by A. R. Crebs
The charred form of Gaius III twisted in the air, colliding with the earth in a sickening crack. I’Lanthe gasped as she stared at the atrocious remains of Dovian’s father. Lita made a sound, her teeth grinding together, and quickly slammed her helmet upon her head. Her eyes feverishly locked forward. A series of whispers flooded down the line as many recognized the dead man. It placed fear into many of their hearts to know that Euclid defeated the powerful Gaius III.
Euclid peered down at his men who fed energy into the dark pillar. He reached to either side; a crackling ball of rich purple light formed in his hands. Gathering all his strength, he hurled the orb directly into the column and flew down into its apex, spreading the energy to either side. The spell split, shooting in each direction as Euclid landed in a crater at the bottom. A wall of black light collided with both human and Sorcēarian forces, pressing them all back. The Scarlet warriors immediately cast their shields, the Emeralds feeding into them to form a wall. Their spell absorbed the brunt of the attack, a harsh wind washing over them. The human forces toppled over. Some of the heavy mechs and tanks twisted and flopped, crushing soldiers. The rain had stopped, pressing upwards from the blast. An echo roared over the lands, followed by a sudden silence. A moment later, the rain rushed back down in heaps, dousing them all.
Black fumes swayed from Euclid’s form. His eyes twinkled, and a smirk tilted on his face.
“Now, let’s get started.”
"Readying for Battle"
Chapter 29
Missiles launched, streaks of gun and tank fire erupted onto the battlefield, zips of colorful laser light followed. The procession of booms and shrieking warfare drowned out the thundering storm. Smoke curled inward, fogging the landscape. Exploding impacts clanged against the barriers. Most of the protection held up, but a few domes shattered against the more extreme forces, the discharges taking out the Sorcēarians behind. Euclid’s men dispersed, traversing the battlefield in flickers as they teleported. Lightning, fire, flares of neon-blue, and plumes of black energy scattered along the human forces. Once the initial attack from the opposite side subsided, I’Lanthe gathered a collection of rain, clenching her fist. The liquid formed in sharp fractals, freezing into a long blade. She raised her weapon, shouting a command to charge in Legacy; the word reverberated across the battlefield.
With a gust, the Scarlets took flight, their eyes set upon Euclid’s team. To disband his mini militia would increase the chances of humanity’s survival. Even at a time such as this, the Sorcēarian code was to be respected to preserve the other race. However, that did not mean they could not be injured. The angelic warriors had plenty of means to disarm and render a party useless. As the Scarlets focused their attacks on the enemy, the Emeralds held up the defense. The Violets commanded their squadrons. The Azures took to flanking and gathering intelligence on the enemy crafts and weaponry to help devise with their Emerald counterparts plans to defuse the deadliest arms first.
Within the lightning flashed specs of soaring beings. If anything, the Sorcēarian’s ability to fly helped strategically in a sense that it placed fear in many. If the enemy held any religious belief, the thought alone of battling angels could deter some. And it worked, though it wasn’t enough. Any effort to passively subdue a human soldier was easily dispelled by Euclid’s men. As the Azures tried to place illusions into the human minds to lay down their weapons, Euclid countered with whispers that fed into their fear, turning it to rage. He provided energy to humanity’s desire to annihilate the Sorcēarian race. If the humans relentlessly waged war upon his people, the Sorcēarians would have no choice but to become drastic in their approaches to end the fight.
To make matters more difficult, Euclid’s team also held nothing back against their own kind. Any warrior who tried to save a human was torn down by the dark energy. Anybody who went against Euclid deserved death. His remorse was dwindling. He could care less who survived at this point. He’d worry about cleanup once his war was nonexistent. The offer to join his side would be offered to anyone who survived until the end. If they denied him, he’d purge the world of them. The thought alone fed into his black hate. An inky substance seeped from his wings, coating his cape.
“Aim at the barrier!” Euclid pointed a clawed finger at Sir Gaius’ dome. If they could break through, Ives would become desperate. Would Sir Gaius risk even his own citizens?
