Chapter 18

“Forces of Nature”

The morning dew had begun to evaporate and stick to the skin of Entity, Quartz, and Cariphae as they made their way through thickets of ferns and bushes. Though summer was at an end, the heat of the beach still loomed near mid-day. Humid heat became more unbearable the higher the sun rose to late morning, causing both Entity and Cariphae to sweat and wipe their brow. While Cariphae suffered the strange sensation of miserable heat silently, Entity was all too eager to express his distaste for the temperature and the sunlight that came with it with huffs and groans. Quartz sighed and closed her cloak tight when stray rays of sunlight through the canopy threatened to touch her flesh.

“I’m so damn sick of the heat.” Entity muttered as a bead of sweat fell from his nose.

“If the heat is so unbearable, Entity, just take off your coat.” Quartz suggested and heard the sorcerer scoff.

“That’s the weakest excuse to see me topless I have ever heard.” He half-laughed. Cariphae struggled to follow and was careful not to trip and stumble over the brush all while holding her arm with the wounded shoulder close to her side. The heat never bothered her for as long as she could remember, and now she choked on it and struggled to fight the exhaustion that accompanied it. Already weak from a lack of power and blood loss, the heat made the war-hardened queen feel as if she were close to fainting. She dared not complain, she had been through much worse in her lifetime to even consider whining about something she had no control over.

Her eyes were half-lidded and her vision blurred in and out repeatedly, but she fought to hold on and to power through the temptation to fall over and go to sleep. Her mouth was slightly open to quietly swallow as much air as she could to keep her body going just long enough to make it to the shore. Her heels dug into pockets of wet sand occasionally and she expelled more energy just to walk properly through them. Her corset constrained her breaths when it once offered comfort and proper posture; now it only seemed to mock her by denying her a much-needed deep breath to keep her awake.

Quartz glanced at Cariphae and noticed the woman slouching forward more and more the longer they walked. She slowed down and waited for her to catch up while Entity continued a few extra steps. He stopped as well and looked at the queen who was lagging behind.

“She isn’t looking too good, Entity. Maybe you should carry her.” Quartz suggested.

“She looks like she’s never felt the heat before. Ya look like shit.” Entity grinned as he insulted the queen playfully and put his hands in his pockets while Cariphae continued to pass him silently as if ignoring him. Cariphae genuinely did not seem to grasp that someone was speaking to her and only focused on moving forward. Quartz furrowed her brow and sped up to reach Cariphae.

“Hey, you need to stop for a minute.” Quartz attempted to stop the woman but was merely shrugged off.

“We…must get to…the shore.” Cariphae panted before stumbling to the right and nearly falling. Entity instinctively reached out and caught the woman before lowering her slowly to the ground.

“Woah take it easy, babe, I’m only kiddin’. Ya ain’t breathin’ right,” Entity gently spoke before looking down at the corset around her waist and smirking, “probably because of this thing. Sweet-teeth, hand me that, will ya?” Entity looked at Quartz’s dagger and opened his hand. Quartz nodded, pulled the blade from its sheath on her belt, and handed him the blade.

“I’m fine, don’t you dare–” Cariphae warned through panted breaths. Entity only ignored the threatening tone and pointed the dagger upwards before slipping it under the tight laces in the back. With a gentle pull, he cut through the laces and the corset came undone, falling into Cariphae’s lap and immediately allowing the woman to inhale deeply. She gasped and held her chest as it fully expanded and couldn’t stop herself from leaning on the sorcerer in exhaustion. Entity looked down at the wounded woman and slightly smiled with a raised brow.

“I love corsets on a woman as much as the next guy, but ya shouldn’t be wearin’ that out here.” He advised while Cariphae took in several deep breaths to help clear her vision and regain some form of awareness.

“It wouldn’t have been an issue if I had been properly tended to in my fortress.” Cariphae muttered bitterly before pushing off the sorcerer and slowly standing back to her feet. Entity frowned a bit and stood up too.

“You’d be in chains suckin’ Guardian’s dick if I hadn’t taken ya from it.” Entity fired back spitefully before fluffing the front of his coat.

“Your generous volunteering is touching.” Cariphae scowled and paused when she heard a faint yet familiar sound of ocean waves far in the distance.

“Maybe you’d be less of a bitch if a volunteer generously touched ya.” Entity griped.

“Entity, for once would you just–” Quartz exasperated and put her hands on her hips while Entity threw his arms in the air.

“What? Just be nice? What do ya think I’ve been doin’?” Entity argued with Quartz, not realizing that Cariphae was slowly walking forward away from them and pushing through tall ferns.

