Sky Fall Legend

by Ivory Scott

  [Legacy of the Nova.]

  [Possessor of destiny's star.]

  [The Destiny to the left is the path of peace.]

  [A noble heart, and intense pride.]

  [This path has a real affinity with you, and is willing to guide.]

  [The Destiny to the right is the path of war.]

  [To journey is to fight, despite reason or rank.]

  [This path welcomes your potential, but disdains your heart.]

  [Choose wisely.]

  After updating his current understanding of himself, Jodye turned his attention back to the two scarlet-gold artifacts. The voice this time almost made it sound like the objects were competing for his attention. This time he indeed had to choose wisely. After sinking his perception briefly in each, he understood a bit more about these artifacts.

  On the left was an amulet called the 'Mighty Ankh,' and it was a fusion type artifact that could augment physical energy strength tremendously. The nemes headdress on the right was called the 'Pharaoh's Law' and was also a fusion type artifact. However, instead of physical energy, what it augmented mental energy strength. It also did so tremendously. Of course, this was a mere overview, he would have to establish a link with the artifacts to know the full extent of these functions.

  "To journey is to fight, despite reason or rank...this path welcomes my potential, but will disdain my strength!" In reality, Jodye Trill had already made his decision based on the compatible feeling he got from this Pharaoh's Law. In his old world, Pharaohs were the rulers of ancient Egypt. In old religion, there were even Pharaoh who were worshipped as gods from the beginning of time.

  The creators of the universe itself!

  Being here, in the Destiny Zone, made Jodye wonder if he could become similar a diety in this world. However, the young boy failed to realize that a True Pharaoh diety already existed on this planet. Merely, that would be a matter of the future.

  Once this thought of becoming a Pharaoh occurred to him, it continued to flourish unceasingly. The words that the fates had sung to him only further solidified his decision. The fate gem, or rather the destiny star, floated forward as if reading his thoughts, disappearing into the Pharaoh's Law. Space then melted away again right in front of Jodye's face. As the platform melted away, his attention was once again drawn to the crystal gate in the center.

  It almost felt as if he could still feel the gate's presence even after it vanished.

  The next thing Jodye saw was enough to utterly shock him. He floated in the void as he looked above at a massive monster with frightfully menacing sharp teeth, a scaled head with terrifyingly sharp spikes on it that resembled a vicious dinosaur, and four long whiskers that flowed magically like they were made of smoke. It was more than three kilometers tall, and hundreds of kilometers long.

  Jodye felt like a speck of dust before this powerful creature.

  This creature had shining platinum scales that looked like jewels, with golden jewel-scale patterns in the shape of thunderbolts, and an immense body with four legs with five claws on each, and four majestic wings. One pair of wings looked like pterodactyl wings with a single claw on the bridge of each, and the other pair looked like angelic wings with platinum shining feathers, that sparkled with purple and silver electricity.

  On the creature's forehead and nose were three huge platinum runic horns, like a triceratops, that sparkled with light and electric energies. It floated there, eyes closed, slowly drifting with its long body coiled, emitting an ancient and desolate pressure. This pressure actually made the obstinate and proud Jodye Trill want to drop to his knees and start worshiping this creature.

  "Dragon..."

  As he floated there in a daze, the pressure suddenly exploded and increased dramatically, as an aura of supernatural suppression started to bear down on Jodye's soul. He started screaming at the pain he felt which was the most excruciating pain he had ever felt in two lives. Even his real body begins to suddenly scream maniacally, as he twisted and turned sweating profusely, terrifying his family. Unfortunately, Jodye was currently unaware of all of this, as he was fully engaged in resisting this torturous power invading is mind and soul.

  Just when he felt like he would no longer be able to resist, he felt a strange ripple of power come from deep within. His spiritual body emitted a bright gold aura and produced pressure and presence not inferior to the one assaulting him. Suddenly, the dragon's eyes snapped open, and it let out a realm shattering mighty roar. The pressure surrounding him increased by more than tenfold! Jodye Trill now realized he was utterly doomed. What pathetic way for a young sage to go, eaten by his own combat soul.