Euclid howled with laughter as the tanks and mechs turned and focused all fire attack on the enormous wall. As soon as one small hole began to form, it quickly patched over. Elder Gaius’ power was incredible.
“I don’t think they can break through, my lord.” One of Euclid’s men spoke.
“Then you and the others will take a moment to help those wretched humans.”
The shrouded man bowed, repeating the orders to the rest of the followers. Together, they chanted a spell. Oily bubbles gurgled from the ground beside their feet. The orbs lifted and floated toward the city. Sticky, the suds caked the side of the forcefield. With a clap, the foam burst, saturating one whole side.
“Wait for it!” Euclid hollered. The human forces obeyed. “Show my people how nasty you can be,” he hissed. Pointing a finger toward his men, he gave a silent order.
The Dark warriors spread out their fingers, electric currents tingling between the tips. They brought their hands together, linking the power, and the two on either side stepped forward, thrusting their unlinked palms. The current zipped with amazing speed toward the barrier, igniting the inky ooze. Sir Gaius’ pyramid shattered on one side. The black fire singed upward toward the Elder, casting the rooftops surrounding the north side of the city ablaze. Gaius retracted his power, falling back to summon a smaller barrier around himself to block out the flames. His eyes grew bright with anger as he watched Euclid’s warriors. It would take a moment for him to recover and regenerate a new shield.
“Fire!” Euclid shouted.
The world militaries fired upon the Ives.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!
Schools, homes, churches, businesses—all destroyed.
I’Lanthe, amidst the battle, halted. She peered back at Ives, her mouth dropping in awe at the destruction befalling her people. “Leave the civilians alone, Euclid!” she shrieked.
Though she was nowhere near him, she knew he’d hear her words.
A dark cloud vaporized before her, Euclid stepping from the mist. “This battle involves them as well, don’t you think? We are people who live together, work together. Don’t you think we should all die together?”
“Why kill your own kind? Your hate is for humanity! At least spare our innocents.”
“It’s for anyone who stands against me! You are traitorous to your own kind. You fight, sacrifice your own brothers and sisters, for what? To keep them alive?” He pointed.
“And you are sacrificing all of us for your own selfish plan.”
Euclid laughed. “Selfish?! To want to live in a world of peace?”
I’Lanthe shook her head, her eyes scanning the battlefield. “You are insane.”
Euclid waved his hand in her face and then lifted one finger. “We all are insane.” He stifled a laugh. “For agreeing to live this life.”
I’Lanthe swallowed, her fingers latching tight around her hilt. Another round of explosives fired toward the city, and Euclid watched with admiration. The woman growled, sinking the sword into his stomach. Euclid’s attention quickly returned to her, his face twisting into a look of pure hatred. She wrenched the weapon to the side, breaking the blade in his body.
“You can die for all I care. You’re nothing more than a sickness. A disease!” she spat.
Euclid’s body melted into a puddle, sinking into the earth. His laughter reached her ears, sending shivers down her spine. She turned in circles, searching.
“Look around you, stupid girl. Our people are beginning to see things my way,” Euclid’s voice echoed from the shadows.
I’Lanthe continued watching, recognizing more and more o
f her soldiers falling. They were being slaughtered, not just by the human forces, but by their own kind. The Sorcēarians were at war with each other. As the battle pressed on, many joined Euclid’s side. His Dark Army duplicated as the minutes passed.
“Maybe he’s right,” one Scarlet mumbled.
I’Lanthe watched in terror as the Scarlet warrior stumbled. His arm was halfway torn off, dangling by a strand of meaty flesh. He coughed, falling forward to his knees. As he mumbled unintelligibly, his snowy wings charred to midnight. He touched the muddy puddles surrounding him, smearing the darkness over his robes, trying to hide the color.
“No! He isn’t! He’s overtaken by darkness! Don’t! You mustn’t join his side!” I’Lanthe yelled.
The man took flight, soaring into the sky. He flew downward, igniting with energy, and crashed on the opposite end, destroying himself and over fifty others.
