The newly risen sun glowed vibrantly within the cloudless blue skies above. Its burning heat graced the Makrik Mountain Range, casting away the deep shadows which lingered from the night before. Miles and Exiele relished this heat while walking along a small dirt path which lead them past the combat fields of the academy. Where most of the hunters within the Legion had learned all their skills in hand to hand combat and sword play.
“And you have no memory of leaving the cave?”, Miles asked, one eye brow rose high above the other.
“Non at all”.
“Well that’s certainly weird”, he sighed, digging his brain for answers. “Maybe you’ve just read too much into the forbidden arts”.
Exiele scowled. “I haven’t read anything about blood Kakara, or blood rituals in years. And even if I wanted to, there’s nothing in this academy that even mention it’s name. So why would I just dream of it?”.
Miles went to reply but Exiele carried on. “And how did I still have the Kakara gem? It was just sitting my pouch exactly where I left it. Your telling me, as soon as I found the Kakara gem, I fell asleep, then slept walked all the way back to my shack?”
“Well it’s that, or you had your soul bound to the ancient demon which the three figures were trying to summon”.
Exiele screwed his face, while kicking the dirt below his feet. “It wasn’t a demon they were trying to summon, they said it was the one true emperor, the god above all gods or something like that”.
“The one true emperor eh, the god above all gods. That sounds like a load of generic dream reality”, Miles said with a chesty laugh.
“I’m not joking around Miles” Exiele hissed. Miles paused for a moment, eyeing his best friend of 10 years. He had known him long enough to know when something was bothering him, and whatever happening that night. Dream or not, had effected him greatly.
“Look, if you really think something was behind it. Speak to Reales when you collect your horse, he’s the only Elder in the academy who wouldn’t care about you finding a Kakara gem. Shit, he’d probably just congratulate you”, he paused, taking a calculated breath. “Plus he has a lot, I mean a lot more knowledge with that kind of stuff. I’m just a blacksmith Miles, I can’t even channel Kakara, so I’m out of place as a person for advice”.
That made Exiele smile, only a little, but Miles took it as a win.
“You’re right, how didn’t I think of Reales. He’s half way towards being an Elder Priest himself”.
“Yeah exactly”, Miles laughed. “Did you check your scroll after all? Where’s your hunt?”.
Exiele’s eyes lit up as if two burning furnaces were directly behind them.
“You wouldn’t believe”, he roared in excitement. “The Floating City of Gididas, the entity I’m suppose to kill is Galoth, who’s a gatekeeper for the fallen temple of Riverdeath”.
“Hold on a second – your going to the Fallen Temple of Riverdeath? The one built by the elder god Evereth?”. His words were like a child’s. Giddy excitement glowing in his face.
“Yeah that’s how i reacted, I must be the luckiest hunter the Legion has ever bred”.
But Miles’ eyes quickly turned worried. “Why would they send a beginning Hunter to kill a gatekeeper for an ancient temple built by an elder god? I can’t imagine that gatekeeper’s any ordinary beast”, he paused. “I spoke to Yomet and he’s being sent only a few miles away from the academy, to Heinsend, to kill an infected Hogbat of all fucking things”.
Exiele’s smile broadened. “Because they know I’m the only hunter who can beat it”.
Miles laughed, masking his sudden worry. “Just, be careful out there. I’ll end up killing my self if I’m reassigned as Venus’s blacksmith”.
“God’s above, I’m not gonna die Miles”. Exiele’s words echoed out into the distant blue skies, sending a few birds darting out from in between the dense leaves of the tree’s above. They both stopped before a small water fall, which fell elegantly from a small cliff that rose high above them. Holding out their arms, they stepped forward into the collapsing water. The sun reflected within its glowing surface. Then, with a flash of purple light, they were shot up the waterfall, and out at the top end. They stepped out from the small river dry, as it wasn’t actually water, instead it was a condensed form of Kakara created by an Elder Priest named Thaos thousands of year’s prior.
