Chapter 2: Ajal; Vagril 4th, 343SR; 22:40
"We've arrived at the ideal re-entry point," a mechanical voice announced. "Calculating altitude, approximately, ten thousand miles. Fuel capacity at... Sixty-five percent. Entering standby."
"Did Astora and Alexa jam their sensors?" Enma asked.
"Yeah, no one will detect us up here, or down there... Autopilot, commence re-entry... Full power to..." Ajal paused for a moment. "Full power to the engines, maximize voyistus usage..."
"Affirmative. Rerouting fuel supply. All passengers, for your safety, please remain seated during the re-entry process. Use of voyistus has been authorized. Deploying pressure shield, the hull must remain sealed during this time. Re-entering Imperion's atmosphere in... Five seconds..." the autopilot counted down.
"Are... You sure?" Enma asked hesitantly. "We don't need to use that... We have enough fuel... And... We can take our time, we don't have to rush-"
"Enma... It's alright..." Ajal sighed. "I just want to get this over with... If we use voyistus, we can be there in a few minutes... I can't stand seeing the place we grew up in like this... The sooner Anor is dead, the better..."
Enma looked down, the dropship rumbled as it travelled parallel to Imperion's rings. The sun peaked over the edge of the planet's curve, the blue gradient becoming flatter as the ship descended. They approached a circular storm of clouds, split by what appeared like slivers of hair. 'The skyscrapers reach that high now? You can almost see them from orbit... I used to dream about how tall those buildings would get... Thinking I'd touch the stars one day... Now no can see past the smog...'
"Now approaching Solron, Karna district... Destination... Solkaz Towers," the autopilot echoed through the ship. "Altitude, eight thousand miles."
At the center of the storm, Solron's Celestial stood tall. The majestic pillar was just over six miles in length even while rooted almost a quarter of a mile underground. Off in the distance, Ajal could see Radion's Celestial just beyond the curve.
"Altitude, six thousand miles."
A glass of wine on the table rattled as the ship shifted its speed. The autopilot adjusted the flight path steadily against the forces in the atmosphere and avoided debris at the same time. Ajal reached for the glass of wine. He held the thin stem, swirling the maroon liquid in the bowl.
"Altitude, four thousand miles."
Ajal brought the rim close, a sweet smell filled his nose. Upon taking a sip, his mouth was overpowered by a tangy sweetness, and then a bitter aftertaste. It would normally be repulsive, however in that moment, he found it relieving. He tipped the glass, gulping down the rest of the pungent wine.
"Altitude, two thousand miles."
"It's been a long day..." Ajal sighed as he pulled the zipper on his collar down.
Ajal reached for a small device on the counter, a clip used for communication. He detached the earphone and then put it on, then clipped the microphone to his collar. The dropship approached the city of Solron, a dense urban jungle buried in a sea of smog. Waves of thick clouds drifted past the skyscrapers like a grey ocean. From this distance, the buildings that breached the surface were like jagged spires. Ajal squinted at it, blaming himself while twitching with silent acquiescence.
"Altitude, one thousand miles. Pressure shield adjusting, reducing speed."
The wheel turned on its own, and the entire ship shifted sideways, travelling over the buildings silently. The dropship lowered above one of the taller buildings in the city. Enma reached for a green button that lit up as they passed an altitude of one hundred miles.
"Don't land, I'm the only one getting off here," Ajal stood and pulled his mantle over his shoulders.
Enma wore black pants, and a dark grey vest that reached down to his knees. It was standard uniform within the Imperial military, Ajal wore the same. It provided both durability and mobility, while being comfortable to wear. Over his shoulders was an Imperial mantle, a white cape with a collar made from the white fur of tundra wolves. Ajal noticed Enma sweating profusely, he was scratching his red hair while his orange eyes were wavering. Ajal doubted himself for a moment.
"I'll give Anor your regards," said Ajal.
"Huh... Just because I learned from him, doesn't mean I care for that scumbag!" Enma suddenly snapped. "He's family, but..."
Ajal didn't expect the sudden reaction. "Sorry..."
"Don't apologize... I know this is hard for you too... I'd do it myself, believe me... But after everything they've done to you... I know how much you want this..."
Ajal looked down, then walked towards the door.
"Hey... Wait-" said Enma, Ajal turned. "Look, I... Sorry, never mind, it's nothing..."
Ajal reached forward, hesitating for a moment before grasping Enma's shoulder. His eyes were hidden behind his bangs, and his usual confident expression was replaced with one of anxious concern. Ajal's other hand clenched into a fist, pressing his nails into his own palm.
"We have arrived at the destination. Altitude, three point five miles."
"It'll all be over after this. I'll carry the burden..." Ajal promised as he left the room.
Ajal closed the door behind him as he entered the narrow hallway. There were two rooms on each side, and a door across from him leading to a small armory at the back of the ship. Ajal passed by the first room on the left, and looked through the glass window.
Inside the room, Aria was sitting on her bed, holding a black and white tome. She kept her head low, her blue hair covering the upper half of her face. Ajal was about to enter, but hesitated. 'I can't even imagine how she's taken the last few days... The fall of Braxus is where this all started...' Another sliver of regret crept over Ajal, he shut his eyes and turned away.
The room adjacent to Aria's was occupied by Kadyr, the door was left open as per usual while he sat in meditation. 'Kadyr's own people imprisoned him because of the archbishops...' Kadyr's thumb and index finger trembled as they touched. His breaths were rhythmic, but his growls grew louder. He suddenly grunted and snarled. The grey half-wolf pulled off his silver mask, and threw it at the wall. It ricocheted off, then bounced against the floor, spinning till it faced Ajal. The mask resembled the skull of a wolf. Kadyr hunched over, holding his forehead as he leaned against his elbow. Ajal didn't want to further disturb him, he continued through the hall to the next two rooms.
