together at the thumbs and created a blue blade of energy.
Alzio grinned and performed the same gesture with his hands; fiery, black and red blades of energy forming in both his hands.
Anerius flew back and formed his own weapon, looking on in surprise at Alzio’s formed of dark magik. “Be wary Saros, he uses dark magik now.”
“I care not,” Saros said. “Anyone who betrays the Order must be punished.
“Confident as always,” Alzio said, “However, you will be slain by me as you are not part of my plans.”
“We shall soon see!”
“Saros, wait!” Anerius shouted as Saros launched himself towards Alzio, attacking him with a flurry of slashes—his blade moving so fast it would have looked like a fan to the untrained eye. Anerius teleported into the fray and joined in, his blade and Saros’ crossing with Alzio’s.
Alzio chuckled as he dodged the attacks then teleported behind Saros, sending the neophyte propelling backward into the wall from a sudden burst of dark, fiery energy.
“Saros!” Anerius yelled, receiving no reply as his partner’s body lay on the ground in a heap.
A menacing slash by Alzio halted his distraction, which though he blocked, sent him sprawling across the floor.
“I always taught you to keep your guard up Anerius!”
“You... how could you…”
“He is not dead, merely unconscious. Shall I finish him off?” Alzio asked, extending his palm outwards towards Saros’ body. A dark mist formed along Alzio’s arm which coalesced into a dark ball of fire.
“No!” Anerius shouted to the chuckling Alzio before swiftly launching a flurry of menacing fiery balls at his old master. Alzio extended his hand to the oncoming flames and absorbed them within the dark ball of energy which expanded and swirled like a black hole.
“W... what manner of dark magik have you been working with?” Anerius asked looking at the dark energy.
“Dark magik gives true power Anerius, you may very well work with the elements created in the universe, but dark magik works with the powers that precedes the universe... do you understand, Anerius?” Alzio queried before snuffing out the dark energy and teleporting before Anerius. He recreated his dark blades and launched swift slashes at the young mage who created his own blade just in time to defend himself from the onslaught—however being overpowered at every movement until he was backed into a corner.
“No living being can control that power! that is why the order sealed away its secrets!” Anerius yelled, launching a fireball at Alzio which he absorbed within his dark blade.
“You are wrong Anerius. The Ita learned to harness the power of darkness billions of years ago, before their banishment. The same power I used to control the comet, the fools of the Order think they can stop it, but there is only way to stop its course,” he said, grinning maliciously as he skilfully, almost playfully duelled against Anerius, outmatching him at every turn, sending him sprawling again across the floor.
He quickly saw the expression on Anerius’ face, the look of shock and bewilderment. “You must kill me to stop the comet, can you?”
“I will... do what I have to in order to protect those who cannot protect themselves.”
“Ah, so noble. Know however, that the only way you can stop me is to use dark magik.”
“I will never.”
“You know you can. All those lessons spent with me learning to suppress the darkness within yourself. You are closer to it than you think, Anerius. Will you use it to your advantage?”
“I found other ways to suppress it... better ways.”
“Ah, the Chancellor’s daughter,” Alzio said with a grin, drinking in Anerius’ expression of surprise. “Did you think I would not find out about your nightly escapades from the temple to see her? Though it was forbidden, I said nothing of it to the order’s elders. I have always cared or you Anerius. She is here, will she survive the comet I wonder?”
“Alzio stop this madness!”
“As I told you, you must defeat me. However, without the darkness’ aid there is no way you can do so. Join me Anerius, I can open a whole new world of possibilities for you which the order could never provide! The secret power of the Ita can too be yours... use it to crush the Yenari who took everything away from you.”
“N-never... that is not the way..." Anerius said, clutching his arm as he tried to get up. Alzio teleported and appeared over him, a look of disappointment on his face.
"I did all this to bring you here, and you refuse my offer, pity... pity... pity..." Alzio raised his hand upward, the dark blade poised over his head. “I found you as an orphaned boy. I saw your great potential and took you in, gave you a new life... a new purpose all for this day. It is because of the Fellowship your parents died, you owe them nothing. You owe the Yenari death, but refuse. Will you now let the only other person you have loved die as well?”
The blade was ready to strike. In a moment, it would be all over.
Anerius closed his eyes as he frantically tried to connect with the elemental energies. He failed to connect with them; neither fire, air, water, earth nor the cosmic element embraced him—he felt abandoned by the forces he once knew so well—his mind raced; panicked, feelings of disbelief assailing him, hopelessness filling him.
He thought of Aura, her smile, her embrace. He saw a vision of her dying by the comet’s collision—fading away... losing her just like he lost those close to him. He thought of the Yenari, and how he loathed them; their destruction, malice and hostility which spread across the galaxy like a plague. A new emotion filled him.
Anger.
An anger which had been held in for many years. It took him to a dark place within his mind, a place he had before seen in his meditations and which he never wished to see again. His eyes flew open, fully blackened like the endless expanse of space.
As Alzio’s blade descended his eyes flew open suddenly, a loud grunt escaping his lips—his body becoming engulfed by a powerful force. A force familiar to him. A dark force. He laughed loudly as his body flew across the room and through the large window. Glass shattering... bones breaking…
Anerius panted, his hand outstretched and eyes returning to their normal appearance. He shook his head and looked at his hand, fear creeping through him like he had never felt before.
All Anerius could think of was the feeling of darkness... of the immense power that had flood him at that moment, as he looked from his now shaking hand to Saros who groaned.
“Saros, are you okay?” Anerius asked as he struggled to stand.
“I am…” Saros said, though Anerius could tell he was lying. “Alzio... where…”
“Keep your breath, Brother,” Anerius said as he walked over to the window and looked down where Alzio’s body lay motionless several feet below.
“Dead?” Saros asked, clutching his arm.
“...so it would seem,” Anerius replied. He then tapped the left side of his hood, “Evi, s-show the comet’s trajectory.” At his behest, the hologram showed up, displaying what took him by surprise.
“The comet’s trajectory has changed, it is returning to its normal orbit,” Evi replied.
“Good... please umm... please open a channel to Master Garris.”
Anerius waited patiently, trying to still his breath. He dared not look down at his old master’s body—his old master who saved him as a child, who taught him everything he knew, who he thought of as a father...and who he just killed.
The communication link sounded.
“Master Garris... the mission is complete…”
“Excellent, I received confirmation from the Chancellor that his delegation arrived safely,” Garris said. “Was there any trouble, Anerius?”
“Master—I mean, Alzio was the one behind the attacks... we fought him and Saros got injured…”
“Alzio? Where is he now?”
“Dead.”
“Dead?... how?”
“I... I slayed him.”
“You?... you
slew Alzio?” Garris asked making no effort to hide the disbelief in his voice. “How were you able to—”
“I... I caught him off guard.” Anerius said. There was no way he could tell Master Garris he used dark magik. How could he?
“I see. Where are you now? Send me the coordinates and I will have a team come pick you both up, Anerius... Anerius?” Anerius heard Master Garris’ voice as though it were a distant thought. Another voice filled his mind; stronger... sinister.
You are now initiated into the darkness... a son of the Ita... the galaxy will eventually come to know your name... hahahahaha…
He heard Alzio’s voice say within his mind. Anerius’ body went numb. His mind became completely frozen in disbelief as he looked to the ground below, where minutes before, Alzio’s body had previously lain.
THE END
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Star Mages: The Dark Initiation Page 4