> I wish I could remember my mother's smile. People say she was incredibly beautiful, but I can't remember her face at all. Neither my father. I wish I could remember something, but all I can really say is... I'm sorry. I am sorry I don’t remember you both. But I am so grateful for the life you both have prepared me for, For your love, your protection, thank you. ——The Hexe - Book Two by Professor Edgar O. Duvencrune, First Edition, 555th Summer (note scribbled on the first page.)
"You think too much," Xendrix said, snapping Yeso out of back to reality. His tone was mocking as he circled around Noctavia, placing his hands possessively over her shoulders and sliding the palms of his hands over her arms. "That's all you ever do. Think. And think, and think," he continued.
"You think and do nothing. You are just a little dreamer, and that's all you'll ever be," Xendrix taunted, tightening his grip around Noctavia in a show of control and dominance.
As Yeso watched this, his grip on the sword grew firmer, his knuckles whitening. The mockery in his words and the sight of Xendrix's arms tightening around his Hexe, claiming ownership as if she were an object to be possessed, ignited a fire, a blaze, within Yeso. He had never been so close to exploding.
"You know you can't kill me, right? If you kill me, she joins me," Xendrix taunted, leaning in to kiss and lick Noctavia's cheek with the smug air of a pet owner and someone who knows the game is rigged.
"She does taste nice," he added, further provoking Yeso.
Yeso's eyes quickly scanned the room, taking note of the position of each Lamia. From where he stood, he could dispatch them swiftly, but such an action would require him to take his eyes off Xendrix.
That could provide the King with an opportunity to cast a spell, the nature of which Yeso couldn't even begin to guess. The situation demanded a strategic approach, as Yeso had to weigh his options, balancing the need to eliminate the immediate threat of the Lamias against the risk of losing sight of Xendrix and the potential danger he posed.
"Thinking, thinking, and doing nothing. Let me help you with that," Xendrix said, his voice laced with malice. With a sharp whistle consisting of two distinct notes, the Lamias instantly raised their heads in alert.
Xendrix's command was clear, and the response from the Lamias was immediate. This was the signal Yeso had dreaded, the moment when thinking had to give way to action.
As the Lamias surrounded Yeso, it was clear their attack would be coordinated, a deadly dance of forty-three Nightmare creatures all closing in on him almost simultaneously.
As one Lamia was brave enough to lunge towards Yeso from behind, its teeth aimed to strike with deadly force. However, as it made contact, there was a sudden, audible crack. To the Lamia's surprise, Yeso's skin wasn't vulnerable flesh but protected by his Spirit, covered in resilient, dragon-like scales.
In that critical moment, Yeso's instincts kicked in. He executed a sharp pivot as he turned to face the Lamia that had tried to bite him.
With a swift and decisive thrust, he drove his sword straight through the creature's body, impaling it with a lethal strike. The Lamia's body jerked violently as the blade penetrated it.
Without another moment's hesitation, Yeso pulled the sword back, freeing it from the Lamia's body. Almost simultaneously, another creature launched itself towards him, attempting to exploit the brief window of opportunity.
However, Yeso was ready. With the same fluid motion, he redirected his sword and thrust it forward, plunging the blade deep into the chest of the oncoming attacker. The second Lamia was caught mid-leap, its body convulsing as the sword pierced through, stopping it dead in its tracks.
Before he could fully regain his stance, two more Lamias dove at his feet, grasping them with their claws, causing Yeso to lose his balance. He fell backwards, but this position unexpectedly worked to his advantage. With a quick sweep of his wings, he severed the feet of four Lamias, turning their coordinated attack into a moment of vulnerability.
Rolling to regain his footing, Yeso was immediately confronted by another Lamia directly in front of him while yet another approached from behind. So he spun around with his sword extended, decapitating the Lamia in front of him in one clean, deadly arc.
The Lamia behind him, however, managed to dodge the blade at the last moment, reaching out to grab Yeso's arm in the process. This sudden move caused Yeso to lose his grip on the sword, leaving him momentarily unarmed and vulnerable in the midst of the chaotic melee.