Ajal heard someone sob on the left, he looked inside and saw Kono and Crystal sitting next to each other. Tears fell from Kono's eyes, under her black haired there was dried blood on her face. She rubbed the tears off as she huffed, unable to control her pain echoing through the hallway. 'Kono...' Ajal felt his heart ache as he listened to his disciple cry. Crystal held her close, her light blue eyes also full of pain. There was blood on her white hair. She looked up and noticed Ajal in the hallway, her light blue eyes narrowed and lifeless. Crystal's brow furrowed, she shook her head. Ajal lightly nodded as he turned to the last room.
On the right was a clean white bed, and on the left was a table where Gale sat, wiping blood off a single edged straight sword. His green hair was combed to the left, his bangs covering that side of his face. He was tall and lanky, his appearance often misled people's sense of him. His five foot long sword had a long green handle, and a golden guard resembling a cloud. Gale usually looked calm, but his blood stained hands made that tranquility feel like apathy.
"Are you heading out soon?" Gale asked while still focused on the blade.
"Yeah. Everyone seems tense..." said Ajal.
"Yeah..." Gale's eyes narrowed.
Gale picked up the sword and angled the edge towards the ceiling, he analyzed the reflection of his eye in the blade. He let out a sigh, then stood, turned, and rested the sword on his shoulder. The tip of the blade scratched the ceiling, the two of them looked up awkwardly at the scratch.
Ajal shook his head while he grinned. "Don't tear through the hull..."
"Why are you worried, it's not like you have to care about the vacuum of space..." Gale smirked.
"Yeah I'd live, but it'd still suck... And should I not be concerned about the rest of you getting brain damage from the lack of oxygen?"
"Heh..." Gale's smile faded, but his gaze remained soft. "There's... A saying in Bree, Ustat always said it years ago... That the wind carries our star dust till it fades, waiting to come together once again, to be brighter than before... The only reason I chose to follow you... Was because something about you shined... Even though you were dyed in the most darkness... So, even if you think you've lost yourself... I'll carry that light with me, for as long as I can..."
"Heh... Where'd that come from..." Ajal shook his head. "You thought that of me while you were talking all that shit, huh?"
"Don't worry, I'm not taking any of that back."
"I wouldn't want you too... But... Thank you, seriously... It mean's a lot..." Ajal turned and walked back towards the corridor, but he stopped outside the door. "How many people were guarding the-"
"Ajal... Don't falter," Gale closed the door.
Ajal looked down, his eyes filled with guilt as he clenched his fist. He turned to his right and walked through the last door. The armory was much wider, with seats lining the sides of the room. Moonlight flooded through an open hatch that served as the ship's entrance and exit. A cool breeze slipped through the armory, the air was crisp above the clouds. Titan sat on the left, the massive man took up two seats. Ava stood at the edge of the ship, gazing at the full moon.
Titan sat with his arms crossed and his hood covering his head, but he looked up as Ajal walked in. He wore a silver mask with just a single hole on the right side, a red light glowing within. A silver halberd rested on his shoulder. His imperial uniform covered most of his hulking form, but his exposed mechanical limbs caught Ajal's eye. Even without the mask, Titan was always hard to read. But right now, his spirit was burning with unquenchable fury. 'Maybe Titan wouldn't have become this... You've lost the most... I was only thirteen when I met you and Gale... Over two hundred and fifty years all just feels like a blink looking back...'
Ajal looked down and saw Ryu, a boy with blue eyes and hair. 'Ryu's almost seventeen now... He's aging faster than most ethereals...' Ajal felt a sharp pain in his chest, he remembered the day he pulled the boy out of the abyss. He shuddered, the gut wrenching guilt was unbearable to think about. Ryu's spirit, Antiri, manifested, an abyssal dragon formed from blue bolts of lightning. It coiled around the young ethereal's right arm, standing up right and baring its fangs.
"If you're nervous, Antiri will be too," Ajal crouched down next to Ryu.
Ryu's head jolted, Ajal was taken aback by his sudden reaction. 'Uh...' The young ethereal's face was full of worry, and the dragon glared at him in disappointment. Antiri tightened its long tail around Ryu's arm, hissing, keeping its head low, and gritting its sharp teeth. Ryu cringed at the pain, until Antiri disappeared on her own.
"Don't... Be upset... If you didn't get it this time, just try again when you're feeling better," Ajal awkwardly tried to encourage him.
Ajal ruffled Ryu's soft hair, but he simply stood up and walked through the door. Ajal's hand lowered as his fingers trembled. 'Dammit...' Titan stood and walked past Ajal. He stopped right next to him, then offered his hand. Ajal declined and stood up on his own, only for Titan to grasp his shoulder with his cold metal hand.
"Lift your head, it's time for this age to end..." Titan spoke slowly, his tone was deep and robotic. "Steel yourself, we will begin a better one..."
"Yeah..." Ajal made a slight smile toward the man made of metal.
Ava's short purple hair flapped in the wind, she pulled a strand behind her ear. She stopped dazing off at the moon some time ago, her vivid eyes read every emotion Ajal tried to hide. She stood just taller than six feet, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, her feet inches away from the edge.
"You seem rather chipper," Ava closed one eye and tilted her head.
