Corrupted Radiatons

by Michael Rogers

  Tyson: *He hid his confusion.* (That wasn't me-?)

  *The blood swirled like a tornado and suddenly whipped towards Nathan's sword.*

  Tyson: *He watched his whip dangle, as it no longer held onto anything.* (Where did the child go?)

  Nathan: "K-Karol...?" *He watched the blood flick the sword off the ground, throwing it towards him.* "Huh?"

  Tyson: *He watched Nathan catch the sword before standing up straight.* "How?"

  Nathan: *He watched the blood swirl around the sword.* "I don't understand what you did to Karol, but-"

  Karol: (Nafan!)

  Nathan: *He twitched in shock and quickly looked over his shoulder.* "Huh-?"

  Karol: (I'm here, Nafan!) *His thoughts echoed in Nathan's mind.*

  Nathan: *He focused on the swirling blood in disbelief.* (Is that you?)

  Karol: (Stahp! The baddy is gonna attack!-)

  Nathan: "The baddy?" *He sounded puzzled and looked up, noticing Tyson preparing an aerial kick.*

  Tyson: "Diving Swan Lotus." *A blue aura suddenly shrouded his right foot, as he dived directly towards Nathan.*

  Nathan: "Blood Slash." *He spoke in shock and slashed the sword downwards, slicing an airwave of blood towards Tyson.*

  Tyson: "My Roharnia may look weak, but the limb it shrouds is as strong as-" *The blood sliced through the blue coloured aura and sliced half of his foot off.* "Argh!-"

  *Tyson suddenly collapsed away from Nathan, causing a pulse of grass to blow around him.*

  Tyson: (My foot! My foot! It hurts!) *He shouted in thought.*

  Nathan: (My Air Slash? Did you-?)

  Karol: (Let's do this!)

  Nathan: (The power in this blood-?) *He watched the blood swirl around his sword in confusion.* (It's draining me, but at the same time, I feel an immense power-)

  Tyson: (What kind of Azure Burst was that? And where did the boy go? Where did this man get this sudden power up? And if he always had it, why didn't he use it earlier?!)

  Karol: (Nafan! For Twevour!)

  Nathan: *His eyes widened and he focused on Tyson, bending his knees in preparation.* "I want nothing to do with you warriors!"

  Tyson: *He focused on his foot, causing the shroud of aura to stop the bleeding.* (There, I focused the Astragons around my feet to stop-)

  Karol: (Ignore us!)

  Nathan: "Ignore us!"

  Nathan: "Double Blood Slash." *He flashstepped into striking distance and slashed the sword to each side, causing a string of blood to whip the ground across Tyson's body.*

  Tyson: "How-?!" *He watched two slash-like lines burst the ground around him.*

  Karol: (Let's do this!)

  Nathan: "Ha ha!" *He smiled to himself and held the sword with both hands, causing the blood's swirl to thicken and hasten.*

  Tyson: "What kind of darkness is this?!" *He shouted to himself in fear, intensely staring at the swirl of blood drip off Nathan's sword.* "What kind of Ougi utilises one's blood?!"

  Nathan: "Our one." *He raised the sword high above his head and twisted his wrist, causing the swirling blood to tighten around the sword.*

  Tyson: *He staggered back along the ground and cupped his hands, shooting a ball of wind at Nathan.* "FLURRY-"

  *The swirl of blood stringed from his sword and sliced the ball of wind, causing a puff of air to blow past Nathan.*

  Nathan: "Didn't even have to move." *He spoke with a smile.*

  Karol: (Nee hee.)

  Tyson: *He continued to stagger back and hit a crystal behind him, resting his back against it in disbelief.* "How-? Just.. How?"

  Karol: (Tessaiga Blood Slash.)

  Nathan: "Tessaiga Blood Slash!"

  *Nathan sliced the sword downwards and hit the ground, causing a swirling slash-like vortex to explode the ground towards Tyson.*

  Tyson: *He watched blood string on the outskirts of the swirling vortex, as if it was condensing the blast into a singular strike.* "My ability will alter this attack's trajectory-"

  *The vortex slashed past Tyson and the ground and crystal behind him suddenly exploded, leaving behind a loud scream of pain from inside a growing dirt cloud.*

  Nathan: *He took deep breaths and lowered the sword, listening to the blood swirl around the sword.* "Is that-?" *He mumbled to himself in curiosity, watching the dirt cloud settle.*

  Tyson: *He coughed out blood and looked shocked, noticing his whip in several pieces, scattered along the now dirt covered ground.* "How-?"

  Nathan: (Th-That power?) *He thought to himself in shock.*

  Tyson: *He moved back and listened to broken crystal tap together.* "You even broke a Crystalline Blossom tree?"