“She has just lost everything, Entity. Have a little compassion.” Quartz urged calmly.

“Don’t tell me she’s lost everything, she don’t know what losin’ everything feels like.”

“So people don’t deserve respect unless they know exactly how you feel? That’s a very narrow way to think.” Quartz flatly countered.

“Ah, now you’re on her side?”

“I thought we both were on her side?” Quartz crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow.

“I don’t think I need to be if this is what’s in store. I’m better off on my own.”

“Oh, what was it that you said last night? ‘Get your head in the game and survive, this is what we’re doing’, right? Nice to see your resolve is so fragile when your feelings are hurt.”

“…Fuck you.” Entity grunted.

“Is that all?”

“I go outta my way to do somethin’ right and I can’t even get a ‘thanks’ out of it. No one ever thanks me for anything and I’m startin’ to think it ain’t worth the hassle tryin’ to get one. Ol’ queen bitch just wants to sulk, ain’t that right?” Entity turned around to face Cariphae as his anger was rising, only to see that she was no longer in their presence and suddenly became concerned. He paused to look around and saw a few muddy footprints and the corset laying on the ground. “Where’d she go?” He asked and followed the footprints slowly so as not to lose track of them.

“Anywhere away from you most likely.” Quartz rolled her eyes.

“And I’m the fragile one.” Entity scoffed.

“You’re such an asshole.”

“And you are getting’ on my fuckin’ nerves naggin’ me to death.”

“I’m not nagging!”

“Nag nag nag, that’s all I hear.” Entity mimicked a talking hand with his mouth. Almost instantly after mocking her, he felt a stick hit the back of his head which made him flinch. He spun his head around to see Quartz examining her nails with a smirk which made the sorcerer narrow his eyes.

“Oops.” She clicked her tongue.

“Don’t think I’m above punchin’ a lady.” He said calmly. Quartz simply gave him a hiss in return.

Entity lead the way while arguing and pulled the ferns apart to see a long stretch of flat bare sand littered with pine needles, pinecones, and washed-up palm leaves. The sunlight forced Quartz to turn away from the beautiful sight of a glistening ocean horizon in the distance as it nearly blinded her sensitive eyes. Entity however could see it all. A clear blue sky painted with thin white clouds, shimmering blue waves gently rolling against the white sand, and sun rays reflecting off beautiful shells scattered about. The heat was relieved by the consistent cool winds blowing off the cold waters which made the sorcerer smile. What made him smile more was the sight of Cariphae kneeling at the shore.

“Found her.” Entity smirked and Quartz closed her hood over her face and left only a big enough gap in the fabric to squint through the light.

“I shouldn’t go any further. You go get her.” Quartz said as she shrank back into the shadows of the flora.

“I’ll give her a minute.” Entity replied despite the haste of the mission to get far away from the Ianuae. Something told him that it would be best to stay behind for only a moment.

Cariphae’s knees dug into the wet sand as her breath was taken away by such an impossibly stunning view of something so alien, yet so familiar to her. She dared not go further than the edge of where the waves and thin white foam edge reached. The wind blew through the golden braid that trailed far behind her and dried the sweat on her brow and neck. It dried the sweat on her body through her shirt and gave her a refreshing chill. She never knew how pleasant cool air felt against her skin. Her fingertips lightly grazed the sand and pinched the wetness between her finger and thumb and scrutinized them closely to see that the saltwater did not evaporate off her skin.

Her eyes narrowed at the strangeness of it and she still somehow couldn’t process her mortality. She was no longer a fiery queen unable to feel the cold air or the flow of water against her flesh. She was more human than she had ever felt before and a part of her mourned yet celebrated that feeling. A gentle wave came towards her and reached further than it had before, chilling her legs and feet with briny water. It was a welcomed sensation that she had only dreamed of, and it came to reassure her. It was then she heard the echoing words of the Captain in her head.

Come to the sea up above. Watch the horizon, and I will come for ye.

As the wave pulled back, the rest of the ocean in front of her receded further and further until it became very noticeable that it was unnatural in its movement. Cariphae was at first confused by the strange motion of the water and then slightly alarmed when the water began to part in front of her like a doorway further and further back. The wind picked up and carried salty mist so thick that it obscured her vision, forcing the woman to her feet with a weak stumble. From the water came forth a man she recognized from her gardens.