"I wish..." Ajal sighed. "I wish I had done this a long time ago... Before anything went wrong... Before anyone was lost..."
"Yeah... Who wouldn't..." Ava's smile flipped.
Ajal stood next to her, inches away from edge. The ship was directly above the square roof of the Solkaz building. Murky clouds obscured the depths of the city, their capes flapped in the strong wind. Sparkles in the smog shimmered off the moonlight.
"Everyone is on edge," Ajal frowned. "The Imperials will rule after Anor is dead. It's... A lot of change, and it's all happening so fast..."
A purple tail extended off Ava's back and coiled around Ajal and herself, pulling him to face her. "Everything we did, and everything we will do... It's for the future, our future. We all know this and we don't need to burden it alone... Peace requires sacrifice..."
"I don't want that. We've all lost too many people for the sake of peace... I can't allow that to continue... Anor will be the last."
Ava gazed deeply into Ajal, her anxious eyes had every shade of purple gradating through it. Ajal held her close, and she tilted her head. Their eyes narrowed as they got closer. Her soft lips pecked his first, then he pushed forward and kissed her. Ava wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him forward, tightly embracing him. After several seconds, she slowly pushed him away.
"I can taste wine..." Ava frowned. "You're in pain..."
"Heh..." Ajal sighed as he pushed his forehead gently against hers. "After today, I'll only open a bottle for good meals and celebration... And sometimes, just the two of us."
Ava stepped back with an innocent smile, her cheeks flushed while her eyes quivered. Ajal smiled as he let go of her hands, taking a step backward off the ship, and falling toward the building. He flipped once in the air, before landing on one knee. The thick clouds around the roof spread out from the impact. Ajal took a deep breath as he looked forward at the rancid sea of fumes. 'I will end the archbishop's tyranny tonight...'
The blue ship slowly turned, '#78-MC Imperial Dragoon' was written along the right side. The thrusters spewed blue flames, propelling the dropship forward. The sound of the thrusters soon disappeared as it descended into the abyss of clouds. Ajal opened a door on the roof, revealing a stairwell into the building. He clicked the device on his collar as he made his way down.
The device emitted a transparent blue hologram in front of him, displaying a grid with the numbers zero to nine. Ajal punched in a sequence of numbers while he walked down the dirty stairs. A scent like urine stung his nose, his steps echoing through the vast stairwell.
"Hello?" Ajal heard a brittle old man's voice from the earphone.
"Good evening uncle, how are you doing? I hope you've been well," Ajal spoke with fake hospitality.
"Ah, Ajal... It's been some time, how are you doing my boy?"
"I was just calling to confirm if you'd be attending the ceremony tomorrow?"
The device simultaneously displayed a holographic map of the city. A red dot pulsed on the display, the signal was several blocks from the building Ajal was in.
"Yes, yes, don't worry I got the invitation. How are Shin and Enma doing? I haven't seen them since they left Solron," the Archbishop asked.
Ajal reached a door with the elevator symbol painted on it and walked through. He entered a narrow hallway, it reeked of dirty oil and garbage. A man in ragged dark clothing sat on the ground on the right side of the hallway, he held a filtration mask loosely between his fingers. Ajal reached into his pocket and fiddled around, feeling a small stack of coins.
"They're good, they haven't changed much, that might be for the worse when it comes to Enma..." Ajal laughed.
"That hot-headed boy will never change," the archbishop chuckled. "Who else will attend the ceremony?"
Ajal dropped the money on the man's lap, startling him but promptly leaving him surprised. Ajal didn't bother to count it, continuing down the hall and walking into the elevator. He clicked the button with an arrow that pointed down, the door closed, a bell dinged, and a metallic whir started to hum.
"The other archbishops will be attending as well," Ajal lied.
Ajal put one finger on the blue hologram and turned the map, changing the display to a side view of the city. The red dot that had appeared was now near the bottom of the display, while Ajal's position was much higher. The walls of the elevator were dyed with blue light.
"Anyways, I don't want to keep you, it's late. I just wanted to confirm your attendance so we can organize the banquet. Have a great night Anor, I'll see you tomorrow," Ajal concluded as he pressed the button for the tenth floor.
"You too my friend, oh, and we won't be forgetting the tributes for Ra, our beautiful city requires prosperity after all," Anor chuckled before coughing raggedly.
Ajal hung up, his stomach turned and his brow twitched. He glared up at a panel in the elevator that displayed the current floor number, he was at forty. Ajal clicked a button on his collar and it reopened the number pad. He punched in a new code, and then waited for an answer.
"I'm listening," Gale picked up.
"Anor is in the church. I'm heading in, tell the others to be ready, you're moving in as soon as Ryu takes out the lights," Ajal ordered.
"Got it," Gale responded quickly.
"That old bastard, he's planning on tributing more innocent people," Ajal spoke into the device as he walked down the hall.
"Well, that's what we're here to do, to put an end to him and this cycle," said Gale.
"Yeah..."
Ajal stopped at the tenth floor, entering a dark empty lounge. The light from outside bounced off the surface of the circular tables evenly spaced around the room. Ajal walked between them to the glass door that led outside, opening them and squinting at the strong winds. The snow fell into the depths of the city. The tops and bottoms of the buildings were lost in the clouds above and below. The buzz from hover car engines could be heard all around, zipping by for miles in every direction. Lights from signs reflected off the snow and filled the fog with vibrant neon colors, it was difficult to see even a short distance ahead. Ajal stood over the edge of the balcony on the tenth floor, lowering to one knee and placing his hand just over the ledge covered in snow. 'Dark Passage.' A black and white flame appeared on his hand. He placed his palm on the ledge, leaving a patch of the flame in the same spot. Ajal stood up and clicked the device on his collar.
