The Remover of Obstacles

Akamori and Bahumet stood poised for a fight within the dreamscape. The gathered souls behind Akamori writhed anxiously, sensing the growing tension. With a wave of his hand they eased. The lone figure approaching them strode in confident even paces. A purposeful gait that wasn’t rushed. It was here intentionally.

Bahumet’s tail flicked agitatedly, dragging a snag in the sky like a finger pulled down wet paint. As the great destroyer settled, so too did the environment. Akamori couldn’t help feeling like he’d just taken one too many hallucinogenics before going to sleep. These were all problems he didn’t need.

As the wanderer approached, details came into focus. Akamori noticed that a ragged black cloak covered a massive frame. Whoever was coming was built like someone stuffed the Sgt. into a too small set of spell armor, painted his skin grey and threw a tail on his face. At least, that’s what Akamori thought from so far off. Eventually, as the man approached, Akamori realized it was some manner of trunk. The stranger stopped out of melee range and drew back his hood slowly, deliberately. As much an action of caution as display.

“What the heck are you?” Akamori said softly.

“My kind are very rare in many sectors. Fallen from grace, the few remaining dregs of an empire passed.”

The stranger spoke in a voice that held an accent Akamori wasn’t used to hearing. It was cultured, educated, and had a sing songy lilt to it. It was deep in tone, spoken from a powerful body that was threatening enough on its own. To challenge it would court death. His aura was also held in check very well. Controlled and subdued.

Akamori sighed, already sensing this was going to be another one of those vague, get more questions than answers kind of talks. He started twirling his hand, gesturing for the stranger to hurry and get on with it.

“Yeah. Amazing dodge, but you didn’t answer the question.”

The trunk huffed, and the stranger bowed his head. Akamori noted he had a large, pronounced forehead. Large ears that looked like they could be flapped to cool him off but probably had sick sound pickup, and a set of tusks that protruded from his mouth.

“Observant. I was warned you would be… different, but I confess this shade is not quite what I’d expected of one that had once been so great. Perhaps that may change, but then, I’d prefer not to leave that chance.”

Akamori glanced up to Bahumet. “Did people just talk around you the whole time when you were alive?”

“It is an acquired taste. But you get used to it,” Bahumet rumbled, eying the stranger cautiously.

The strange alien, for his part, held his large powerful hands aloft in a show of non hostility. “My apologies, but I am not here for violence.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Discourse.” was the stranger’s simple reply.

“Regarding what, old one?” Bahumet spoke.

“Ah. So you recognize my kind.”

“Your forget your place, child of the stars. My kind are the eldest. From a time when creation was still figuring itself out. Now what are you here to discuss.”

“Him.” The stranger said, pointing a strong, thick digit at Akamori. Dark eyes pointed straight at him.

“What about me?”

“Your progress is…too rapid. So I’m here to slow you down. I need you at a certain place, at a certain time, at a certain level of power. It’s too early for the King of Hell to ascend just yet.”

“And just what are you going to do?”

Bahumet’s aura flared dangerously, and Akamori noticed that his own was doing so in tandem. Sometimes it was easy to forget just he wasn’t exactly alone in his own body.

“Again, nothing so banal as violence. In fact, quite the opposite. My very presence here is serving the purpose.”

“He’s stalling.” Akamori said.

The tusked stranger gave him another nod. “You’re more perceptive than I expected. That is both good and bad.”

“Why?” Akamori demanded.

“Because in some ways we share a purpose. In others, we do not.”

“I’m guessing the balance of that scale leans more into the do not catagory.” Akamori said.

“You have the right of it.” The stranger affirmed.

“So. You’re here stalling me, from what?”

The stranger gave Akamori a silent smile. Bahumet smashed a massive paw down on the man, raking his talons down into the soil, leaving deep furrows. But the stranger stood untouched.

“He’s a projection.” Bahumet growled.

“Meaning he’s not really here?”

The draconic soul nodded. “He’s an astral projection in your mind in the dreamscape. Probably piggybacking the divine sleep spell.”

“The Destroyer of Worlds has it correct. I need you asleep while I go to work elsewhere.”

“Seems like a big risk to tip your hand off. You could have just left me alone. At least then I could have kept on dreaming.”

The stranger nodded and held a finger up to gesticulate as he spoke. “This isn’t your first incarnation I’ve visited like this. Though this time I wanted to try something a little different. See if I might avoid history repeating itself.”

Akamori wiped his hand down his face in frustration and turned to Bahumet.

“Translation?”

“The Remover of Obstacles.” Bahumet growled.

“The what?” Akamori said, feeling the conversation pulling away from him.

The Remover grinned, slowly applauding.

“So, if you’re removing me as an obstacle, what’s your target?”

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Ah. But that would be telling. And I don’t think we’re quite that far yet. Give it time.” The Remover winked.

Akamori bit back a chuckle. But it eventually erupted in belly laugh. He held his hand for a moment, gesturing for a pause. The Remover glared at Akamori then looked to Bahumet for aid. None came from the black and lavender scaled dragon as it watched Akamori silently with a bemused grin.

The Remover’s trunk writhed with rage before he sucked in several deep calming breaths and regained his composure. When he opened his eyes again, the mask of casual control had returned. The grey skinned male spoke again, intoning his easygoing attitude of confidence and superiority.

“I’ve forgotten what traversing the maw can do to a soul. Your previous selves were less… juvenile.”

“I’m impressed it took me this long to realize what a pompous dork you are. Seriously, who calls themselves the Remover of Obstacles?” Akamori devolved into laughter again. An awkward moment passed in the silence from the Remover and Bahumet.

