Until death?

by Andur

  “Right here, right now! No weapons.” This will be over fast. At least I hope so. If this becomes a long fight it could go badly for me.

  The people try to enlarge their distance from us and I approach Markorn. Seredorn limps to the side with a sly smile on his face.

  A few feet before Markorn I stop and take a look back at the priest. “You give the sign.” The priest nods and I turn back and look at Markorn.

  The stupid idiot is grinning at me like he already won. He has no clue what I am capable of. I don't like dying. It hurts. And you lose memories. I don't like to lose memories.

  “START!”

  Markorn explodes with mana and disappears. I teleport. Reappearing directly before Seredorn, who is standing in the first row of onlookers with other nobels. His eyes go wide, as he looks at me.

  “Hi, uncle!” Focusing mana into my left hand, I stab it directly into his chest. He opens his mouth with a surprised look on his face, but no scream comes out.

  I feel a mighty power inside Seredorn. Obviously he underwent the same treatment as Markorn. Right decision!

  Retracting my hand, I turn around. Everything took less than five seconds. Markorn is standing at the point, where I was before. He looks at me with an open mouth, not really understanding the situation.

  Seredorn crumbles behind me and I start to walk towards Markorn.

  The mana inside him wavers, swirling and twisting, obviously his soul is in great turmoil. I grin at him and throw the beating heart of his father directly into his face.

  It lands on his cheek and drops to the ground. Still not realizing the situation he stares at the beating heart to his feet.

  I charge forward and strike at his face. *Krack!* A tooth flies out of his mouth and I feel his fighting aura waver. An opening!

  Feeling my way, I get a hold on some muscles in his right arm. Taking what I can get, I slice at them with telekinesis.

  “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!”

  Suddenly Markorns body blurs and something hits me right into the chest! Driving the air out of my lungs, I am thrown upwards and impact the ceiling, penetrating it.

  Impacting the ceiling of the next floor, I fall down again, together with tons of debris. Markorn is already waiting and thrusts a hand towards me, but I teleport behind him.

  Another part of the ceiling dents in. It seems like he released some kind of shock-wave. I grab his shoulder and convert the mana, I stored within myself, back to electrical energy.

  While the surge of power shakes us both he grabs my hand and tries to throw me over his shoulder, but I stick to him with all my might and we roll over the floor.

  Fighting this fight in a normal way would be my end. I stay as close as possible, while he grabs and breaks my hand. But I feel nothing. I cut my nerves, when I started this.

  I tear and rip at his mana with my will alone. Pouring energy into healing myself, while ripping parts of his aura away and converting it into my own mana.

  This is no stupid duel with rules. I will show you bastard a real fight with life and death on the line. No nice fighting rules. No forbidden use of lethal attacks.

  Sparks of pure energy fly back and forth between us. He stabs a hand through my ribs and destroys something important.

  I don't care. All my concentration is focused at tuning myself to his energy. With a hand I claw my fingers into his face and eyes. With an animalistic scream he rolls on top of me and tries to snap my neck with his good hand.

  He almost managed it, but I reinforce my body further by using the same fighting aura as him. It's a rough method, that's why I hate to use it. It's nowhere as good as his version and worlds apart from Celes. I just waste mana, but it keeps him from killing me outright.

  Suddenly something within him loosens and I slip past his defence. I rip and tear! Throwing him to the side and rolling above him. He goes limp and his hands fall to the ground.

  With a savage grin I get to my knees and pull something out of him. Kukuku! You are mine now! I promised I wouldn't make this fast.

  Somehow I get to my feet. I am a bloody mess and I don't have an ounce of mana left. A ghostly green figure is struggling in my hand. It's a splitting image of Markorn. Just that his broken body is lying to my feet.

  I hold the ghost at it's head, while it is obviously screaming in horrible pain. But no sound is heard within the whole hall. Everything is silent now.

  Slowly limping towards the shocked priest, I grab the crown out of his hands and press the thumb sized crystal, which is framed into it, against Markorn. He is still wriggling, trying to free himself, while he is sucked into the crystal.

  Finishing it's business, the crystal starts to emit a green glow. Mwahaha! I will take my time with you. I had two months to think up some things for you! Realizing that i have probably a problematic expression on my face again, i try to straighten up.

  I put the crown on. Limping towards the throne, I drop myself into it. I cough up blood. Fuck, I don't want to know how this hurts. Thank the multiverse for well used telekinesis.