"It's time. Ryu, cut the lights," Ajal ordered.
After a few seconds, a bright blue light flashed high up above somewhere else in the city. The glass behind Ajal rattled as the thunder clap reached his ears, the lights all slowly began to turn off. The snow that reflected bright colors were now just white flakes in a sea of darkness. The hum of electrical circuits came to an abrupt stop.
The main road below split the buildings in front of him, giving him a straight path to the church. Ajal stepped off the edge and dropped into the fog, descending fearlessly to the streets below while picking up speed. The wind pressed against his face. His hair whipped back in forth in every direction, he put his arms to his side and began to dive even faster. A vertical line split the middle of his forehead and his skin pulled to the sides to reveal a purple third eye. Ajal listened to his cape flail in the wind, the strong gusts made him feel relaxed rather than tense. He didn't see the ground, only the fog a short distance away. As the ground became visible, his third eye flashed purple. 'Dark Terminus!' Instead of crashing into the ground, he teleported to the mark he left at the tenth floor of the Solkaz building.
The momentum from the fall propelled Ajal through the air. He soared horizontally between the buildings and toward the church, descending as he slowed down. After a few seconds, the back up generators across the city activated, lights in the city started to turn back on. He stretched out his hand, and focused his vast spirit. A black shadow spilled out of Ajal's palm and stretched into the shape of a scythe. 'Spirit...' Ajal clutched it with both hands while he flew, holding it above his head. 'Ignition!' Ajal swung the scythe down, the spirit ignition strengthened his swing. The fog split to the sides in front of him as a slice echoed through the silence. The force of the slash crashed through the wall of the church, spreading the fog out as the impact echoed through the streets. Ajal landed feet first in deep snow, the air was intoxicated by the pungent smell of the sewer. Chunks of the building crashed down around him, filling the foggy streets with dust.
Ajal walked through the opening and into the nave of the church. The snow on his boots left dark prints over the red rug. Multiple followers of the church were already in a panic from the crash, they cowered in fear at the sight of the eight-foot man with three eyes. They all wore grey robes, a common uniform the followers of the church were made to wear. Ajal closed his third eye as he walked past the citizens and up the stairs toward the archbishop. 'Where are his guards... It doesn't matter, it just makes this easier...'
Anor was a wrinkly old man, with long messy grey hair and saggy eyes. He wore white robes, decorated with red and yellow circles near the edges. Anor reached for his staff, but Ajal held it down with his foot. The old man was shocked at the sight of the person he had just spoken to a few minutes earlier.
"Good evening Anor," Ajal greeted him with a livid glare.
Ajal approached the old man with his scythe in hand. The civilians attempted to run through the opening however, they stopped as more figures clad in Imperial uniforms entered the church. Ava, Titan, Ryu, Gale, Kono, Crystal, Aria, Kadyr, and Enma blocked the followers at the entrance.
"What is the meaning of this Ajal! We just spoke!" Anor cried.
"With your death, Imperion can welcome its new future," Ajal replied with a cold smile. "A future where people don't have to suffer just for your benefit..."
"What- Then... The others-" Anor grimaced as his rage boiled. "You call this peace? Destroying my temple! Ra will not stand for such-" Ajal lifted his scythe, and Anor cowered.
"Your actions are a disgrace to Ra. I can't see why he would care about your temple. His followers needlessly die here, believing their sacrifice will bring prosperity for Solron, except they only contribute to the ongoing industrialization of their home."
"You- You knew?!" Anor's voice shook with his whole body. "I mean- Ajal, please! Come to your senses! I- I've always been there for you! I raised you! Like a son!"
"You make me sick... Using me and my team to profit off voyistus for years... And to do what... Turn our home into this... Disgusting excuse for progress! The people of Solron don't need middlemen between Ra or any of the demigods, you and your temple are just frauds. The people of Imperion deserve bet-"
"I am an asset to the Imperial higher-ups!" Anor screamed. "Shin will be the next king! What do you think he will do when he finds out what you've done!"
"Shin and Enma wanted me to kill you..." Ajal revealed, Anor's expression sank. "They send their regards... They value life after all, more than anyone else I know. But me... After everything you've done... After everyone whose suffered because of you... I'm glad that you'll be the last person I ever kill."
"Wai-" Anor tried to speak, but couldn't get the word out before Ajal's blade glided through his neck.
The body of the old man fell onto its side, his head dropped onto the floor with a thud. After a few seconds, smoke rose from the corpse, forming into a ball, and glowing more yellow as the substance collected. The ball of light in front of Ajal shone brightly, its beautiful radiance illuminated the room riddled with destruction. 'Even the soul of the worst scumbag is still this bright...' As all the light from the archbishops body collected, it cracked like glass and crumbled into the air. Under where the ball of light once shone, lay the corpse of Anor Ranad. A cold breeze from outside scraped over Ajal's skin, and his scythe vanished. He turned and walked toward the exit.
"Don't let the followers leave. Word of what happened here can't get out yet," Ajal ordered, he clicked the device on his collar. "Shin, it's over, Anor is dead..."
"Excellent," Shin replied.
Ajal waited for several seconds, but Shin didn't say anything else. Ajal raised an eyebrow, he felt confused. He clicked the device again.
"Hey, what about the followers... Shin? You there?" Ajal turned once more but heard no response. "Did I lose the signal?"