Entity saw the unnatural movement of the water and immediately leapt from the tree line – withdrawing his dark Damascus broadsword from its sheath and dashing toward Cariphae in a panic. Quartz tried to follow but her cloak opened, allowing a stray ray of sunlight to touch her bare hand, and causing her white flesh to sizzle painfully. She jerked herself back into the shadows with a pained hiss and was unable to follow her partner onto the beach. She looked at the top of her hand and saw small blisters forming on her knuckles, making the Ensanguined woman hold her wounded hand to her chest and curse under her breath. All she could do was watch from afar.

“Cariphae! Get back!” Entity called to her and only made it halfway down the beach before stopping abruptly in his tracks.

A tall, slender man in a loose white blouse, a deep blue vest, and a long shimmering black cape clipped with a silver chain emerged from the ocean’s sea yet was entirely dry as if the water had not touched him. His hat shaded his handsome features and the teal-blue feather whipped with the wind as did his black hair. Silver chains and buckles jingled with his elegant strides and a smile formed on his face when his piercing blue eyes fell upon the stunned golden-haired woman before him. He slowly removed his hat, put it to his chest, and let the sunlight shine upon his glistening silver skin, creating a glowing aura around him as he bowed politely to the Arithmetian Queen.

“Welcome back to the surface, yer majesty.” Captain Adamus O’Dweller fondly welcomed and put his hat back upon his head.

“Captain O’Dweller… You came.” Cariphae breathed as if in disbelief that he had truly arrived and was true to his word. There was a comfort that came with his presence that reassured her that perhaps not all was lost.

“I told ye I’d come. Ye hadn’t doubted me, aye?” The Captain smiled, but the smile was short-lived when he saw the condition of the queen. Her skin looked pale, her face appeared gaunt with sunken eyes and the fiery glow she had was now gone. He then noticed the patched bandage around her shoulder and reached out to her, making her flinch away from him when she saw the clawed silver gauntlets on his hand. Though he seemed friendly, Cariphae was much too hardened to believe that a stranger would be so willing to help her so quickly. Her desperation had briefly clouded her strict judgement.

“What happened to ye, love?” He asked.

“I was injured during a siege on Lovelacia by an arrow. It will heal shortly.” Cariphae answered.

“Don’t feign good health for the sake of cordiality. I can sense that something is urgently wrong.”

Entity approached the two and his eyes were wide with what appeared to be awe upon seeing the Captain in person. He held his broadsword to his hip tightly. The Captain turned his attention to the sorcerer and his expression changed from concern to stoic. He exchanged a quick glance from Entity and back to Cariphae as if he knew who had harmed her, yet he said nothing.

“Well I’ll be fuckin’ damned, it’s you.” Entity murmured.

“Entity, it’s no surprise to see ye here while Cariphae is in poor condition. Perhaps ye could tell me why that is?” The Captain placed his hands behind his back. His stance was peaceful and relaxed despite his silver spiked shoulder pads offering a menacing and tense look to his posture. Nonetheless, he was intimidating up close, even to Entity who hid his insecurity far too well.

“Wow, good to see ya too, dapper-dick.”

“You two know each other?” Cariphae asked.

“We met once long ago during an abhorrent time. I’d rather not discuss it, it isn’t as pressing as yer current state of affairs, love.” The Captain answered.

“Yeah, and I’m still waitin’ on that ‘thank you’.” Entity crossed his arms.

“I am grateful for yer assistance in helping m’lady find her way to the shore, though the mess ye caused has her in abysmal condition.” The Captain scolded.

“Ya have no idea what kinda shit I can cause if ya really wanna make this hard.” Entity cocked his head to the side with a smirk before piercing his blade in the sand and leaning on it with a slouch.

“Swaggering overconfidence doesn’t suit ye well.” The Captain calmly retorted with his nose up high while a gentle sea breeze swept his cloak to the side, revealing his belt that held a sheathed colichemarde and a secondary holstered weapon that neither Cariphae nor Entity could identify.

“Captain, Entity, I don’t know what history you two have but we’ve all found ourselves on the same side of the coin. If not for him,” Cariphae motioned to Entity, “I would be in far worse condition. He is an ally just as much as you are.” Cariphae did her best to hide the deep aching pain in her shoulder and fought against the urge to wince as she felt something deep in her flesh move on its own. She looked to the Captain who stared at her with deep concern and watched his intense blue eyes glance at her shoulder frequently.

“Ye are in worse condition than ye think and are not well, love. I strongly suggest we tend to yer wound immediately.” The Captain tenderly urged.

“Very well. This pain is a nuisance. The sooner I’m well enough to lift a sword, the sooner I can return to my Valaah and put an end to Guardian’s madness.”