  Karol: (I'm getting weak!) *The blood started to slow its swirl around Nathan's sword.*

  Tyson: (My foot... Tara will be able to fix it-) *The shroud of aura which acted as his missing foot extended and grabbed onto his limb, which lay around a pool of blood.*

  Karol: (He grabbed his foot!)

  Nathan: (He won't be needing it for long.) "Time to finish this."

  Tyson: *He gasped with widening eyes and quickly rolled to the side, due to his large weight.* (With all my remaining strength!)

  *Tyson stood up and turned away, quickly flashstepping out of the area, leaving behind a pulse of dirt and blood.*

  Nathan: "He had enough energy to flashstep?" *He panted with one eye closed.*

  *The swirl of blood suddenly puffed into nothing, as Karol simultaneously materialised in the air beside Nathan.*

  Karol: *He fell to the ground and coughed.* "Oof-" *He coughed again and held his throat, feeling hickey-like lines.* "Owch-"

  Nathan: *He dropped to his knees and tightly held Karol.* "You're safe!"

  Karol: "Nafan?"

  Nathan: *He leant back with a smile, noticing the red blotch in Karol's left eye and the hickey-like lines around his neck.* "If we didn't Hi-Ougi-.." *He shook his head with dismissal.* "I'm glad you're safe."

  Karol: *He looked strange at Nathan's attitude.* "Are yooh ohkay?"

  Nathan: "I'm okay."

  Karol: "I feel week."

  Nathan: (I feel weak, too.) *He nodded his head.* "Let's get you back to Silver Wind Island-"

  Karol: *He grabbed Nathan's wrist in a half conscious-like manner.* "We need to keep twaining-"

  Nathan: "Shut up."

  Karol: "I'ma.. Man-.." *He lost consciousness.*

  Nathan: *He caught Karol in his arms, tightly holding him in a brotherly-like manner.* "You did good. Time to head back.."

  *Nathan slowly and carefully placed Karol on his back and stood up, slowly dragging his feet through the broken shards of crystal.*

  ----------

  *Gabriel walked down a dirt road-like pathway, as trees swayed over it.*

  Gabriel: "I'm so hungry.." *His eyes glowed an eerie yellow colour.*

  *Gabriel walked towards a bright clearing ahead and felt a strong gust of cool wind, watching green leaves sway on to the road-like path in front of him.*

  Gabriel: "Radiatons? We never calculated Radiatons to be this powerful, why is that? My power is beyond Raphael's. It almost feels like I'm one of the strongest beings to walk on this land.."

  *Gabriel drooled out from the side of his mouth and stepped into sunlight, causing his black scales to shine a slight yellow colour.*

  Gabriel: "The amount of power that swirls inside of me-" *He chuckled evil-like, triggering another flashback.* "I can even defeat Ancioldrants with ease!"

  --

  *Insects buzzed above slowly moving mud, which expelled steam.*

  Ridley: *He hunched forward in fatigue, watching Gabriel stand tall in front of him.* (I've exhausted all my Neurons.)

  Gabriel: "Please, Ancioldrant!" *He looked up, yelling at a large cockroach-like creature.*

  Ancioldrant: *It towered over Gabriel, twitching its head in an insect-like manner.* "No, I enjoy feasting on those petty travellers." *Its deep croaky voice sent shivers down Ridley's back.*

  Ridley: (That
was a tough battle, and Gabriel shows no signs of fatigue.)

  Gabriel: "Bless the Astragons." *He looked down and stood in a serious-like manner, catching the Ancioldrant's attention.*

  Ancioldrant: "Harh-?"

  Gabriel: "ORPHAN'S CRADLE" *He zigzagged his arms and clicked his fingers.*

  Ridley: *Vibrations caused the mud around him to bubble.* "Huh? Gabby-" *He looked down to the mud, sounding worried.*

  Gabriel: *He smirked, as his body shined a shade of white.* "Don't worry-"

  *A large celestial serpent slithered into the air, lighting up the area with its radiant-like shine.*

  Ancioldrant: "A Summonce Scarbra?"

  Ridley: (I-Is that creature alive? Is this really Gabby's doing?!) *He froze with uncertainty, staring at the growing serpent in shock.*

  Gabriel: "No, it's not a Summonce Scarbra-"

  *The serpent sprouted feathered wings and opened its jaw, alerting the Ancioldrant.*

  Ridley: (W-Wow.)

  Ancioldrant: "Allow me to feast on travellers in peace! Ougi! Attack like a blinding avalanche, Geodust Gollem-"

  Gabriel: (Now-)

  *A massive white pulsar shot out from the serpent's mouth and hit the Ancioldrant, causing the area to suddenly become quiet.*

  Gabriel: *He turned around and walked towards Ridley, causing the serpent to disintegrate into a swirl of light.* "Next on the list?"