Realizing the threat posed by Yeso's sword, one of the Lamias swiftly kicked it, sending the weapon skittering across the hall, far out of his reach. Now unarmed, Yeso's only remaining weapon was the small copper dagger in his belt, but in his current predicament, he found himself unable to reach it.
In a coordinated effort, the surviving Lamias seized this opportunity. They lunged at Yeso, grabbing him by his arms, legs, head, and even his wings. Each creature's grip was tight, their intentions horrifyingly clear. Yeso could feel the force of their pulls, each Lamia trying to tear him apart, their combined strength focused on dismembering him.
Trapped in the ironclad hold of the Lamias, Yeso was rendered immobile, unable to defend himself or counterattack.
Sudden and unexpected, Yeso's skin began to crack into golden veins that pulsated with uncontrollable energy. These veins rapidly expanded, growing thicker and encompassing his entire body. Yeso could feel an intense, building pressure within him, a sensation of his very being about to burst forth.
This was his Saatgut igniting, an involuntary reaction to the extreme stress and danger he was facing. He was no longer Master of himself. The power within him swelled by the second, an overwhelming surge that threatened to consume him. The energy built up to an almost unbearable intensity, signalling an imminent and catastrophic release.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
And then, in a juncture of explosive force, the pent-up energy erupted. A blight explosion of abrasive light burst forth from Yeso, radiating outwards in a blinding flash. The shockwave of this release was immense, a powerful and uncontrolled discharge of magical energy that cascaded through the hall, impacting everything and everyone in its vicinity.
The explosion, though brief, lasting only a mere second, was immensely powerful. In the aftermath, Yeso found himself crouched on the ground, rapidly regaining control of his magic, pulling it back inside him but struggling to gather his strength.
He hesitated to survey the destruction he had caused, fearing the worst – had he inadvertently harmed Noctavia?
Scared, Yeso finally raised his head, his gaze cautiously scanning the surroundings. The walls of the hall showed signs of the explosion's intensity, with stone visibly melted and distorted from the blast. The floor where corpses had once laid was now covered in ashes and a few stubborn bones that had somehow withstood the impact.
His heart pounding, Yeso searched desperately for Noctavia amidst the devastation. Relief washed over him as he finally spotted her. Despite the explosive force, she had survived, and so had Xendrix.
Surprisingly, Noctavia had somehow managed to generate a protective ward time around them. Yeso struggled to comprehend how she had done this, considering Noctavia had never fully explored her potential in magic.
To her, magic had been of little interest; she had the ability to stop time but never delved into the extent of her powers. Yeso surmised that, at this moment, Xendrix must have been pushing her to her limits, forcing her to tap into abilities she had never fully acknowledged or utilised.
Meanwhile, Xendrix revelled in the chaos he had orchestrated, his laughter echoing through the hall. "Your face! Oh, by the Holy Mother, your face is priceless!" he exclaimed, barely able to speak through his fits of laughter.
"Let her go, Xendrix," Yeso demanded, “If it’s me you want, let her go.”
"Let her go? Why?"
"What do you want?" Yeso asked.
"I want what any human wants - not to die," Xendrix explained, turning to face Yeso. "I want immortality. To be immortal like you two."
"I cannot give you that. Noctavia cannot give you that. It's a myth; everything that is born needs to die. It's the cycle of life," Yeso replied, trying to reason with him.
"Oh, don't worry about that. Yeso, I've already resolved that little mystery," Xendrix said with smug satisfaction. He chuckled at the end of his sentence, clearly pleased with whatever solution he had devised. “It’s sweet of you to think I was expecting you to teach me anything; no, no, no, you are not my mentor. Neither was she, but it was cute to see her try. My mentor is a God!”
Yeso furrowed his brow as he looked at Xendrix, trying to piece together the puzzle while focusing on how to free Noctavia. Whatever grand, evil plot Xendrix was pursuing, it was of no interest to him. His priority was Noctavia's safety and freedom, not the delusions of grandeur and immortality that Xendrix harboured.
"Don't you see how powerful, even more powerful than any spell or magic, is a simple name?" Xendrix mused, stepping away from Noctavia and beginning to pace around the hall. His movements had a theatrical quality as if he were performing on a stage, addressing an audience of one – Yeso.