“Bleedin’ all over the place and still hellbent on killin’ that white-eyed wonder. You’re a pain in the ass but I’ll admit, I gotta respect it. Shit, I’m in.” Entity put his hands in his pockets.

“In doing so, I warn you both that protecting me and fighting Guardian could get you both killed. I cannot promise that we will live through it, and I cannot ask you to die for it either. The power of fire I had is gone. I’m powerless but I will stop at nothing to defend Endle’s freedom.” Cariphae shut her eyes and felt a twinge of shame in asking for help.

“The nobility within ye is something I have always admired from afar, love, but ye need not worry about those who have been fighting the urchin’s wrath for centuries. Ye and I both know that he won’t stop killin’ until someone does something about it.” The Captain warmly assured the woman and approached her. Despite Cariphae’s tall height, the Captain still found himself looking down at her and was far taller than any man she had met. She even considered him to be almost as tall as Agatha.

“I got a bone to pick with ol’ bright-eyes too, baby. I ain’t goin’ nowhere.” Entity smiled wide to reveal his entire row of bright yellow teeth.

“And I as well!” Quartz called off in the distance, getting all three to look to the tree line to see the cloaked woman raise her fist into the air. Her enhanced hearing allowed her to hear the entire conversation from afar and couldn’t help but speak up and announce her alliance with the Arithmetian Queen. The Captain smiled as he saw the Ensanguined woman. Cariphae felt a warmth within her upon hearing them agree to stand by her side and was humbled, and try as she did, she still could not manage to form a smile.

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“Yeah, trust me, she’s got some heads to split too. Punches harder than a donkey kick to the dick.” Entity pointed to Quartz with his thumb.

“Ye aren’t powerless, love. Ye never were.” The Captain fondly spoke and Cariphae felt mesmerized by the certainty in his eyes as he stared into her emerald orbs. His voice and the sound of the gentle waves felt so genuine and familiar that she became speechless as she lost herself in the intense blue. He spoke to her as if he knew her as more than an acquaintance or an ally. Guardian spoke the same and it always felt out of place and malicious, but she felt no such repulsion from the Captain. She could only describe it as comfortable and just.

There was an abrupt clap of thunder so loud and ear-piercing that all but the Captain flinched. Entity spun around towards the intense sound and backed himself towards Cariphae while the Captain put his arm in front of the queen. His calm stance did not falter when the skies slowly began to fill with dark gray clouds that quickly blocked the sunlight. Quartz also turned towards the sound and felt the sunlight vanish, allowing her to sprint toward the group without fear of burning.

In mere seconds, the three held a position in front of Cariphae protectively. Entity and Quartz held their swords high at the ready while the Captain simply peered up at the darkening clouds flashing with bright lightning that started blue and warped into a sickening green. A storm so violent and malevolent brewed above – ready to entrap the small group in its clutches. The longer the Captain stared at the clouds above, the more they began to circle and spin directly above them.

Seven miles away, the Ianuae opened between several evergreens and spun the sandy ground beneath the boots of Guardian who emerged with eyes blazing intensely and furiously. He held his heavy sword to his side while his cape whipped wildly around him, making the demi-god sweep it to the side and out of his way. He recognized the area but not the new trees that had grown from lack of traffic for the last two centuries. In a single motion of anger and godlike strength, he slashed his blade in front of him so swiftly that the surrounding trees split at the base and began to fall with a roar of snapping wood.

Turning his head towards the direction of the nearby sea, Guardian leapt from the ground high into the air with the wind beneath his feet – carrying him nearly a mile. The ground from where he launched sank inwards from the force, and the spot he landed on a mile away cracked and split. The power of his heavy boots hitting the ground and launching himself repeatedly to quickly reach the sea could be heard from the beach and it sounded much like the thunder that rolled through the trees. Each boom got louder as he drew closer.

Cariphae looked around and instinctively patted her side belt for a sword, but there was no weapon at her hip; she had dropped her sword back at the fortress. Her heart began to pound in her strong chest, and she began to feel an emotion she had not felt in decades – fear. Without her strength and fiery power to combat the strength of an unkillable godlike being with seemingly infinite strength, Cariphae felt helpless and vulnerable even with three strong allies at her side.

“He’s coming, he knows where I am.” Cariphae shuttered as she felt a cold wave of seawater brush against her heels. She had nowhere to run, and an endless cold sea kept her pinned in her spot. “Do you not have a ship, Captain? We must retreat!” Cariphae questioned as her eyes scanned the horizon of the sea and saw nothing.