  However, he didn't cower, even though this fusion process was nothing like how the books had described.

  "What's the use of books anyway?" Jodye was feeling disgruntled. "According to the information recorded, fusions could go one of two ways: either the combat soul is easy to cooperate with and the fusion proceeds naturally; or the combat soul doesn't want to give up its eternity, and thus, must be suppressed by soul force."

  However, even if the latter option occurred, the worst that should have happened is a backlash from fusion failure. This was definitely different, as Jodye had no doubts that if he relaxed for even an instant, he would cease to exist. This was a type of instinct that came from dying once before. He felt that if he didn't resist, then his consciousness would be erased entirely and absorbed by this terrible monster above him.

  One of them had to submit and disappear. The two souls could never co-exist now that he had chosen this artifact.

  Jodye desperately held on to the last piece of his consciousness, that seemed like it would never be destroyed. Meanwhile, the dragon tried to suppress him with all its might. He could feel the extreme rage and hostility this guy had towards him. Suddenly, he had an idea.

  "Evil dragon, stay your hand!! My name is Jodye Trill! I don't want to fight you! Or use you!" as Jodye Trill shouted, the dragon snorted and begin flapping its insanely broad wings sending chaotic gales everywhere.

  "I don't know who you are," shouted Jodye Trill, "but I will never yield! In my last life, I was born with nothing! Abandoned before I was even old enough to remember anything, and then adopted into absolute poverty! My entire life was spent pursuing my freedom! Everything I've ever cherished has always been taken away from me!"

  "I was unable to protect the only one I cared for! She was taken away from me over and over again! The humans of my time experimented on me and manipulated me. They turned me into a living weapon, a tool for war! I died understanding nothing! Achieving nothing worthy of honor!" Jodye Trill was screaming as if he had gone mad. Imperceptible to Jodye, at this moment, the gales slowed a little as he screamed on.

  "I don't give a damn who you were or how you got here! Or if you're a dragon and I'm a human, or a hero, or a god, or some lost stream of consciousness, or what the fuck ever! In this life there is only one thing I want!" screamed Jodye Trill as if possessed.

  "I want to be strong! Strong enough to tear through the limits of this universe pull her back to my side! For this strength, I will do whatever it takes!" This time when Jodye Trill finished talking the entire space started to tremble, as a royal blue headdress with gold stripes materialized to cover the crown and back of his head.

  Two parts of the cloth were hanging downwards, alongside his ears on the front side of his shoulders. On the backside, the fabric was tied together like a braid and provided with rings that were covered in runic hieroglyphs. At the top of the headdress, there was a golden crown that looked to be made of heavenly saint gold, with a Uraeus and a platinum wolf head that had eagle-like wings on the front of the crown. This was none other than the nemes headdress, Pharaoh's Law!

  However, just as Jodye was about to haphazardly make his attempt at turning the tables on this dragon, in a fantastic flare with some unknown, dazzling, and magical occurrence, the pressure instead vanished entirely.

  "Eh?" Jodye Trill was stunned as he could no longer
see the colossal form of the dragon. Instead, there was a tall and incredibly handsome caramel-brown-skinned man floating above him, and only a mere 12 meters away.

  Jodye didn't feel safe.

  However, looking at this man, he was stunned. Jodye was only attracted to women, but even so, he couldn't help but praise this immaculate creature. The man had an extraordinary bearing and was wearing stunningly beautiful platinum diamond armor that almost looked to be a part of him, yet so fashionable.

  He was also wearing luxurious gold and black robes. His pupils were like two beautiful golden lights. He wore glasses under his three platinum horns, and looked like a draconic scholar, as he stared at the young man in front of him with his emotionless face.

  "Hah..." Jodye Trill then heard a sigh that seemed like it came from some giant hiding in the void, startling him further.