Screams of terror suddenly filled the room. Ajal quickly looked over his shoulder to see the source of the noise. He was shocked to see his friends attack the captive followers at the front of the church. Titan ruthlessly plunged his halberd through a woman. Ava's tail extended out of her back, wrapping around a man's throat. She choked him with a cold glare, watching his legs flail calmly until snapping his neck. Ajal's eyes widened. 'Huh-' Ryu raised his hand toward another child. The dragon Antiri rose off his arm, spitting a bolt of lightning that pierced through the child, vaporizing them into nothing. Ryu didn't even flinch as the burned remains of the child fell against the floor.
"What are you doing?!" Ajal yelled.
'Dark Abyss!' A wave extended out of his third eye, sapping the color out of everything it passed over. Everything the wave touched, nullified the ether of the Celestial. Ava's tail vanished, and so did Antiri. 'Is someone controlling them?! But who?!' The wave receded back into Ajal's head. However, Gale still proceeded to stab his sword through a young man, then twisted it as he pushed it in further. The man tried to reach for the blade but Gale tore it out of him. The old man fell to the ground, reaching for his terrified family in that fleeting moment. Ajal remained speechless, frozen in front of Anor Ranad's corpse. 'It's not a gift? They aren't... Being controlled?'
"Hey, stop-" Ajal was cut off as Aria clapped her hands together.
A circle of light surrounded the dying man's family. 'Aria... Wait-' It erupted into a bright white inferno, the silhouette of the family crumbled within as they were burned to a crisp. Aria's bangs covered her eyes as the light dissipated. Weak pleas croaked from their charred corpses.
A horrified young girl among the followers, no older than twelve looked around in panic. She quickly grasped her younger brother's hand and hopelessly tried to run. Enma noticed, then ran after them. Two bright red wings of flame sprouted off his back, propelling him forward. He grabbed the two children who tried to run and flew to the top of the room. 'Hey... Wait... Enma... Don't...' Ajal watched in disbelief as Enma let them go from that height, the bodies of the two young children spun slowly in the air. Their cries echoed through the room.
"No!" Ajal roared.
Ajal dashed forward as fast as he could. Enma changed course toward him. 'I can save them!' Ajal jumped upward, catching the young girl and holding her close to his chest. She clung to his left side, huffing frantically with shut eyes. As soon as he hit the ground he crouched down and took a short breath. Then immediately lunged for the younger brother. However, Enma closed in on Ajal before he could reach the boy.
"Enma! Stop!" Ajal pleaded desperately.
Enma dived in, red flame igniting over his boots. 'Shit!' Enma pressed both his feet into Ajal's right shoulder. The fire washed over him, burning him while he blocked. He tried to shield the girl, but she shrieked at the flames touch. Enma emitted more flame off his back, increasing the force and heat. Ajal's eyes widened as Enma focused his spirit on his legs, igniting his spirit and pressing forward. The red flame on his feet flared, and Ajal was launched across the church.
"Rgh!" Ajal grunted as his shoulder burned.
Ajal pulled the girl close to his chest, before crashing through a wall and tumbling into a dark room at the back of the church. Ajal coughed in pain, looking up only to see specs of dust flying in the light from the room he was just in. The specs glowed red, slowly becoming brighter. Flames had spread to the junk, setting the room ablaze. 'Dark Abyss!' Ajal's third eye released a wave that surrounded him and the little girl, extinguishing the flames.
Ajal looked down to see if the girl was okay. She had blonde hair and fair skin. Her white eyes were wide open, her pupils rolled back. Her terrified expression shocked Ajal, a cold guilt flooded over him as his eyebrows furrowed. The flames had burned the sleeve on her right arm up to her shoulder, leaving a red scar up to the right side of her face. His hands trembled as he checked her pulse.
'She's alive... She's alive... The other-' Ajal looked through the hole in the wall, only to see her brother's mangled body on the ground. The child's legs took the brunt of the impact from the way the femur stuck out of his thigh, one of his arms was bent backward. Ajal looked away, lifting the small girl, and wrapping his mantle around her tightly. There was a large wooden box tipped over onto its side. Ajal opened it and gently placed the little girl within it. He couldn't take his eyes away from her terrified face, he closed the box and covered it with a cloth.
"They wont find you..." Ajal whispered with grit teeth, he looked up and walked back into the church. "I'm so sorry..."
Bloody corpses littered the floor. Men, women, and even children all lay lifeless at the front of the church, light rising from their bodies. Ajal looked down at the remains of the child he failed to save, and just like the others, light drifted out of his body as well. It collected into the shape of a ball, cracked, then faded into the air.
"I was hoping this would be the last time I saw this..." Ajal explained as he watched the lights around the room fade.
Titan pulled his silver halberd out of a corpse and whipped the blood off it before he took a stance. Ava walked to the left side of the church while Enma went the other way. Gale took a stance next to Titan. Aria and Kadyr stayed near the entrance, the two of them making signs with their hands as they prepared their spirit. Crystal rolled up her left sleeve, revealing an arm made of ice. She stood by Ryu and Kono between the front and back lines.
"Why would you do this..." Ajal asked with a somber tone. "Anor was already dead... There was no need to kill the followers of the church..."
None of them responded. Each of them looked directly at Ajal with calm expressions. Ajal gulped, it was unnerving, he almost felt like they saw someone else where he stood. His third eye flashed purple, a black scythe manifested out of his palm. 'Why aren't they saying anything...'
"Do none of you feel a thing... Do you not feel anything after that..." Ajal gripped his scythe and readied himself to fight, but his hand trembled. "Do you not feel anything at the thought of killing me as well..."