  Ridley: *He froze in amazement, looking at the Ancioldrant with a dropping jaw.* "...-"

  Gabriel: "Ridz?"

  Ridley: *He stared at the light from Gabriel's serpent, pulsating directly in front of the Ancioldrant.* "I-It's still standing-?"

  Ancioldrant: "Clhick!" *It clicked in struggle, blocking the pulsar of light with its antenna.*

  Gabriel: "Ridz, as what you would say, focus." *He smirked and clicked his fingers, causing a blinding white light to teleport them out of the marshes.*

  Ancioldrant: *It clicked in pain, as a massive shock wave-like pulsar exploded around it, erupting waves of mud into the air.* "Clhick, clhick-"

  *Mud-like Scoldrants hopped away from the wave-like frogs, ignoring loud thunder-like noises which rumbled from the light.*

  Ancioldrant: "The light, it burns!" *Its body suddenly disintegrated into the expanding light.*

  *The waves of mud suddenly blasted in all directions, covering the trees and surroundings.*

  --

  Gabriel: "Orphan's Cradle? Perfect." *He chuckled to himself, as if he just remembered his Rostical.*

  *Gabriel noticed a farmer walking next to a horse-like Scoldrant with two heads, carrying a large carriage of hay behind it.*

  Gabriel: (I must control my urges, I'm still human-)

  Scoldrant: "Neeeheeheheh." *It sneezed in fear and staggered back, causing the carriage to collapse to the side.*

  Farmer: "What are yer doing, Charlie?"

  Scoldrant: "Neehee!" *It sneezed in terror and tried to squirm away from Gabriel, as if it already knew of his power.*

  Farmer: "What's got yer carriage in a bundle-" *He noticed the dark figure in the distance.* "That's just another yer Scoldrant-"

  Scoldrant: "Neehee!" *It sneezed and slammed its hooves into the farmer's face, knocking him onto the ground.*

  Farmer: "Ah!-"

  Scoldrant: "Nee!" *It glared at the farmer with eerie coloured eyes.*

  Farmer: "Ch-Charlie?" *He looked up to the Scoldrant in shock.*

  Scoldrant: *It leant up, waving its hooves above the farmer's head.* "Neeheeheee." *It violently trampled on the farmer's face until blood stringed from its hooves.*

  Gabriel: "How violent?" *He flashstepped past Charlie the Scoldrant and looked at his fingers, noticing blood on them.*

  *The Scoldrant suddenly exploded into a cloud of blood and white orbs.*

  Gabriel: *He looked over his shoulder and watched the carriage explode hay into the air.* "Well, goodbye Charlie."

  *Gabriel smirked and focused back in front, licking the blood off his fingers.*

  Gabriel: "With such power, what's the drawback?"

  *Gabriel pondered to himself in confusion and licked the last spec of blood off his fingers, causing him to growl in realisation.*

  Gabriel: "Of course, with such power, comes with an obvious cost-" *He stopped in mid-sentence, observing his demonic-like body.*

  *Gabriel bent his knees and flashstepped, causing the dirt, road-like path to explode where he stood.*

  Gabriel: *He watched objects blur past him at blinding speeds.* (The Scoldrant's reaction, and that man.. He would've had the same reaction if I were to be closer-)

  *Gabriel hopped to the side, closely avoiding a thick tree-like blur.*

  Gabriel: (I'll need to find a way to hide or accommodate a new vessel? But how would I do that? Oh, wait.. I'm a researcher.)

  *Gabriel chuckled in thought and squinted his eyes, as drool violently stringed past his shoulder.*

  Gabriel: (We were so focused on elemental affinities, we went through a lot of experiments to unintentionally encounter new discoveries. One would be the Astral Projection experiment.)

  *Gabriel squinted his eyes in a happy-like manner, triggering another flashback.*

  Gabriel: (Yes, the Astral Projection affinities.)

  --

  *Gabriel and Ridley stood inside a lab-like dungeon, observing four cylinders with small white orbs spiralling around in them.*

  Ridley: *He walked across the lab, listening to the chatter from a city coming from the ceiling, as if the area was underground.* "Very fascinating."

  Gabriel: "There's no change in the Roharnia."

  Ridley: "No change? What about the fire elemental affinity?"

  Gabriel: *He stepped to the side, staring at the tiny white orbs with a very faint red shine to the edges.* "They seem to be syncing into the homunculus." *He watched the orbs suddenly spiral into a clay-looking blob in amazement.*

  Ridley: "Very interesting." *He quickly wrote his observations on a notepad, causing Gabriel to smile in excitement.*

  Gabriel: "Your voice!" *He turned around and eagerly pushed his glasses up with one finger*

  Gabriel: (When Ridz used to say that, he somehow found a solution to a breakthrough advancement in research.)

  Ridley: "Yes." *He nudged his hand towards the machine with four cylinders.*