They then made their way back onto a small dirt path, which wrapped around a large tower made from cobblestone, with large pillars of chiselled quartz wrapped around its exterior at odd intervals. They followed this path directly towards the alchemy chambers.
“What you think Venus’s plan is?”
Exiele shrugged. “No clue, I don’t think anyone could muster the same plans he does, he’s defiantly up to something though”.
“Last time he tried to strangle you with a rope of solidified Kakara if I remember correctly”.
“Yeah, but he barely managed to get it around my neck. It was more like a loose necklace than any kind of noose”.
They both laughed. Finally reaching a large flat plain of grassy land which stretched the length of the small cliff they walked along. On the far end they could see a huge cobble structure where all the alchemy chambers were situated. Exiele would be travelling past this section of the Academy again tomorrow to collect some elixirs. But for now, he would be using the flat land for his duel with Venus. Really they should have used the combat fields, but if the Elders caught wind of them having an unsanctioned sword duel, they would likely have one of their fingers removed. He didn’t want that, and nor did Venus. So the land before them would do.
In the distance a small black shape moved towards them, coming out from the shadow cast by the archway of the alchemy chambers. It was Venus, and he looked as if he had murder on his mind. Instead of wearing the usual black leather armour the hunters wore in the academy, he wore freshly forged plates of solid silver. Which looked strange pieced together with the small wooden training sword in his right hand. Exiele stifled back a bellowing laugh. Venus looked as if he was facing the final beast in his Grand Hunt. He had clearly come prepared. Exiele dropped his pouch onto the floor giving Miles a nod, before walking out to meet with Venus in the centre of the grassy plain. Deep gusts of hot air graced his skin as he drew close.
He closed his eyes, centralising his Kakara, it wasn’t aloud in this duel. But you could never be too careful. And he would have to be a fool to trust Venus not to use his. The energy spiralled throughout his body, travelling through his veins and pumping throughout every inch of his being. He felt a deep reverberation rattle through his bones as the Kakara began to gather within his heart. Condensing down into mailable matter.
“Exiele”, he heard Venus’s voice say. He opened his eyes, the brightness of the sun cutting through his vision. Venus stood only a few metres away, both hands clasped around his wooden training sword.
“Venus”, he said in return, unsheathing his training sword and readying his position. “Only sword play, I don’t want you trying to play any tricks”.
“As we agreed”, Venus growled, steadying his stance. His silver armour plates clattered together as he repositioned his legs. Exiele’s eyes bore holes into his skull, he gripped the wooden handle of his sword harder.
“Today”, he said. “You will face defeat”.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
He launched himself forward, driving his sword directly towards Exiele’s head. Taken aback, Exiele rose his sword to block the attack, but Venus quickly redirected his blow. Swinging it full force towards his shoulder. Exiele put his weight down on his back foot and pivoted out the way. Watching the wooden sword rush past his face, slicing through the air no further than a finger’s length away from his face. Exiele then made an attack of his own, lashing his sword up into Venus’s armpit at lightning speed. The thud of wood on bone echoed throughout the open plain. Venus stumbled back bearing his teeth.
“You thought you would get a free attack in? Before we officially started?”, Exiele growled. Venus stormed forward again, swinging his sword violently towards Exiele’s face. Exiele took a few heavy steps back while shielding the attacks, watching the tip of the wooden sword swipe a few inches away from his nose. Taking a deep breath, Exiele drew his sword back, gripping its splintered wood tight within his clenched fists. Then he launched an attack towards Venus’s stomach, which left a narrow margin of skin unprotected by the silver armour plates. But Venus leaped out the way, stamping down on Exiele’s sword before it had a chance to land, the wood warped and splintered from his weight.