  Letting my gaze slide across the hall with nobles I ask:

  “Anyone else who has complaints?”

  All spectators shake their heads in unison.

  “Th... Then I declare prince Angrod of Tirna as the new King of Tirna!” The priest stutters.

  “Hereby I take the throne and swear to protect the country and it's people.” I answer the ritualistic words.

  “And since I am feeling a little tired, my first order is to clear the throne room. I will hold a speech, when this mess is cleared up!” I wave at Markorn's and Seredorn's bodies.

  Everyone starts to file out of the room. Mother and Grandfather run up to me. Mother is crying and immediately kneels down to stop the blood flowing out of the wound in my side.

  “It's okay... It doesn't hurt.” I gurgle and blood is coming out of my mouth. Fuck, seems like my body is seriously messed up.

  Arthur, Katrine and Celes also come up to me. Katrine joins Ireth in her efforts to heal me. “This looks bad.” Arthur looks at me like I was already a goner.

  Celes clenches her fists. “I told you! We should have taken him together and beaten down all the bastards afterwards.” She has tears in her eyes. Do I really look that bad?

  “I have already called for the best healers, they were waiting close by. They should be here any second.” Arthur informs us.

  The guards close the doors and we are alone. At that Celes turns around and runs back to Markorn's dead body. She grabs his head and lifts it a little.

  Searching around inside his hair, she suddenly pulls a hairpin out of his head and lets go. *Thud*

  Walking back to us, Arthur gives her an inquisitive look.

  “No proof, no accusation, no deed!” She explains.

  I grin while everything goes dark...............

  40 - A Dream?

  It has been two days already, but Angrod still didn't wake up. When the healers arrived, after he went unconscious, they already wanted to file a death report before even looking at him!

  After hours of uncertainty they healed his body but because he was severely weakened, he hasn't woken up till now. The medicine of this world is amazing. Within hours, they announced his wounds to be healed.

  I already thought myself a widow before marriage. Even with the ring, Angrod gave me, I am bad at magic, so I left the first aid to Ireth and Katrine.

  Right now I am at Angrod's side and trying to wake him up by stimulating the flow of mana within him. If there was enough of it... he feels more like a corpse. By gripping his hands directly, I am able to feel it somehow.

  We are inside his room and the healers are paying visits every hour. Stupid idiot hermit! What should I do, if he leaves me alone now! Couldn't we have just fought together?

  I don't know how this was possible yet. Somehow he gained a huge amount of mana for this fight. I hope he didn't go to the streets and suck some people dry! But if he did that, it would already be known.
/>   The fight itself shocked all the nobles. There are already some voices that a king shouldn't attack bystanders. But there are very few of them. I guess everyone is afraid of being added to Angrod's crown next.

  I hope nobody finds out that I intervened. My parents gave me a day's worth of lectures. But the opportunity was so great! After Angrod had penetrated the ceiling and Markorn fired that shock-wave after him, a huge part of the ceiling caved in. That created a huge cloud of dust, which was enveloping them.

  Just reacting on the spur of the moment, I pulled a hairpin out of my pinned up hair and threw it. Everyone was concentrated on the fight and no one paid attention to me.

  The small hairpin disappeared inside the dust cloud and struck the figure I had identified as Markorn. By paying attention, I had a pretty good idea which figure was the right one.

  Katrine had given me a shocked look, but didn't say anything. I was right next to her, so she became aware of my action.

  I know myself that I took a huge risk. Interfering in such a manner could have easily tipped the delicate political balance. Even if our reputation is very good at the moment, if something like this would become public.... I don't want to think about it.

  I hope he wakes up soon, his hands are so cold! He has to be warmed up somehow. Hmm, he isn't conscious right now, so I can do everything I want to him. Hohoohohhoho! This is the perfect chance to get a whole lot of items from my check-list.

  I carefully lift the sheet and hug the stupid hermit, while sneaking under the cover. Hahaha, you can't run away now!

  His mana feels so familiar. Like in the old times, when he was Johann. I relax while I fall asleep.

  *****

  I am sitting at a bench. Behind me is a house of wood and fields stretch to the horizon. Before me is a valley with a forest and a lake.

  Is this a dream? I know this place. Am I dead and this is the real afterlife? I pinch my cheek, but I feel the pain. And this bench feels too real. But this is my house, from the time I was with Sandra.

  “How is it?”

  I jump up and turn at the voice behind me. “Seria, You!”

