energy hundreds of yards forward.

  Chase felt the incoming attack at the last moment and flew upward just before five large icy spikes burst through where he stood a millisecond before.

  Impressive.

  Oryn was already flying toward Chase, with cold hatred in her eyes. Chase knew that state of mind well. He probably induced it in her by blocking her attacks in ways that seemed defiant and, for a proud warrior, taunting, and perhaps even borderline insulting. But, at least he saw what she was capable of in these moments and their fight today would prove to be a lesson for both of them.