Half of Ives was consumed by flame. Sir Gaius repositioned himself, absorbing energy from the lightning of the storm. The militaries on the opposite side prepared to fire once more. Thousands were going to die. I’Lanthe spoke orders to the Emeralds, demanding they focus their attention on protecting the city rather than their own warriors.
From the center of Ives formed a golden ray of light. The beam crackled across the way, spiraling toward the enemy line. With a blaze of fire, all the tanks, planes, and mechs were obliterated. The golden energy focused to a central point, manifesting into Azera. It had been a forbidden technique, as the survival rate of such a spell was low. I’Lanthe scanned the line, reading the casualty report. She sighed. There were some injured from Azera’s bold move, but no one had died.
“No more upon my city!” Azera boomed. He drew his sword. Pointing at the largest armored human he could find, he uttered, “Fight me.”
The surrounding forces whispered, quickly backing away. The human man looked over his shoulder, making questioning gestures toward Azera and the destruction around them. The man was pushed forward by his peers as they murmured about honor and revenge. Azera grinned wide with a deep chuckle.
The large man sighed, rolling his helmeted head to crack his neck. He shook out his hands and took a ready position. Azera and the human held their place for only a second before they both moved. The human quickly pulled a large barreled weapon over his shoulder, firing an incendiary at the Golden Warrior. Azera sidestepped, his barrier absorbing the impact. The bomb ignited, sending the spectators to their backsides. Azera followed through, grabbing the large human, and flipped him onto his back. Without delay, Azera sank his shimmering blade tip into the man’s shoulder. The human writhed and growled in pain. The massive Sorcēarian peered at those surrounding him.
“This is your final warning. Either you retreat now, or you will all certainly meet death. This is a battle between our own kind, now.” Azera wrenched the blade from the soldier’s body. “You will survive. For now, take a nap.” He sent a bolt of energy into the man, rendering him unconscious.
The soldiers silently gaped, frozen by fear.
“Go,” Azera ordered.
The men quickly scrambled to their feet, supporting each other as they hollered to retreat. With their war vehicles rendered useless, the best they could do was run back toward the coasts to board the transport ships.
Azera watched with a crumbling hope as a dense fog swept across the retreating soldiers, suffocating them. Numerous Sorcēarians passed overhead, bringing the ships to ruin. As Euclid’s army grew, the human forces diminished at astonishing rates. And they weren’t killed outright but gathered to be slain by Euclid’s highest, to be tortured in excruciating, despicable ways. They were being slaughtered like cattle.
“Demons! They are all demons!” the humans shouted. “They are filthy Fallen!” They pointed toward the black-cloaked members, those with inky wings. Euclid’s immense power was spreading like the plague, overpowering even the best of Sorcēarians.
“Demons?” Euclid chuckled from up high. “You think we are the demons?”
From his coat, he retrieved the spell book. Flipping to the back, Euclid began spouting out the incantation to one of the most atrocious of forbidden spells. It would absorb a high amount of power, so as the words spewed from his lips, he drained the energy of those who had joined his side. His closest members halted their transgressions against their enemies, offering their power to the chanting man. A gust of wind swirled around the battlefield. Tendrils of black energy twisted to Euclid’s position. A whirlwind of darkness eddied beneath him; his eyes set upon the epicenter.
“You dare to use that power?” Elder Gaius’ voice echoed.
Euclid’s gaze set on the faraway point to catch the recovering Elder.
“They think we are demons. I will show them what demons are,” Euclid hissed.
With a hand splayed above the vortex, Euclid finished the spell. Half his men dropped to their knees, their powers drained. A flicker of light glimmered at the base of the magic. It zipped and zapped, growing larger in oscillating beats. Starting as an eerie whisper, shrieking howls echoed from within, the volume growing louder as the light pulsed. A warbling voice roared.
“DO WE HAVE A DEAL?”
Euclid’s eyes glossed as the power coursed through him. With a flat tone, he mumbled, “Yes.”