Titan jumped forward, he closed the distance quickly despite his size and swung his halberd down. Ajal raised his scythe and parried the blow, Titan stumbled backward. Ajal quickly spun his scythe in his hand and repositioned before he cleaved upwards. 'Spirit Ignition!' Titan quickly guarded, but the force from Ajal's strike knocked the large man off his feet. Gale dashed from under the airborne Titan and slashed upward. Ajal swung his scythe down, and the two clashed, their weapons grinding against each other. Ajal looked Gale dead in the eyes, he still had a blank face.
Titan landed on his feet, then quickly dashed to the right past Ajal. 'My blind spot-' Gale kicked Ajal back as wind spiralled around his blade. In the corner of Ajal's eye, he saw Enma take flight. Gale raised his sword and swung down, launching a blade of wind. 'Gale and Ava are the best at spirit arts!' Ajal dodged to the left, but his third eye throbbed. He quickly leaned back, just barely dodging Titan's diagonal slash. Ajal somersaulted backward with the momentum, focusing his spirit into the back of his foot. 'Spirit... Ignition!' Ajal struck Titan in the face in the middle of the flip. The smack echoed across the room, Titan's mask flew off as his feet left the ground, revealing a metallic skull fused with his real one. His mechanical red eye stayed locked onto Ajal as he crashed through a wall and flew outside. Ajal's third eye throbbed again while he stood on his hands. Gale swung horizontally to sever his arms. Ajal pushed off the ground, dodging the slash and flipping in the air as he raised his scythe with both hands. Before Ajal could swing down, he felt Enma's feet press into his kidney. 'Guh!' Ajal gasped as he was launched to the other side of the church. Before he hit the ground, he flipped in mid-air, dragging his feet against the ground to stop.
"Enma..." Ajal hissed.
Blue light flooded the room and caught his attention. Ryu's dragon Antiri grew to a colossal size, breaking through the roof of the building as it peered down at Ajal. She let out a thunderous roar as sparks of blue lightning acted as its scales. 'Shit...' The dragon charged towards him. He attempted to jump, but stopped as he felt a sharp pain pierce his right thigh. He looked down to see two of Kono's knives stuck in his leg. 'Shit-' He didn't have time to think as Antiri charged forward, destroying the wooden floor and pillars in its path.
The snake-like dragon opened its massive maw. 'Dark Abyss!' The black and white wave expanded outwards out of his third eye. As it reached Antiri, the dragon disappeared and revealed Ryu who had been in the dragon's forehead. The little boy tumbled forward, rolling against the ground only to get knocked out by a quick strike from the back of Ajal's scythe. 'Even Ryu is coming at me for the kill...' Ajal looked down at his thigh, wincing as he pulled the two knives out.
'Where did Kono attack fro-?' Ajal's attention was stolen as Gale flew straight to his right, immediately following up with a flurry of slashes. Ajal dashed back, but a spiral of wind beneath Gale's foot caused him to glide over the ground. He pursued Ajal relentlessly, their blades smashing against each other. Each whistle behind their slashes was complimented by a metallic clash echoing across the church. Despite redirecting all of Gale's strikes, razor sharp gusts of wind slipped past and made shallow cuts over his body.
"Tsk!" Ajal smacked his teeth as a blade of wind sliced through his finger, lip, and then his ear.
'Spirit-' Ajal spun his scythe around himself, redirecting Gale's wind and slashes. 'Ignition!' Gale's eyes widened as Ajal swung upward, knocking the blade out of his hand and into the ceiling. Ajal raised his scythe to strike, but a chill ran down his spine. Ajal turned the blade away, slamming Gale with the blunt end of the scythe, and launching him to the other side of the church. Before Gale hit the ground, he drew a dagger from under his cowl, and threw it. Ajal dodged the simple attack, only to be caught off guard as a thick purple tail coiled around his leg. 'Shit!' Ajal was yanked off his feet, then dragged through the air and slammed head-first into a pillar before being dangled upside down. The long purple tail suspended Ajal in the air. He grimaced, and his eyebrows furrowed when he saw the woman he loved. Her vivid purple eyes still stared deeply into his own, wrenching his heart with a pain unlike any other.
"Ava! Please! Snap out of- Ah-"
Ava flicked Ajal upward with her tail, leaving him helpless in the air. She jumped against a pillar and kicked off it. 'Block!' Ava spun in mid air, swinging her foot towards his head. Ajal focused his spirit into his arms to block. The smack echoed through the church, his forearms stung, he couldn't brace himself against the impact. Her spirit ignited as a blue light rippled off her foot, sending Ajal flying through another wooden pillar. His vision blurred after his head took the brunt of the impact, then rung after he crashed straight down into the ground. His body was dragged through the wood by the force, coming to a stop under a pile of rubble. 'Ahagh!' Ajal huffed as he slipped into the darkness. 'Ava...'
The inside of the shadow was just a black void. White rifts above him connected with the shadows in the real world, and acted as the exit. 'I can't do this... I can't bring myself to hurt them... Getting away is the best option for now!' Ajal looked for a shadow that led out of the church but heard someone approach behind him. 'Shit! I taught-' Ajal turned as Kono charged at him through the darkness, her quick steps resounded across the entire shadow. She tackled into him with all her weight and momentum, pushing him out of the shadow.