  "...perhaps...this is Destiny," the Dragon Man let out a deep sigh that swept across the surrounding space. He gazed off into the void as if he was trying to find someone trillions of miles away, "To think that I too would one day be moved by this so-called destiny.

  The Dragon Man's aura suddenly decreased as his horns and armor both faded mysteriously, leaving only his fancy clothes and devilishly handsome looks. His long and straight platinum-purple hair looked a bit like lightning-covered silk and hung down to his mid-back. The Dragon Man then turned back towards Jodye and smiled gently. It was a radiant and magnificent smile, that seemed to inspire positivity across all lands in the world.

  Jodye Trill was flabbergasted. How was this the terrifying draconic demon that just tried to erase his everything?

  "My name is Janair Mazi," the Dragon Man stared Jodye directly in his eyes, "In reality, I have no one left to fight for in this world. Maybe, I envy your attachments. Perhaps, I admire your persistence."

  Janair Mazi ruminated in silence for three breathes.

  "I have also failed to protect the one closest to me. If fate commands I will not see her in the next life, why then, should I live it?" Janair Mazi sighed and turned to stare into the void once more. After a few minutes, Jodye started counting in his head and got to seven hundred before the Dragon Man spoke again.

  "Now then," Janair Mazi glanced at Jodye, "What I've gathered from this garrulous rant of yours is that you wish for strength then, yes? Peak power is something I can give to you. You are, in all honesty, not so bad to look at. A dormant infinity soul fragment unsealed...doubtless the little wolf bird doesn't even realize what he's unleashed. Not only that, you should likely be more than half complete. Thus, a fusion between us is not impossible.

  "Fusing with the cunning wolf-bird may have been smarter, though. At that point, you would no longer be considered a fragment, and I could not have tried to eat you," Janair Mazi's handsome face then turned solemn and fierce like a dragon, as his voice deepened greatly, "however, you must promise me one thing. If I submit to you, you must aid me in accomplishing the final goal of my life. I will only submit once you have made an oath on your destiny."

  "Indeed, I can not expect you to help me for nothing. I promise to help you with your request, or may my destiny fall to ruin!" Said Jodye Trill excited that this fellow had suddenly become so much more reasonable and refined. Even if Jodye had no idea what nonsense infinity fragment this crazy guy was talking about, it was better than being eaten. All dragons should be this easy to talk to.

  Of course, it would be many years before he realized just how rash he had been in this moment.

  "It is good that you think this way. You are a decisive brat. We have a deal." Said Janair Mazi with a deep frown on his face. There was a distant look in his eyes, as he lifted his left index finger which suddenly appeared right in front of Jodye's forehead. This instantly terrified him. Then Janair Mazi touched the Uraeus on Jodye's crown and disappeared in a flash of light. That Uraeus now had a magnificent horn on its head. At this moment, everything surrounding Jodye Trill again melted away, as his spiritual form faded and his consciousness was ejected the way it came. Janair Mazi's voice ringing through his mind was the last thing he heard as his consciousness faded into the void.

  "One day, in the future, when you own the supernatural strength that can slay the gods, you must help me destroy my mortal enemy! You must annihilate their entire race, down to the very last! This promise is a bond of fate!"

  There was a thunderclap in his mind, as Jodye Trill was left dumbstruck before all went black.

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  Sky Fall Legend

  Chapter twelve

  Awakening Sage

  — Saint Anubis City, several months later.

  Seeing it from a distance, this towering city was shrouded in fog and snow, and it looked like a fairyland. There were hundreds of towering skyscrapers and elegant buildings. There were golden pathways that floated in the sky, continually shifting and making new paths in an organized system. Experts could be seen in almost every inch of the city. This heavenly city was indeed the home of a Pharaoh!

  It was very late on a cold winter's night.

  Saint Anubis City covered an enormously large area of almost 500,000 sq.miles and served as the imperial capital for the Anubis Dynasty. The imperial city was separated into four significant districts. There was the Magus District, where the four Sage Families lived around Lake Nicaea, and the buildings were all grandiose and tall. There was beautiful architecture all around, and all sorts of magical array formations that made things float, or ignite, and many other things.