“The name is a handle that I have acquired in the many years of my service.”

“Maleficus.” Bahumet growled. Talons scraped on soil, drawing Akamori’s gaze.

“Who is Maleficus?” Akamori asked. The name tugged at something within his subconscious. Like a memory buried in fog.

“The master whom I serve.” The Remover said proudly.

“Your master is dead.” Bahumet said. “Or else we’d be speaking to her.”

The Removers’ mouth twitched. “A temporary situation, as you’re intimately familiar with, I’m sure.”

Bahumet’s eyes narrowed. “This isn’t a reincarnation. Merely a soul union.”

The Remover’s large hands came up in a placating gesture. “Of course. But while your intentions may not be to return, my mistress fully intends to return. We have unfinished business, as you know.”

“Burning creation to the ground is not a solution for what’s coming. In dividing ourselves, we only strengthened them.”

The Remover shrugged indifferently. The first time, he genuinely looked honest. This struck a chord with Akamori. “Perhaps. But it’s not my place to judge. I’m merely following the mandate my mistress left behind.”

He didn’t exactly disagree with Bahumet’s statement. He just stepped around it. “What mandate was that exactly?”

“Prepare for her return.”

“You’re not afraid we’ll stop you? Seems kind of cocky to share your plan with someone who you’ve been fighting with for centuries.”

“Millenia, to be more accurate. And no. I’m not. To be afraid of your interference would require you to be capable of it. You are not.”

“Then why are we here?”

The Remover grinned but didn’t respond.

“Right. That would be telling.” Akamori said, rolling his eyes. He’d had enough of this and began infusing his aura with wild electrical energy. Raw, undiluted air magic. The sky grew dark and gloomy as lightning cracked in the distance. The storms drew nearer and the Remover’s brow arched. There it was. He’d slipped up.

“You thought you could keep me locked in here. You didn’t expect me to be strong enough to throw you out of my mind. But guess what? I can, and I am.”

Instinctively, Akamori’s aura lashed out, seizing the Remover’s form up like a fiery hand made of energy. Slowly he squeezed the Remover who winced, but didn’t react. Before attacking, he paused. Perhaps he’d overestimated his own ability? Maybe the Remover was stronger than he’d thought? Was this a bluff?

The sky split open and a black blade stabbed down through the Remover’s chest like a hurled javelin. Behind it, the black form of Frank, his soul bonded voidsent. Frank landed next to him in a crouch, aether hungry eyes resting firmly on the Remover like a wild cat eying up its first meal in a week.

Banish this interloper! Thanaton hissed.

“Thanks for the visit, but we’re full up on guests.” Akamori said.

Then his aura blew violently into the Remover’s projection like the afterburner of a fighter jet, boiling away the astral projection. Even in the still absence that followed, Akamori felt the cold shiver of abject confidence and arrogance. That level of arrogance made Akamori sick. It reminded him of the bastard that ruined Honshu and Eryn.

When the last of the Remover’s aetheric presence evaporated from the dreamscape, he could feel whatever constrictive magic holding him asleep had been burned away. Bahumet gave him an affirming nod, and he awoke violently.

Bursting from his bed in a torrent of blankets and sheets, he ran through Indra’s corridors with Thanaton in hand, wild-eyed looking for the massive grey skinned Remover. He checked each room and found everyone sleeping, except for Amara.

“Is everything ok?”

“Yeah.” Akamori said. “Had a nightmare.” He added, following a pause. He glanced around and felt a light tingle on his skin. He couldn’t explain it at the time and wrote it off as a side of effect of the Remover’s spell that held him asleep.

“You ok in here?” Akamori asked.

“Yeah!” Amara responded quickly. She nodded, rising to slowly push him out of her room. “I’m good. Except for you. Get some rest. You look like a mess.”

He stumbled backwards until the wall solidified separating them. He stood in the corridor and sighed. He couldn’t explain how or why, but he was certain she wasn’t telling him the truth. Something was wrong, and he wasn’t sure what. That uncertainty was becoming a dagger in his side. A wound that never stopped bleeding.

She’s lying! Thanaton hissed. Frank, and even Bahumet in his human form, strode next to him. On Hoshun this would have sent him running. Now? He was so used to it, he wondered if he was losing his grip on reality.

No, you’re merely expanding your awareness of what reality is , Bahumet said.

The Remover smelled foul. Like the void. He is tainted by it . Frank mused.

“Yeah. I don’t like it either. But then…void magic is a big part of me now too. So I’m not exactly strutting around pure of the sunshine.”

His presence complicates everything. Expect him to not be far wherever there is trouble, Bahumet cautioned.

“Like Ominek?”

Bahumet shook his head, a sad look in his gaze. No. Much worse. Where calamity struck, he was often in its shadow. Always moving the pieces around so that Maleficus could return. Now that he’s out in the open, he will become a problem.

“We can’t stop the fight with Sauridius to chase phantoms. We have to deal with him first.”

Agreed. But then, I think that is factored into his plans. He will use that against. Forcing our need to act against Ominek and Sauridius to position both of us against each other, weakening any potential retaliation against Maleficus when she reemerges.

“We lose and she wins no matter what, huh?”

Indeed. One thing is certain. Her return will change everything, assuming it doesn’t end it first.

“Then we’ll just have to stop her. One god at a time, I’ll stop them all.”

The void magic in his breast writhed eagerly at the call for destruction, but next to it. The light magic. It radiated powerfully with his desire to protect everyone. Like a beacon light in the darkest of nights. If only he knew how true that analogy would prove.

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