"Holy Fuck." Zack stumbles as the entire temple collapses. In all his years of fighting, he has never seen such a display of raw power from someone not named him. He could barely look at Silen as he stalked toward the undead monster. It was as if the space around him was distorted, and his blazing sword made viability all the worse. The heat was so unbearable that not even Zack could get near them.
He shakes his head, rubbing his eyes. Now is not the time to hesitate; he needs me. Zack makes his way to the crater caused by Silen's swing. It was so deep he couldn't even see the two. As he bounds to the edge, a wail sounded from the basin. A wail so inhuman, so broken, that it would haunt him for the rest of his days. Zack jumps down into the hole without a second thought to find Silen withering on the ground, tearing at his chest.
"GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT! KILL ME! PLEASE!" Silen begs the monster as he tears at his flesh. It stares down at him, its face unchanged. What did it do to him? I can't lose someone else. What is the point of my strength if I can't save those close to me?
Zack slides down next to Silen, forcing him to stop scaring his already bleeding chest. Silen sobbed, but no tears came out. His hair, it's turning red? Zack stares helplessly at his companion. With no other option, he knocks him out with the butt of his spear and glares at the creature, "What have you done?"
The undead stares at him for a few seconds before answering, "I told him the truth. Whether he survives is up to Silen." The creature reaches down and picks up Silen's sword, plucking out the flame core from its casing in the hilt. He rises, flying out of the hole. Zack grabs Silen, collects the shards of his weapon, and stuffs them with the hilt into his pockets. He hops out of the crater as Hearon carries Azu to his side.
Zack sets down Silen, who had now awoken. His gaze was far away, almost like he was dead. Zack clicks his tongue, stepping in front of his team and slamming his spear into the ground. No one is dying today.
The creature observes the flame core, raising it to one of its glowing orbs it calls an eye. "To think he was able to bring out the maximum potential of this pitiful sphere. Truly remarkable."
Zack grabs the bandage around his spear, ripping it off. The weapon glimmers in the sunlight. A pure white handle with gold lightning engraved with Runic swirls around the glowing pole. The head of the spear is shaped like a triangle, with two lightning bolts made of gold creating the edges. The center of the weapon is engraved with Runic, and a small hole makes up the center. Zack reaches for a small bangle hanging by his waist, ripping out the small black orb resting on it.
"You're not the only one with a black core." Zack inserts the core into the hole in its head, and a bolt of black lightning sparks down the weapon.
"Oh my. To think another one would be here." The monster chuckles, the sound sending shivers down Zack's spine. "You are as interesting as I had hoped. The stories do not do you justice." Zack grabs the weapon, and black lightning crackles to life. The Runic characters glow, and the gold metal lightning that had been engraved swirls around the staff, moving from the spear to Zack's arm, encasing it in gold. The edges of the spear separate, hovering an inch away from the head, lightning connecting them to the main body.
Zack hefts the weapon, resting it on his shoulder. The sky darkens as more lightning sparks off his body, the air around him charging, the smell of burning ozone stinging Zack's nose. John is no longer chuckling. Zack grins, "Laugh at this, bitch." He slams his foot into the ground, causing it to crack. Lightning explodes out of the small crevices as Zack throws the spear, the electrical bolts speeding up the devastating rod. It is said that the thunderclap resulting from his throw was heard even from Ignious, and the bolts of lightning could be seen from End City, searing the very sky itself.
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When the dust cleared, another great abyss had been created, scaring the forest for hundreds of miles.
Zack breathes out, a small spark of electricity following his exhaled air. His veins had turned completely black but were already starting to fade. "I never wanted to use that, but Silen deserves peace."
A laugh echos out from the abyss as a small black orb floats in front of them, "You really thought that would kill me? Boy, you have much to learn." A body slowly regenerates, the body of John.
Zack holds out his hand, his spear flying into it. Lightning crackles as he prepares for another strike, but John never gives him the chance, raising the flame core in his hand. "Our game is over, Zacarious. May we meet again. Though I suppose I will be the least of your worries."
Zack realizes what he is doing and slams his spear into the ground. A wall of black covers the party as the litch crushes the orb. There is a flash of light and then silence.
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The black wall Zack had made crumbled, the party protected from John's attack. But the area they were in was not as fortunate. Everything had been vaporized. The entire garden was gone, with nothing but glass-like stone marking the crater the explosion had created. Zack stares at the destruction in disbelief. This is not how core explosions work. They should affect only living matter, not buildings or statues. Did he alter the explosions effects?
Zack shakes his head. No, that can't be possible. It would mean he changed the core on an atomic level, and even a black core couldn't accomplish something like that. Zack looks at his own core, electricity still sparking off his spear. He takes the core out, the weapon reassembling itself, the edges melding back onto the spearhead and his golden sleeve returning to its position as the lighting decoration of the handle.
His party has seen better days. Azu is back on her feet, her arm gone. Zack clenches his teeth in frustration. Getting her a replacement won't be too hard, as robotic limbs are common, but he still can't forgive himself. It was his fault. But it does nothing to lighten his love for her. If anything, she has never looked more beautiful. Silen has drifted back into unconsciousness, Hearon doing his best to stop the bleeding from Silen's chest wound. Whatever John told him had destroyed his mind. Zack is familiar with the feeling.
Azu places her hand on Zack's cheek, who had zoned out. His heart beat hard in his chest as her eyes stared deep into his. A thousand words said with a single glance. She still loves him. She was the only thing keeping him stable. "We need to go. Silen is not looking good." Zack nods and they begin the trek out of the glassy crater.
Nothing survived. Not a single blade of grass. Zack couldn't help but feel sad at the loss of their guard. He knew a lot of them personally, and they were the best of the best. Now, the corps are without them, leaving a massive hole to fill. Worst of all, there was nothing to bring home to their families.
He sighs as they leave, frustration building in his chest like a pressure valve with too much pressure. Will we ever complete an operation that doesn't involve losing half our people? As if in response, a roar echos through the sky. A deep guttural sound that raised the hair on Zack's arms. He knew most of the sounds shells made, and this was something he had never heard before.
The team stopped, Hearon and Zack guarding their two injured companions as the roar got closer. It was so loud that the earth shook, and the glassy ground cracked. It tore through the silence, the beat of wings getting closer. He tightens his hands on the spear, searching the sky. Zack's jaw drops as his gaze zeros in on an object far in the distance.
The monster flies over, completely blotting out the sun. The trees groan and snap as its wings beat to keep the massive body in the air. "A Dragon?" Hearon gasps as the black, scaly creature disappears over the forest.
Azu shakes her head, her body quivering from the encounter, "It cannot be. Those are myths. but even so, my body is in flight mode. It will not stop shaking." She glances over at Zack, whose face has gone completely white, "Zack?"
He points behind them, "That can't be what I think it is, right?" The party follows Zack's gaze, and far in the distance, they see a white tower extending high into the air, stark among the blue sky.