At the same time Exiele pounced forward and head-butted Venus with the force of a rhino, blood erupted from his nose like a grotesque volcano, sending him a few steps back while clutching his now broken nose. Exiele lifted his sword once more, and with two carefully placed steps, leaped forward and smashed the wooden blade into Venus’s unprotected neck. He let out a choked gag, before lashing his hand out as fast as a whip. Catching Exiele square in the jaw. Then with a still bleeding nose, Venus swung his wooden sword down under Exiele’s guard, aiming towards his ribs. Exiele barely had time to block the strike with his arm, sending waves of pain down his forearm and deep into his shoulder. Venus then drew his sword back in a vicious arc, ready to pounce again, but Exiele managed to kicked at his knee before he could land a strike. Throwing him off balance almost instantly. Exiele launched himself forward, wrapping his arms around the back of Venus’s legs, before forcing him down onto the soft grassy floor. Trading punches the whole way down.
“You ready to tap out yet?”, Venus growled, using his sword to block the numerous strikes Exiele was lashing down onto him.
“So soon?”, Exiele smiled. “I’m barely warm”.
Thinking fast, Venus let go of his sword and rolled out the way, allowing Exiele’s body to fall face first onto the floor. He let out a pained grunt before quickly jumping back to his feet, steadying his balance. Gripping both his own, and Venus’s training swords within his clasped hands.
“Do you want to tap out?”, he grinned.
Venus sneered, clenching his fists so tight they began to shake. Small flakes of green energy began to fall from between his clasped fingers.
“I will not lose”, he growled, visible waves of green Kakara now flowing down the length of his arm. Wrapping around his flesh like vines growing on an ancient tree. The glowing energy radiated around his fists, burning so bright Exiele had to squint his eyes.
He couldn’t lie, he was impressed. He knew Venus’s energy levels were no where near his, but either way, his control over Kakara had improved greatly since their last fight. In fact, he could feel Venus’s energy levels rising by the second.
“Come and attack then”, Exiele said, holding both the training swords before him like the pincers of a giant spider. Venus launched towards him – a blinding ray of green energy shot from behind his body, propelling him forward through the air. His burning fist held back, aiming towards where Exiele stood. Exiele leaped out the way as Venus’s fist flashed by his field of vision. Waves of pulsating energy blasted through the ground where Exiele had been standing only a few seconds prior. Clumps of mud and grass shot in the air from the impact. Venus threw his other hand towards Exiele, but he had already parried out the way before his arm could fully extend.
Exiele reached within his body, channelling his Kakara through his heart and condensing it down into both the wooden swords he held. Careful to only centralise enough to disintegrate each of Venus’s attacks. He didn’t want to kill him. No matter how nice that would be. Purple tendrils of Kakara spilled through the splintered wood of the swords, radiating out into the surrounding air.
“I thought it was only sword play”, he said, shaking his head. Venus launched another assault, a flurry of lighting like punches lashed towards Exiele, who carefully dodged each blow while taking calculated steps backwards. He would have to wait for an opening, he didn’t want to rush his strike and cause more damage to the grassy field. The elders would be annoyed enough as it is.
Venus sent one last punch, flashes of green light flashed from each knuckle as they collided with one of the wooden swords held up to defend Exiele’s head. The blade shattered in a small explosion of purple and green energy. The blast sent both Hunters back a few inches, but Exiele was rushing forward before Venus could steady himself again. A flash of purple Kakara shot through the air, before the other wooden sword smashed into the side of Venus’s head. His body was thrown a metre back before crashing into the ground with a hard thud.
He wouldn’t have any long lasting injuries, except for a bad headache when coming back around. Exiele had made sure of that. He could have made Venus’ head explode from the inside out if he really wanted too – he was far too advanced in comparison to Venus for him to even stand a chance. Though he was tempted to at least hurt him enough to prevent him from continuing to the Grand Hunt, he knew nothing would be more crushing than that. But he knew better, he knew another defeat would weigh on him enough to satisfy both him, and whoever else had to deal with him in their younger years. Exiele sat down on the soft grass, catching his breath, trying to reduce the levels of Kakara which still roared through his veins. A small crowd of young hunters had gathered on the far end of the field, near the alchemy chamber. Which meant the Elder’s wouldn’t be far away.
“We gotta go”, Miles called out to him, waving his arms around as if he was on fire.