Ajal's third eye throbbed, an attack was coming, but he didn't have time to think. He was immediately lashed in the head by Ava's tail. His skull cracked, his neck whipped to the left. She sent Ajal spinning into the middle of the church, crashing into several chairs along the way. 'Rgh! I have no time to breathe or think...' Ajal grasped his head as he clenched his teeth, only for an indigo-colored light reflecting off the ground to catch his attention next.
Ajal weakly looked up to see Kadyr at the entrance with his hands on the floor. A giant hand rose out of the light around him, slamming into the ground and shaking the entire church. 'He's deploying Akara's Idol?!' Ajal gulped as he stood up quickly, but he stumbled as his vision blurred. 'Ah! Damn!' Ajal tried to step forward, but he couldn't lift his leg. His feet felt colder than they did outside. The ground around him was covered in a layer of ice, the crackling frost climbing over his boots. He looked up to see Crystal crouched down with her palm on the floor, her left arm glowing bright white. A trail of ice had spread across the ground from her hand to his feet. 'Shit!'
Rapid and heavy steps stomped against the ice, Titan took full advantage of the opportunity. Gale rode the wind with his sword in hand, soaring in quickly. 'Gotta dodge!' Ajal raised his scythe to smash the ground, but it was pulled from his grasp before he could. He glanced backward, only to see Ava behind him, her tail coiled around his scythe. 'Shit! Dark Abyss!' The black and white wave spread out, erasing the Crystal's ice, Ava's tail, and Gale's wind. 'Get rid of Akara's Idol as well-'
"Light magic... Engulfing Flash!" Aria chanted.
A light suddenly flashed between Kadyr and Ajal, forcing his third eye to close. The black and white wave couldn't reach Kadyr's gift in time. 'Fuck-' Titan raised his halberd, and Gale landed on the face of the blade. The massive man made of metal pivoted on one foot, then swung the swordsman across the room. Gale flew towards Ajal at high speed, his blade pointed forward. Ajal was about to raise his arms, but the scythe Ava had stolen from him pierced his right shoulder.
"Agh!" Ajal flinched.
'I can't dodge-' Gale's sword pierced straight through the left side of Ajal's abdomen. He had no time to register the pain as Gale tackled him into the ground. The scythe in his back vanished into the shadows. Gale stood, stepped down on Ajal's chest, then ripped the sword out of him.
"Ah-" Ajal's eyes widened as he choked on blood.
Ajal clenched his teeth from the pain, he held his wound tightly. Warm blood flowed out of him and leaked through his fingers. He wheezed with wide eyes, inhaling more liquid than air. His vision was hazy. Gale raised his sword once more to stab him in the head. 'Dark Passage!' Ajal's left hand was covered in a black and white flame, he quickly left a mark on the ground at the same time Gale thrusted his sword. 'Dark Terminus!' Ajal disappeared, and reappeared standing upright out of the blade's way with his right foot raised. 'Spirit!' Gale's green eyes widened. 'Ignition!' Ajal kicked straight forward, striking him in the chest.
"Ack!" Gale coughed, he tumbled backward and bounced back to his feet.
Ajal breathed in and out as he looked up at the source of the light. Aria had a magic circle behind her, shining a radiant white as she combined multiple spells together. Enma put his right foot forward which ignited into a red flame, growing brighter as he prepared to launch a devastating attack. Kadyr stood under Akara's Idol, a large statue with six arms, three wolf-like heads, and blue sapphire gemstones for eyes. 'They are avoiding Dark Abyss, if I use it on some of them, the others will go all in... And I can't erase Aria's magic... If I get engulfed with light that strong... My dark abilities will be cancelled... It'll hurt like hell... And leave me defenseless against the rest...' Ajal looked around. Each of them kept their distance from him, awaiting his next move. 'If I use my eclipse magic... I could stop Aria's attack... But I can't use my dark abilities while I use magic... Leaving me just as defenseless... This is bad... They really thought this through...'
The statue behind Kadyr glared down at Ajal with it's unnerving gemstone eyes. The middle head opened it's maw, an indigo light seeped out, growing in intensity by the second. His focus was stolen as he heard something inhale. Ajal's third eye throbbed, he turned to see Ava, with her purple salamander coming out of her back. 'Botl?!' The slime-like spirit's stomach expanded, before spitting a wave of acid across the room. Ajal ducked reflexively, sprinting to the right and avoiding the burning liquid. The purple liquid splattered over the ground, burning straight through it. At the same time, two of Kono's knives flew at him. Ajal tried to dodge, but a bolt of Ryu's blue lightning crackled through the room and hit him directly.
"Ack!" Ajal grimaced with wide eyes as the electricity hit him.
Ajal blocked it with his spirit, but still felt the shock ripple through him as his feet dragged against the ground. Ajal was staggered for a moment, raising his hand weakly and blocking Kono's knives with his left arm. Crystal took the opportunity, hoisting up a piece of wood with her left hand, encasing it in ice and turning it into a spear. She threw it directly at Ajal, he leaned to his left and just barely avoided it, only losing a part of his sleeve. In the corner of his eye, he saw Titan hurl his halberd. Ajal had no time to dodge, the blade was coming directly for his head. Ajal leaned his head to the right, moving just enough out of the way to avoid a fatal blow. The blade ripped through the left side of his face, cutting deep through his upper jaw and eye.
"Agh!" Ajal winced.
Ajal stumbled backward, clutching his face as more blood spilled over his hands. He tried to stand, upon opening his left eye he could only see red. A sudden kick to his back launched him off his feet once again before he could understand his surroundings. 'Ah! This is frustrating!' Ava followed up with a series of kicks to the same spot, each amplified by spirit. 'I can't fight all of them at once!' Ajal fell forward, but was stopped as he felt someone's knee hit the wound on his stomach. 'Ack!' His right eye opened wide to see Kono. Even though her mask covered half of her face, Ajal could clearly see her eyes shaking hesitantly.