"A name seems like just a key to a whole story, but have you ever noticed that once you know someone's name, you never ask for it again?" he continued, stopping suddenly to face Yeso directly.
"For example, Noctavia... I really thought her name was Noctavia Sternach. Everyone called her that, but then I noticed something about you," Xendrix said, his voice tinged with intrigue. He paused for a moment, turning his gaze back to Yeso. "You! You never called her Noctavia. You always referred to her as your Hexe, your love... So it made me question, what was her real name?"
"I don't understand where this is leading."
"Well, it seems you're not much of a reader, Yeso. Otherwise, you'd know that every villain reveals their plan at the very last moment, just in time for the hero to save the day," Xendrix replied, a wry smile playing on his lips.
"But that moment has already passed. I'm merely enjoying my victory, savouring the moment. Sharing is caring, after all, especially when you've had a bit too much ale and find yourself talking like a gossiping woman. Revealing all the secrets that I needed."
Xendrix's words carried a tone of casual arrogance, almost as if he was toying with Yeso, enjoying the power he wielded in the situation. He seemed to relish in the role of the villain who had outwitted the hero, basking in his apparent triumph.
Xendrix came to a halt, his foot idly playing with a skull half-buried in the ashes on the floor. He looked directly at Yeso, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Now, Blue-One, ask me my name again."
"Why is this necessary?" Yeso questioned, not understanding Xendrix's game.
"Ask!" Xendrix commanded.
"What is your name?" Yeso asked, reluctantly playing along.
Xendrix chuckled, pleased with Yeso's compliance. "Wasn't that hard, was it?" He locked his gaze onto Yeso's and declared very articulately, "I am Xendrix Kaspian, the II."
At that revelation, it felt as if the world itself had shifted beneath Yeso. He turned his head slightly to meet Howl's passive gaze. A realisation dawned on him – they were trapped in a loop, a cycle of events that had already played out.
This was not the start. This was the end-point.
Yeso's mind raced, pondering the moment this loop might have originated, questioning whether it was even his own doing that created this loophole. His conclusion was that his part was executed when he let Zvoya run away with the Kaspian heir, Xendrix Kaspian, the II.
"I already won," Xendrix announced triumphantly, breaking through Yeso's thoughts. His command echoed through the hall, resounding with finality. "Kill him!"
NA notes:
> Blut
>
> Noun
>
> Translation: Blood
>
> Pronunciation: /bluːt/
>
> Definition: "Blut" is the term for the vital fluid circulating in the living organisms. It carries essential substances such as nutrients, oxygen and magic to the cells and removes waste products. In the Map there are 5 typed of blood.
>
> Type 1 Blood (Red):
>
> * Description: This blood type is characterized by its red coloration, indicative of a non-magical nature. Predominantly found in humans, it is also present in a significant proportion of halflings and fae species.
> * Contagion Status: Current studies have not conclusively determined the contagious nature of Type 1 blood. Further research is required to ascertain its potential for transmission among different species.
>
> Type 2 Blood (Green):
>
> * Description: Known as Elven blood, this type exhibits a distinct green hue and is primarily associated with elves, faeries, and a large segment of fae creatures. It is notable for its high magical content.
> * Magical Properties: The elevated levels of magic in this blood type suggest unique physiological and biochemical processes distinct from non-magical blood types.
>
> Type 3 Blood (Blue):
>
> * Description: This rare blood type is entirely composed of magical elements, displaying a blue coloration. Its unique composition renders conventional human medical treatments largely ineffective.
> * Species Variability: Type 3 blood can be found across various races, with no specific racial predilection. Its rarity and magical nature necessitate specialized medical approaches for treatment.
>
> Type 4 Blood (Black):
>
> * Description: Commonly referred to as Nightmare blood, this type is characterized by its black color. It is highly infectious, with a noted resistance to current medical interventions.
> * Contagion Status: The contagion associated with Type 4 blood is deemed incurable at present. This blood type poses significant challenges to public health and safety.
>
> Type 0 Blood:
>
> * Description: This blood type is of unknown origin and exhibits characteristics not observed in the other classified types. This type used to be related to dwarfs and dragons.