An arrow of light ruptured against Euclid’s hands. The book soared from his fingers, tumbling into the vortex. Euclid immediately shook his head, easing out of his daze. The book was gone, swallowed by the light within the twisting blackness. He turned his attention toward the source of the arrow. Green eyes watched him. With her mischievous grin, her outlandish weapon, and the armor which Euclid found to be offensive to any warrior who had earned their status, Lita only became more annoying. She took flight, quickly joining I’Lanthe’s side, and summoned another bolt of light, holding it between her fingers as she pulled on her bow and aimed at Euclid. I’Lanthe focused on the enemies surrounding them. Karter was close by, assisting. A crack lined his helmet; blood seeped down his brow. Other than that, he was rather unharmed.
A tumultuous blare shook the horizon. All eyes set on the side of Ives where the barrier had been previously demolished. Elder Gaius fought against the tarred ooze, his barricade rippling for control. Streaks of lightning cracked on that one side, forming a wall. With a blinding flash, an entire line of new forces had entered the battle. They were the Feral Sorcēarians. Very few had witnessed these angelic beings since their self-exile. With their extreme powers and otherworldly appearance, the Ferals knew they posed a threat to many around them yet always remained true to the original cause. Their link to Sir Gaius was strong, and it appeared they had returned to battle.
“Wow!” Lita gawked, her eyes twinkling with admiration. “I’ve always wanted to see a Feral!”
I’Lanthe shakily exhaled, agreeing. “I had no idea there were so many.”
The stories of the ancient Ferals dated back to the origins of the Sorcēarian timeline. They were some of the few who originally journeyed with the Elders, but the translation of their powers and physical appearance had proved to be too much for the earthly plane. In agreeance to the effect of their presence, they took to the edges of the Earth in solitude, living amongst the forests, oceans, and caves. As time went on, the lore spread to speak of elves, vampires, demons, and ogres. They become fairy tales to Sorcēarians and humans alike.
The Ferals were strange to behold. As Sorcēarians were deemed to be giants, many of the Ferals towered over the tallest known citizen of Ives. A few were tiny, only a few feet tall, and looked like pixies for lack of a better term. The pixies were beautiful, agile, and their powers held a sharp bite. They could entrance even their own kind with the use of their singing voices. There were no restrictions on the powers Ferals held. Nobody was immune.
A pattern of lights flashed among the Feral group. Some were made of flame, lightning, water, air, rock. They were elemental in form, and thus the power to hold a human-like appearance was unstable. Others appeare
d like most known Sorcēarians. However, a mere touch could prove deadly. Though seeming harmless while adorned in beautiful garb and jewelry, they were made up of disease and poison and were a danger to everyone around them. The only solace these types of deadly creatures had was the ability to withstand each other’s toxic powers. Stories stated they lived together in small hidden colonies, usually within mountains shielded by powerful illusions so never to be found by prying eyes. Many thought their existence to be sad and lonely, but the Ferals enjoyed their lives of solitude and peace. When needed, they always remained pure to the cause. They served Sir Gaius well.
The horns blew again, and the Ferals joined the war. Half moved to fight, the others rebuilt Gaius’ wall. Ives gained its protection. By the Elder’s charge, they knew not to kill the humans but held nothing back against those of Euclid’s military. The Ferals were ruthless in nature. If they had to use their strengths, they were going to use them to their full capacity. Within moments, Euclid’s plans were thwarted. The battlefield became nightmarish. The humans screamed and crawled through the mud. The traitorous Sorcēarians were reduced to dust, dismembered, imploded, and exploded.
Euclid made a noise of distaste at the sight of these unnatural beings. He hadn’t considered the Ferals’ presence. He hoped they all had died long ago or were nothing more than myths his own people had devised. However, the arrival of the Ferals had proven to be a well-needed distraction. Euclid’s last spell had finally come to completion. Though he had lost the book within the swirling darkness, his words had the desired effect. A portal flashed from inside the tornado, pulling in the darkness, eating away at the visible plane. A few warriors suctioned inside the gateway as it pulled in and burst outward. The noise was astonishing. A loud whistle, followed by an enormous pop. Some stopped dead in their tracks, gawking at what appeared in the center of the battlefield.