'Fight?' Ajal's body swayed weakly in front of the woman he himself had trained. Kono drew two knives from her belt with one hand and threw them at Ajal's left leg, he anticipated an attack from Ava or Gale at the same time. 'Why am I fighting... Anor is dead.' Ajal jumped high while he held his left eye. His head was hazy from all the blood he had lost. He sensed Ava's spirit to the left, and quickly guarded his front. She spun through the air and delivered a heavy kick with the momentum, he blocked but was launched back to the ground.
Ajal smashed through the podium, tumbling over backward and stopping next to the hole he flew through earlier. Aria, Enma, and Kadyr continued to charge their attacks, they intended to finish this. 'If they throw those powerful attacks while I'm here... I don't know if that little girl will survive the blast...' Kadyr, Enma, and Aria prepared to attack. Ajal stood up with blood spilling from his mouth. He opened his third eye, and it started to glow brighter with each second, particles of darkness around him floated toward it. He felt a pressure welling up in his forehead, his third eye shone purple. He looked forward, his left eye still throbbing in pain. 'If I can at least save that one girl...' Ajal felt a chill as he realized this was the end, he smiled.
"It was all a lie then... None of you are even saying a word to me. All those years we spent together... Were they so insignificant that I'm not even worth saying goodbye to..." Ajal laughed, grinning as he huffed heavy breaths.
Ajal looked Ava in the eyes even though he couldn't see her face. He struggled to see any of them except for Akara's Idol. Two of the statues heads looked down on him with terrifying glares. Blood spilled from his eyes, but even so, he could feel his tears falling. 'The archbishops are dead... And with me gone... Then voyistus can no longer be made... This is what we always wanted for Imperion...' Ajal smiled as his eyes quivered. 'Maybe... This was for the best...'
"Peace... Requires sacrifice... Right?" Ajal let out a weak laugh. "Enjoy the future... Looks like this is the end of the road for me... I'll be seeing you soon, Natalia..."
Ajal's third eye glowed brighter and brighter, its pressure rumbling the church. The circle behind Aria released a bright white beam of light. Enma raised his right leg straight into the air and swung down, releasing a focused arch of fire from his foot. Kadyr's statue spat a massive blast from its mouth with a bone-chilling roar. The light from the three attacks was blinding, obliterating every part of the church it touched.
"Dark... Blast!" Ajal roared.
Ajal fired a bright purple beam from his third eye. The attacks collided and the energy bursted outwards, creating a massive explosion that engulfed the church and the buildings that surrounded it in a pale inferno. Ajal flew backward from the force of the blast, soaring through several buildings, and slamming into multiple walls. His head crashed through wooden pillars, and then his shoulder through concrete. He eventually stopped as he rolled onto a pavement covered in glass.
"Ack-" Ajal coughed weakly, his throat filled with dust.
The ground was old and cracked, Ajal pushed himself up against the rugged concrete. He looked up and saw nothing but smoke. He listened to the sounds of buildings crash around him, rumbling the rest of the city. A collection of screams filled the air in the distance. 'I'm not dead?'
The asphalt in the air stung his nose and wounds, especially the one on his left eye. Ajal coughed up a mouthful of blood, it splattered against the ground. He huffed as he stared at his reflection in the red puddle. Ajal looked up, the force of the explosion pushed much of the smog away. He paused as he saw the moon shine brightly beyond the tips of the massive skyscrapers, it's beauty was mesmerizing.
Ajal walked through the smoke, gazing up at the moon. His uniform had been burned off. Blood continued to spill out of his wounds. He struggled to stay up right, feeling like he'd collapse at any moment, but then he noticed a large shadow in the smoke. As he got closer he saw the white letters against a blue surface. '#78-MC Imperial Dragoon.'
'The ship?!' Ajal didn't think twice and limped through the open hatch, hitting a lever on his way in and closing the entrance. He quickly made his way through the narrow hallway, however, his knees lost their strength, and he fell in the middle of the hallway. He felt his throat fill as he coughed up even more blood. 'Huh...' Ajal blinked at his stomach, a steady red stream spilled out of it.
His hand pressed against the cold yet smooth floor warmed by blood, he tried to get up again but he slipped and fell back down. 'I'm almost... Almost in the clear, come on!' Ajal used all his strength to crawl to the cockpit, using the seat to pull himself up. He held onto the edge of the table, then flipped the power switch, and activated the engine. He pushed a knob forward and the ship started to rise quickly. Ajal flicked another switch, activating the ships autopilot. 'I just... Have to get to someplace safe... Some place I can lay low...'
"Autopilot initiated," the mechanical voice spoke.
"Autopilot, set course... Anywhere away from Imperial settlements... The nearest pla- Ack!"
Even more blood flooded out of Ajal's mouth, and his vision became too blurry to see. The thrusters started to rumble. Ajal's head swung groggily, seeing doubles while stumbling to the right and falling. His arm pushed a wine glass off the table, it shattered against the ground but he barely heard it. 'What am I going do... When I wake up... If I even-' Ajal's strength gave out, and he landed face-first onto the floor. The dropship soared into the air at a high speed and turned upwards. Ajal closed his eyes, he felt his conscious sink into the cold metal floor.
"Affirmative. Setting course to the nearest planet," the mechanical voice on the ship replied.