“Yeah yeah I know”, Exiele moaned, standing back on his feet. Dropping the shattered remains of Venus’ training sword down next to his passed out body. He’d definitely have trouble with migraines for a few weeks, that’s for sure. He smiled at that. Then while walking back over to Miles – who had already began following the path back towards the waterfall – He noticed something odd.
Something large and deathly black cut through the blue skies in the far distance. A single large shape which looked like a stroke of pitch black paint, carefully layered atop a canvas painted a deep blue. It glided through the air effortlessly, before nosediving down towards the distant lands beyond the mountain. His eyes widened, as he watched crimson flames burst from the black shape, a burning inferno which struck the distant lands with such force its impact could be heard even from the mountain. An army of blackened smoke and roaring crimson flames shot up into the skies above, spiralling in grand arch’s, before disbursing into the debris filled air. Exiele’s mouth gaped open in disbelief, it was a dragon. He hadn’t seen one in his entire life. And even from as far away as he was, he could see it’s unimaginable size and power first hand. Dragons were rare in Dreashire, even rarer in the county of Makrik, where the Makrik Mountain Range was located. So the mere sight of it snatched all the breath from his lungs. Miles saw the amazement in Exiele’s eyes, and followed the path of his gaze. He was only able to say two words.
“God’s above”.
The black dragon soared through the crimson flames and shot back up into the sky, its huge wings beating back against the blackened smoke which rose in desperate clumps from the decimated land’s below.
Dragons do not naturally travel to Dreashire, it’s simply not in their nature. Which is why Dragons were so rare to see in these lands. But that thought only brought with it unease, as it meant the Dragon was in some way being controlled, which in turn could mean one of the armies had formed a bond with it. A task even harder than killing the beast. He shivered.
Dragon whisperers were a thing of legend, believed to be as rare as the dragons themselves. An individual who had the ability to split his own, and the dragons soul in half, and through the use of their combined Kakara, rebind them together as one. The last known figure in history to do this was Horas, thousands of years earlier. Even then, most believed it to be a myth.
“Exiele come on we have to go”, Miles said, eyes still wide, watching the black shape become smaller and smaller as it glided further and further away. Until eventually, it’s form disappeared amongst the armies of glowing white clouds. Exiele nodded slowly, blinking himself back to reality. The group that had gathered by the alchemy chamber’s were now only a few paces away from him, all pointing towards the distant skies with surprised and fearful eyes. He could see two Elder Alchemists running over towards the herd of young hunters, roaring angry words and commands. He took this as his cue to leave. And began to sprint back down the dirt path, leaving Miles panting behind him.
It had taken them only 10 minuets to travel back down the waterfall and across the mountain back to the shacks. Never relenting in their pace the whole way back. In their hurry to avoid any confrontation, they had run directly into one of the Elder Priests, who was thankfully unaware of Exiele’s duel with Venus. So Exiele simply smiled, before quickly slithering away before he caught word. Miles in turn had returned to his own shack to resume his work on Exiele’s great sword. Which had been coming together nicely the past few days. In fact, just the night before he had discovered a very effective way of cutting through dragon blood crystal with minimum effort. Using the little dragon blood he had left, he would pour the liquid over the crystal and leave it 10 minuets. By the time the 10 minutes had passed, the crystal would be infinitely more easy to cut and shape. This was because the dragon blood’s natural form was not a crystal, and when the crystal makes contact with its original form, it would in time begin to degrade back into its natural liquid formation. Making it more mailable, and less prone to shattering.
Miles dropped the crimson mound of crystal into a small pot of dragon blood, leaving it to rest. In the mean time he resumed sharpening the swords colossal blade. Which was so fine, it could slice perfectly through stone slabs without any Kakara enchantments. If his timing was correct, he expected to be done with the sword in the next 2 days, which would leave him enough time to finish off Exiele’s chest plates. Which had fallen down his list of priorities when Exiele had requested a pickaxe to be made, and then urged him to finish his sword first, so he could get use to it before leaving for the hunt. He sighed, leaning back in his small wooden chair. He had a lot of work to get through in a small amount of time. But he would finish it, he was sure of that.