“Best ye not worry about a ship just yet, love. I’ve been itching to confront the miserable wretch for far too long.” The Captain softly put his hand up and turned towards the storm. Entity was not as calm as the Captain, nor was Quartz when they both seemed to frantically shift their feet to a defensive position.

“Not worry about a ship?! Are ya insane?!” Entity roared out as he glanced back at the Captain and thudded his fingers against his skull.

“Please tell me there is a ship, Captain.” Quartz pleaded as calmly as she could, but her voice trembled and then hitched when she could now feel the ground shake beneath her feet as Guardian approached faster than she anticipated. It was as if all her childhood nightmares had sprung to life all at once knowing that the monster that once lurked under her bed was now on its way to crush her like a fly.

“Do calm y’selves. There is always a calm before a great storm.” The Captain watched the skies and spotted a figure in the distance rushing towards the beach – glimmering in the light of lightning behind it. It was Guardian who had soared to the tree line of the beach and as he landed, several pine trees and the occasional palm tree exploded from where he landed and flew passed the four. Splinters of wood and a shockwave of gritty sand pelted them and forced them to shield their eyes. The sound of the impact was so loud that it made their ears ring and their lungs quake.

All but the Captain flinched and he held his cape in front of Cariphae to protect her from the sandy debris. As the debris rained down and settled, two bright eyes shined through the dust before emerging from the destruction with smoke and electricity snaking from the demi-god’s pupils. His sword was clutched with ferocity and his cape whipped crazily behind him as he stepped onto the sand and crushed chunks of shattered wood beneath his boots. The sand sizzled and melted from the heat of his boots and left behind glass footprints.

“Y’know Cap’n, has it ever occurred to ya that after every ‘great storm’, theres a dead guy floatin’ in a ditch somewhere?” Entity shuttered with sweat dripping down his brow.

“Outstanding imagery, Entity.” Cariphae breathed.

“We have nowhere to run.” Quartz quivered as she swallowed hard to wet her dried throat but held steady and didn’t move from her spot.

“Y’know what? Fuck it.” Entity huffed and cracked his neck side to side.

“What do you suggest we do?” Quartz asked.

“I say ya take the left, I get the right. I’m gonna open a steamin’ can of ‘tired-of-this-shit’ on this piss-fairy.” Entity pulled his hood over his head and ran his palm over his blade – covering it in a deep shadow that acted like wild flames while the pommel glowed an intense purple.

“Do not attack him, there is no need.” The Captain advised, but it only made the sorcerer grit his teeth with a growl as adrenaline flowed through his veins.

“Oh, there is a need. Go!” Entity roared as he sprinted towards the angered demi-god who was quickly approaching with Quartz following closely to his left. With a war cry, Entity threw his free hand forward and unleashed a swarm of distorted screeching crows so thick that it obscured Guardian’s vision. The crows slammed against his armor only to explode into feathery shadows. They did little to slow the being down, but they provided just enough distraction for Entity to take a leap and plunge his sword toward Guardian’s chest for a hopeful strike to the heart. Guardian gnashed his teeth and seemed to know where the sorcerer was and lifted his sword to retaliate.

Their swords collided in a loud clash of sparking metal that threw Entity backward, but he landed on his feet and ran at the demi-god without a second’s hesitation. He slashed diagonally at Guardian’s chest downwards, only for him to swat the dark-magic-infused blade away in irritation. Entity’s sword flew backward but his free hand clenched and took the opportunity to ram his fist against Guardian’s jaw. Guardian’s head was thrown to the side but snapped back just as quickly to eye the sorcerer with blazing and blinding white light pouring from his eyes. The punch did nothing to stun the man and he retaliated with his own – far more powerful – punch to Entity’s cheek that sent the brave sorcerer flying passed Quartz and rolling into the sand limply.

Quartz growled like a wild beast and jumped over Entity to dodge his body and lunged at Guardian with a dagger in one hand while her free hand let her long steel-hard claws extend. Her eyes blazed bright red and her fangs extended – using every ounce of Ensanguined killer instinct to attack the unkillable man. Guardian reached out and swiftly caught the woman by her wrist and slammed her down onto the ground with incredible force in front of him. He threw his sword downwards to impale her, but a quick reflex had Quartz fade to mist and disappear right as the sword stabbed the sand. The mist whipped around and reformed her to a solid state where she stabbed into his shoulder hard enough to pierce his armor.

Guardian ripped his sword out of the sand and swung it towards her, but she leaned back quick enough to dodge the attack and backflipped onto her feet. Her body began to split into a swarm of bats when Guardian swung at her again, and the bats ferociously attacked his face and bit wherever they could. The demi-god roared in frustration as many of the small cuts on his face began to bleed. He swatted at them in a rage and could see them reforming beside him once again. The blade in his shoulder was ripped from its place and sent a mild pain up his neck.