  “Hiiiii.” The goddess waves at me with a smile. I try to ignore the almost transparent dress.

  “What are you here for? Am I about to be sent to the next punishment?” I ask her.

  “Nope, I just wanted to say hello and ask how it is going.” She sits down on the bench and pats beside her, signalling that I should sit down too.

  I sit down, no point in opposing a god. “Why would you need to ask me? Can't you check for yourself?”

  “I am just talking to you via long range telepathy. I didn't visit your world for quite a while. If I did, Tjenemit would immediately get access and I am not quite ready yet.” She explains to me, but I understand exactly nothing.

  “Could you please start at the beginning? I know that some fanatics are currently trying to summon a god to my current world. But a council member at that? And why would any god have the need to be summoned?” Seria will have to do some explaining here.

  “Unfortunately I don't have very much time. Just until you wake up. But to make it short. Your world is inside a void zone. It is my personal playground, no other god has access to it. I grabbed you two for myself, because I like you two. Tjenemit isn't too fond of me and has found out about my little rebellion against the council. Although he has no proof, he is trying to get access to this world. I plan to let him enter your world to fight him there. I can't come to the world, because it would help him to get access and I am not ready to fight him, yet.”

  “A rebellion against the Council?” I ask her.

  “Just a little long term plan of mine.” Seria smiles an innocent smile at me.

  “And what if I stop him from gaining access at all?” I ask her.

  “Feel free to try, but when I interpret the stuff in your head correctly, it's unlikely. Other questions?” -Seria

  “How do you know this place?” -Me

  “Hmmm, I wonder? It's a nice and peaceful place isn't it? That reminds me! How is it going with your wife? Did you two already make up?” -Seria

  “You are trying to evade the question...... It is going okay I guess?” I answer.

  “Wonderful, I wish I could show up to the marriage! Maybe I will project an image of myself to visit you for a few hours.” -Seria

  “Why are you so enthusiastic about this?” -Me

  “Why shouldn't I be enthusiastic about the marriage of two people, I brought together? But I fear our time is up.” Seria pats my head.

  “What? You still have some explaining to do!” Somehow the world distorts and starts to fade away.

  “Don't forget to take a close look at that soul, you captured........ and be nice to your wife.”

  ….

  ….

  I open my eyes and look at the ceiling. “That's what I would call a nightmare.” I look to the side and see my mother smiling at me.

  “I am glad you woke up.” She whispers and I become aware that something is lying on top of me. I lift the sheet and discover Celes. “Why are you using a sick person as a body pillow?”

  “She was at your bed for three days now, like me. The healers already started to dig your grave.” -Ireth

  “Is that so? I guess I will have to disappoint them. Anything else?” -Me

  “Nothing that couldn't wait. After your little demonstration, everyone was surprisingly docile. I never heard so few complaints.” -Ireth

  Ireth pats my head with a relieved expression and leaves the room. Wait! You have to take Celes with you. I try to slip out of her grasp, but suddenly she tightens down around me like a vice! OOWW! I need the healers again!

  “Nyahahhaha. You won't get away...... the body pillow has no right to sneak off......”

  What the hell are you dreaming!?

  41 - A bad prophecy?

  I am sitting on the throne and playing around with Markorn's soul. It's been a few years since I had a toy like that. Right now he is going through his own little hell.

  Should I give him a chalkboard session next? Or should I let him experience something else? Maybe another little dissection to find out what's wrong with his soul?

  Hmmm.

  “You have that expression again. And you promised to let his soul go as soon, as you found out what you needed to know.” Ireth gives me questioning look. Everyone else of the family is here too. I just held a little speech to the nobles and gave Ireth and Nicosar governing rights too.

  It's a pain to do everything on my own, so the more annoying stuff they can take off of my shoulders, the better.

  “I just found out that his soul is missing something. The same something, Celes and I are missing. And I will wipe his memories before I let him go. I don't like to have enemies, who could remember a past grudge.” -Me

  “He is a former god too? Is this world becoming a meeting place for ex-gods?” -Katrine asks with a surprised expression.

  “Yes. Though he has no memories of it. Everything he remembers is this single live, he lived in this world. Unfortunately he cannot give much information about the Meltheims. They powered him and his father up, before they shut themselves inside their city. I had hoped for a little back-door, but they were smart enough to not inform him, if they have something like that.” I scratch the broken tip of my left horn.

  It broke during my fight with Markorn and it still itches. The healers think it will regrow because I have pure blood, but it will take a while.