  Then, there was the Northern Imperial District, where the Imperial House Congo was located at the southern end of the lake, right below House Shu, and the land was littered with large imperial palaces, jackal statues, and shrines, and the vast and majestic Temple of Anubis, home of the Pharaoh. Beneath that was the Southern Imperial District, home to many Silver and Gold Rank sects, and aristocrat families. The buildings were luxurious but straightforward; and finally, the several lower districts, scattered all throughout the territory, were collectively referred to as the slums.

  All the buildings of the slums were either old and falling apart, or built by the residents with materials that they recycled out of more wreckage. In most parts of the lower district slums, one could still see lights and people out on the streets. Some were poor and stranded in the cold, while others were visiting taverns, partying, or soliciting many different "under the table" type services.

  Meanwhile, the streets of the more upscale Southern District were silent and serene, as people huddled together indoors to escape the cold. However, if one looked closely enough through the hazy moonlight, they would see many silhouettes blending in with the shadows, as they swiftly navigated through the alleyways, and back roads, all running towards the Northern District.

  Deep within a secret chamber of the most magnificent construct in the entire Saint Anubis City, the Pharaoh's temple, there were four men dressed in black hooded robes. The faces within the hoods of these robes looked out of focus, and couldn't be seen clearly. This was a common type of magical array. The four men were seated at a rather large war table, deep in conversation.

  "And little uncle, you're certain that it's your elder brother who is the traitor? This seat's...father?" the middle-aged man who spoke had a bassy, gruff, but majestic voice and sat with poise. Although his features could not be discerned, he had an imposing air that seemed to exist as naturally as the clouds, and an intense aura of death power surrounded him.

  "Indeed, great sage nephew," came a noticeably younger, but similarly majestic voice, that instead had a heroic air. He handed the middle-aged man a magic gem slip, "This is the intelligence report we received from the God Wolf's Redoubt."

  The middle-a
ged man used his soul consciousness to examine the magic slip, before frowning and passing it to the silent elder to the right of him.

  "That damn animal! He has glamoured 76 women in the imperial city alone. White Demon Castle must be suppressed at all costs!" Said the elder after scanning the magic slip with his consciousness.

  "Their security in the castle is impeccable. Approaching that force field is simply courting death," The younger man waved his hand, and curse power swirled then condensed into a 3-D projection of a floating White Castle. "This structure is built of a wondrous material that allows it to float, as long as there is enough power being supplied."

  Waving his hand again, the White Castle rotated, allowing the people at the table to examine its features.

  "These Jackal God statues are sentinels that operate by absorbing the Voodoo Death Force. While the energy they produce is actually the part of the Infinity Jackal’s divine heritage, the Death God Force," the younger man turned his head to glance at the middle-aged man again. "We believe that your father received these powerful guardians as a gift from you, yourself, great sage nephew. It is not that we doubt you. This proves that his glamour abilities have reached a truly terrifying boundary."

  The middle-aged man's face seemed to heavily darken, though no one could be sure. After a while, he released a long sigh, "If these are actually the missing Death God Statues, if Basalt truly has the means to control them, then we have no way of planning a successful invasion. We must find a way to draw him out."

  "As long as I am alive, he will emerge on his own to deal with me. His various lackeys, even the few assassins hidden inside my House, they cannot stop me. They have neither the intelligence nor the strength. He will be forced to make a move himself," said the younger man as he stood up, placing his hand on the shoulder of his companion who was rising up with him.

  "At that time, we will invade his shadow and begin the first phase of our plan. We have paid an astronomical price to get the Lady of the Mist to participate in this plan. Merely, you see what she has had to endure. I was even forced to seal her memories and change her identity, all to avoid detection. I have a feeling that his end goal is somehow related to her. His obsession with her, however, can be used to our advantage..."