The Celestial Forge
By: Schin Ka’Tharos
CHAPTER 4
(Part 1)
How strange death is. In one sense it can bring an end to a soul's influence on the world. Yet, it can also initiate profound change to that which the soul leaves behind, cementing an even greater legacy and impact.
Often I have wondered what alternate path the universe, or I, could have taken after that day. More though, I wonder if they regret not listening to my grandfather.
~
Moments stretched as Thei’esolla considered my grandfather.
“You’re right Jian, the games end here. It seems as if your little rampage back then really did break your mind.” She glided into the air again, yellow eyes filling with purple fire. “It’s time to collect what I’ve come for. Thigon, take this boy and throw him in your Voids-Eye. Dridion and Ryi with me. The First One will be shown his place.”
Quick to respond to her orders, one of the black scaled guards broke off towards me while the other two joined Thei’esolla rushing towards my grandfather. My eyes locked onto my assailant for a moment, his confident cruel stare meeting mine.
The sound of my Grandfather inhaling deeply, pierced my fear ridden mind. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the flame from our home's campfire flare and suddenly surge towards Grandfather. The flame was drawn in through his mouth and nose in a rush.
Fooompf
Then grandfather was in the air above Thigon placing a hand on his back, time slowed and dilated like a bubble on the verge of popping. The black scaled man simply turned to ashes. The remains dispersed immediately. The stench of burnt flesh hit me as Thei’esolla roared in rage.
“Noooooooo!”
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
But my Grandfather wasn't done.
He turned to Thei’esolla, crimson flames streaming from his eyes and heat pouring off his skin in a haze. Grandfather brought his hands together in a paradoxically slow and fast motion and clapped, sending a shockwave of barely visible opaque flame coursing through Thei’esolla and her two family members shoving them back halfway to the ridge that surrounded our house.
Then, what I can only describe as a tidal wave of Arcane energy crashed in on the three of them from two sides. Grandfather's hands were spread wide as he spell-forged pure destructive chaos in colliding waves. The ground dissolved were the Arcane waves touched. I couldn't fathom how someone could Forge that much power and essence.
As grandfather continued to spell-forge his technique he addressed the three visitors that remained close by.
“If you three leave now I will spare you. Moonseeker, I do not wish to bring harm to you.”
“Nor I you, yet it must be so.” she said. Her face held a profound sadness as she held her arms out and did something to cancel my grandfather's technique, halting the endless flow of Arcane energy he was pouring onto Thei’esolla.
“Bahaha, what are you talking about, this is better than I ever imagined it would be. Hell, this is why I came in the first place.” the silver armored man my grandfather had addressed as Anvarek laughed maniacally. “Just like old times Jian. Except this time, We finally get to do this for real!” Space warped around him as he shot towards grandfather, his liquid armor flowed into new shapes and in both hands coalesced weapons resembling scimitars as cobalt blue flame leaking from his hands.
When my grandfather and Anvarek met, the world around me died. My grandfather had erected a barrier around me which kept me safe and enclosed in a small bubble, untouched by the devastation around me. Outside it everything I could see in all directions immediately exploded, dissolved or burst into flame. Despite my grandfather's shield the heat still scorched my skin and blood ran out of my ears as the cacophony of sound obliterated my eardrums. I became lightheaded from the overstimulation and all of my senses went numb for a long time afterward.
I am unsure how long they fought for or exactly how events transpired thereafter. At some point Thei’esolla re-entered the fray with her kin and my grandfather then faced five opponents alone. Moonseeker always remained at some distance from the direct conflict but would offer aid to her companions from time to time. Kin'doh had removed himself from the surrounding vicinity and I believe took a position on a distant mountaintop which he could observe from. My best guess is that the battle raged on for half of a day before my mind cleared again.
When I regained my senses, Moonseeker was next to me with a hand pressed upon my shoulder. We stood on a platform Forged of Celestial Essence above a seemingly endless pit where the earth had once been. Anvarek lay sprawled out on a floating disc of silver, he coughed and cursed with a voice etched in agony. Throughout his body fingers of lightning like cracks in his armor seeped blood and essence, the flowing silver seemingly unable to fill in wherever the cracks ran.
Thei’esolla held grandfather by his throat yelling into his face, spittle flying. She did not seem to have suffered any significant outward damage that I could discern but the luster of her prismatic scales was greatly diminished.
“How dare you kill one of my sons. I'm going to make you suffer First One. Fitting that it will be one of your techniques that brings you such pain.”
Her free hand sunk into the middle of his chest directly below the bottom of his sternum, right where one's soulcore is nestled between the lungs. Her eyes flared violet as she Forged a technique directly into his soulcore.
Next Chapter...
Chapter 4: How Strange Death Is (Part 2)