Despite the irritating attack, Guardian took note of the Ensanguined’s abilities and how she managed to use them in broad daylight.

“Spawn of Virgoth! You miserable vermin filth!” Guardian spat as he reached high into the air and summoned a powerful bolt of lightning to his fist that ultimately electrocuted the swarm of bats – forcing Quartz to reform entirely and fall to the ground in front of him.

He wiped his brow free of his own blood before throwing his foot back and sending it flying into her chest. Quartz was kicked so hard that she went tumbling toward Cariphae and the Captain. She rolled violently to a stop at their feet and didn’t move after that. Her ribs had been caved in and her eyes were closed, leading the stunned Cariphae to believe Guardian had killed both her and Entity in a matter of seconds. The Captain looked at them both and sighed, knowing they were still alive and wishing they had heeded his advice.

Guardian ran his fingers through his hair to move the loose strands back and smiled as he continued to approach the only two left. The Captain gently moved Cariphae further behind him and simply stood relaxed with his hands behind his back.

“Captain Adamus O’Dweller. I was certain you were dead after our last encounter.” Guardian spoke with a smug grin across his lips.

“Ye seem a bit surprised.” The Captain lifted his chin and returned the smile.

“Only that you would reveal yourself to me after all these years. Perhaps you’re not as cowardly as I thought.”

“I believe my services were needed after that pitiful proposal went fell sour.”

Guardian snarled at the comment while the Captain seemed all too calm while in the dangerous presence of a rouge and monstrous behemoth. Cariphae looked over his shoulder with wide eyes and caught Guardian staring at her and it deeply disturbed her the way his eyes ignited upon seeing his prize – as if she were lost property. Guardian lifted his sword and pointed it at Cariphae with the tilt of his head.

“Nevertheless, you have something that belongs to me.” Guardian stated boldly while the Captain casually looked over his shoulder to ensure that Cariphae still stood safely behind him.

“I’m afraid she isn’t yers to take, Preasidion.” The Captain looked back at Guardian who looked irritated to hear his true name.

“Everything eventually becomes mine to take. This world belongs to me; it always has since the dawn of its creation.” Guardian argued as he lowered his sword.

“On the contrary, this world belongs to the people, and the people have grown tired of ye.” The Captain argued back gently while the waves behind him began to retreat further and further behind him while the wind seemed to pick up faster and faster. Guardian growled angrily as electricity licked up his body more rapidly as the seconds went by.

“They bow to me, virus! I am worshipped! I am their light in the darkness and I am eternal! You cannot kill me, no one can.” Guardian spat as the electricity on his body began to connect to the ground and wrap around his legs and torso like a serpent. His words made Cariphae at first blink in shock, then curiosity. The moment of curiosity was interrupted by the Captain’s soft and soothing voice that cut so elegantly through the chaotic thunder and wind.

“The madness must come to an end, Guardian. Despite yer cruelties and unspeakable crimes, even now it isn’t too late to lighten yer heart. It is difficult to live an eternal life without a friend in the world to share yer woes. I understand the pain. I ask of ye one last time; lay down yer sword and take my hand, my friend. We don’t need to fight.” The Captain politely asked and held out his hand – offering a handshake to the mad demi-god who only seemed amused by such a kind and peaceful gesture. He then began to laugh at the Captain. Cariphae was moved by the Captain’s plea and felt her heart sink when Guardian’s laugh echoed through the wind.

“It is you who is overcome with madness, friend. How must it feel to devote your long life to a cause that can never come to fruition? To be so full of hope and knowing that your greatest efforts will always yield the poorest results? I’ve grown tired of this conversation, and I’ve grown tired of you, Captain O’Dweller – forever a measly thorn in my side. I will take what is owed to me.” Guardian swung his sword before continuing to approach the Captain and Cariphae. Cariphae heard a faint gasp and the sudden cracking of bones and looked down to see Quartz pushing herself off the sand to hold her chest.

“So be it.” The Captain closed his eyes and tilted his hat downwards to see Quartz look up at him while her chest snapped back into shape. “Stay close, my dear.” He warned and a bolt of lightning struck across her view. In that split second, the Ensanguined woman saw only the Captain’s bright blue eyes and an unfamiliar aura around them – one with strange cords and shimmering angled limbs rather than an organic human shape.

Anger began to swallow Cariphae at Guardian’s words and she could feel something hot boil inside her. Faced with the reality of a traitor backing her against a wall, the fear stemming from physical weakness was evaporated away leaving glorious fury to remain. She stepped forward to the Captain’s side and balled her fists as she stood upright against the pain.

“Preasidion, what evil has befallen you? Have you no shame?!” Cariphae spoke boldly to which Guardian simply scoffed.

“Evil? Is that what you think I am?” His tone shifted to amusement. “All that I have done has been for the betterment of mankind. Quite honestly, my dear, you think you’ve always known what’s best for everyone, yet you dared not set foot in my world. You took the Arithmetian crown that I gave you and you hid in Lovelacia to sulk over your beloved Virgoth for two-hundred years. You know nothing of what humans truly need because you could never seem to find out what you need, but I know.”

Cariphae looked stricken with pain. “I know that war is not what they need, and it’s a war you’ve declared when you betrayed Arithmetia.”

“What war? You cannot fight a war without an army, Cariphae. Arithmetia is mine now, as are your beloved Valaah livestock. There will be no war.”

“Arithmetia will never be yours, and neither will Endle!” Cariphae roared over the thunder. The Captain allowed Cariphae to walk in front of him with careful vigilance.

“Hm, because you say so?” Guardian smirked heartlessly.

Cariphae’s face contorted from internal pain that Guardian seemed to be able to gnaw at with his words. The helplessness, the heartache, and the reality of her true cowardice opening a wound still so fresh and made it bleed from her eyes in the form of tears. She swallowed hard and gnashed her teeth together in frustration. Then, she faced the demi-god with a scowl without fear. In a calm tone, she spoke out, “Because I vow today that I will undo you, Preasidion. You aren’t unkillable, because you will die.”

Guardian smiled as he raised his sword and lightning struck the blade to make the steel red-hot and charged with ferocious electricity. “A vow made, never to be fulfilled. Remember your failure when I have you crawling beneath me as my wife.” He swung his blade and a bolt of lightning erupted from the tip and snaked through the air toward the three – particularly the Captain. Cariphae instinctively threw up her hand and shut her eyes at the blinding light. The lightning crashed inches from her palm and exploded mid-air in a powerful discharge that blew away the sand and water. A wall of fiery orange surrounded her, the Captain and Quartz – protecting them from the blast. Veins in her hand and arm glowed brightly, and the brightest light came from the odd vertical-lined tattoo on her shoulders. The sound was louder than thunder and made the ground ring like a large bellowing bell. The Captain gasped and caught a collapsing Cariphae in his arm when she suddenly fainted from the intense surge of power. Guardian was startled to see that even in her mortal and weakened state, she somehow managed to deflect his attack.

The shock in his eyes was wide and unbelieving. Everything he had done, every ounce of blind faith he had in the plan – Nacre’s plan – seemed to come crashing down onto him like an avalanche. Having been so sure of himself and his efforts to make Cariphae as weak as a sapling, seeing a familiar power make itself known in a dire situation made the demi-god take a step back and bring his arm to his side. His body moved on its own into defense instinctually, as it remembered wounds and battles of old. Though she did not remember, he did.

“Impossible!” He roared and raised his sword to attack once more, but before he could swipe it across with a force strong enough to cut down trees, he felt a cold pain shoot up from his leg and up his spine that forced the demi-god to fall to his knees. He let out a short shout of pain before it was cut off by a blade piercing him through the back and bursting through the center of his chest with white-hot blood smearing the Damascus steel’s tip. Entity had cut the back of Guardian’s knee and ran him through the back while trying to yank the blade upwards to cut the man’s torso in half. His face was bloody from Guardian’s punch and his right eye was swollen shut, but he had enough strength and anger to attack, nonetheless.

“This is for Heron!” Entity hissed through his teeth.

Guardian’s fury was intensified tenfold as he healed, stood to his feet, and lunged forward to jerk the sword out of Entity’s hand. Entity scrambled to hold onto his blade and was swung off his feet as Guardian furiously tried to reach him. The determined sorcerer let out a roar as both hands squeezed the sword’s handle to hang on. Then in a fit of impatience, Guardian flexed his arms and exerted so much energy through his body that the sword shattered into hundreds of electrified pieces.

Entity shrieked as the current coursed through him and burned his palms terribly. His heart felt like it had been punched and he fell back onto the sand, rolling onto his side to clutch his sizzling palms in agony. Shards of seething hot metal flung outwards and hissed wildly before vanishing into the sand as shadowy vapor. As the pommel of the blade hit the sand, the once vibrant purple gem housing the voice of Entity’s lover faded to a deathly gray. The magic had been destroyed.

Entity felt a sharp pain resonating within his soul as if something had been cut from it. A link between his love and his memories had been severed so violently and suddenly that the sorcerer could only stare in horror as the pommel died while his body twitched from the shock. He heard the familiar scream of his wife within the pommel fade out just as it did the day Guardian took her from him. The sound of wild wind faded, and the thunder was mute to him now. No longer could he see the swirling dark clouds above that had been slowly forming the eye of a hurricane.

“No!” Entity reached out to desperately collect the shards in the sand, but could not stop them from evaporating into nothing. Empty sand fell between his raw fingers pitifully. He was left stunned and overshadowed by what he assumed would now be his death. Guardian wiped away his glowing blood from his chest plate and turned to face the sorcerer with a fuming stare so full of hatred and malice. As the unphased tyrant readied a final blow to the sorcerer, there was a distinct rumble in the sea so powerful and so deep that it caught his attention.

The water vibrated and crashed sporadically in unnatural ways behind the Captain. His eyes began to glow so brightly that – much like Guardian’s – they turned into a blinding white glow. He carried Cariphae close to his chest as he began to manipulate very sea itself. Quartz noticed a looming shadow cast over them and turned around to face the sea. Her stomach dropped at the sight of a massive wall of black water rising higher and higher into the air until she could no longer see the crest of the great wave. Guardian looked awestruck as well as he witnessed a behemoth tidal wave rush towards the shore, and the closer it came to the shore, the taller it became until the wave blocked the very skies above. Quartz scrambled to her feet clutching her ribs and looked back to see Entity lying in the sand staring at the wave.

“Entity!” She called out to him and snapped him out of his shock-induced trance.

For the sorcerer, it was either act or die. The wave distracted Guardian just long enough for Entity to quickly stand while grabbing a handful of sand. Guardian spun around and heaved his sword to strike him down – wanting to kill something to satisfy his wrath - but Entity was quick to stumble away and throw the sand at his face. As the sword hit the sand between Entity’s legs, Guardian’s eyes filled with the coarse grit, and he hollered in irritation while holding his face. He continued to heave and swing his sword in a frenzy – trying to hit Entity in any way that he could while he tried to blink away the blinding sand. Entity ran as fast as his legs could carry him towards the Captain and grabbed Quartz by the waist as if wanting to protect her from the incoming tidal wave. Despite the water coming at the small group, it began to split in the middle just enough to create a small gap to avoid hitting the Captain and his allies. The water wrapped around the four who huddled close to the Captain.

Guardian cleared the sand from his eyes and he only had a split second to see the tidal wave hit the shore. There was no time – even for Guardian – to react to the collapsing wall of water coming for him.

“The thunderstorm is but a mere child of the hurricane.” The Captain spoke while his eyes intensified into a blinding flash of blue, and let the tidal wave hit Guardian with such immense force that he was swept away far inland in a matter of seconds. Trees were ripped from their roots and boulders were swept upwards in a chaotic fury – smashing into Guardian’s body and mangling him. He was tossed and thrown about by the current violently and he could not seem to heal faster than the damage being done to his body. Lightning struck the tidal wave where Guardian was but not even the wrath of lightning could save the demi-god from such an overwhelming force of nature. The roar of the water was deafening as if it were a beast calling malevolently into the very ground beneath it.

Miles of the once vibrant forest was now underwater and leveled by the power of the sea, and Guardian was nowhere to be found. While the water still rushed, the Captain moved to face Entity and Quartz with Cariphae safe in his arms. His voice – magical and god-like – cut through the guttural groans of the wind and water. “Hold your breath.” He commanded them. With sharp inhales, they held their breath. Entity pulled Quartz to him as the water closed in on them – taking them under in the cold dark deep.

In seconds, they felt the water drop and bright yellow light shined against their eyelids. They could hear the wind hitting heavy sails and seagulls flying about. Entity’s eyes squinted open and saw clear and calm blue skies above them. They were soaked in seawater but warmed by sunlight. Quartz felt her flesh sizzle and burn from the rays which forced her to quickly pull away from Entity and hide beneath her heavily soaked cloak. He did his best to shield her by standing in the sun and opening his coat to give her his shadow. They both looked behind them to see the Captain cradling Cariphae and staring at her calm face that glistened with droplets of water. He was speechless but a small smile formed upon his lips when he held her closer to him, as if treasuring something unfathomably rare and beloved.

They were on a ship – a large one at that – with a spiraling dark storm far off into the distance where no land could be seen.

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