Tides Of Protomis LXVI
The Great Phoenix Of Crete!!
1500 Years ago- there was a man known as the lifeweaver… He was an exceptionally powerful proto-human... Even if he did not fight in direct combat. He had the ability to create life on an unprecedented level. What followed soon after was a global spread of his influence. Traveling in regions that would not get into contact with each other until centuries afterward, his knowledge of how life worked far exceeded his contemporaries. He changed the Ecology of the earth as a whole. With his biological creations, nothing was outside of his domain. Everything from mythical beasts, such as the European dragons, or the Japanese Kitsune, to small microbes that could’ve gone unnoticed. Entire new biospheres are created, while others are destroyed. Mythical creatures and those he had thought of himself came to spread throughout the world… However, one beast, in particular, was dangerous enough that even he felt the need to put it down.
Athens, 516 AD
When the “Hellenists”, a group that hoped to erase any Roman influence, took over Greece and Anatolia, in the wake of the Roman Empire’s collapse, the center of the polity’s power was shifted back to the city of Athens, and the Empire of Dimapetra was declared. With a particular part of the group especially effective in pushing this forward the Levedos Dynasty. The family would become the nation’s sovereigns and lead it well…
But what would occur recently would prove to cripple them. The metropolis of Athens was covered in flames, and the proud buildings that littered the city were reduced to rubble. Within the decimated remains of the buildings, there sat the deceased townspeople, laying in piles by the dozens, though, at this point, they looked more like piles of charcoal. No doubt, due to what had arrived in the city. Flying through the smog-filled sky was the infamous Phoenix itself. As it let out its call, which echoed through the streets, superheated beams and waves of fire flew from its mouth and wings, respectively. Of course, it went without saying that the city’s defenders were trying their hardest to stop the beast’s advance. Waves of soldiers, clad in segmented black armor, charged at the beast, with the various effects of their abilities shown through their attempt at an attack… Even so, with naught but a dismissive glance, another wave of flame was sent outward, reducing the entire force to ash.
Among those in the city, one man, in particular, watched the battle anxiously. Across the city, he floated above the streets, watching this take place. The male was wearing a gray cloak. His face was obscured, outside of his piercing yellow orbs, the only visible feature. The large-framed man was the one who came to be known as the lifeweaver. As the waves of defenders were destroyed, his gaze slowly moved down to the carnage around him… The carnage that beast had created. The carnage that, by extension, he created.
“I can not doubt it. This is a result of my foolishness… Heraklion and Syracuse are damaged beyond repair, and Constantinople would’ve been next if I hadn’t managed to redirect it… I must have made a misstep when creating it. It has to be stopped here, or this damage will spread to the rest of the Mediterranean. I’ll create another beast-one who will stop this…But that is not all. I need to make sure I can enforce control over this one.”
As he spoke, dozens upon dozens of soldiers wearing the same armor as those before them floated to his side… Though they were less than happy with him right now, for obvious reasons, they were out of alternatives. After all, the high-class warriors were nowhere to be found, and they couldn’t even mark the creature. The commander of these soldiers, who could simply be described as a mountain of muscle, came to his side. He placed his hand on his shoulder.
“In that case: We’ll help out… Let’s move, men!!!”
On his command, the troops soon flew into the combat zone, Algios, taking notice, would send rays of heat barreling toward them, and their numbers were quickly cut down by half. The man gritted his teeth in frustration.
“Break!”
The proto-humans broke apart, swarming around the beast as if they were a swarm of hornets. However, this would only result in the number of beams increasing, vaporizing squad after squad. Elsewhere, the beast’s creator placed his hands on the rubble of one of the many buildings that surrounded him. The pieces began to converge into what looked to be a ribcage, followed by 4 legs, as their composition as a whole seemed to change, becoming white. Before chunks of muscle began to form around these forged bones, and as the muscle covered the whole of the body, it would soon go to the elongated triangular skull, coiling around it and wrapping it entirely, as two eyes appeared on the sides. What came after was blue skin and what looked to be armored plates on said skin. The quadruped beast stood proud in front of its creator. None the wiser, Algios continued its fight, or rather, the massacre of the proto-human soldiers.
“End it…”
The lifeweaver pointed at his creation. As the beast turned to face the Phoenix, it bent its knees before bounding upward, demolishing all that sat around it. And, as it leaped through the air, the Phoenix took notice. Its attention changed from the minor opponents to something much closer to its weight class. Algios let out a screech as the superheated beams flew at the four-legged beast. However, it only ignored it as it let out a resounding roar as it grappled onto the beast’s neck, sinking its teeth within the muscle. Before it brought the Phoenix to the ground, which gave way with the two colossal beasts crashing upon it. The new beast continued to sink its fangs into the Phoenix, regardless of the flames that began to spread on its body. However, Algios was not ready to go down without a fight, flapping its wings and firing beam after beam. But its movements began to slow regardless until they came to a screeching halt.
On that day, Algios would fall. The Phoenix would soon find himself sealed away in a chamber far underground, removed from any possible contact… And by purposeful design, where its flame creation would be limited. The stories of Algios and its fall spread throughout the world… Many believed it would never be unearthed. As the lifeweaver disappeared after the destruction, he would leave the beast who destroyed Algios to protect the nation. By the time he was seen again, it was as a corpse and was only found hundreds of years later.
The beast, which came to be known as the Azure warden, would meet its end over 20 years after its creator, Its bloodline ending there as well. The flames of the Phoenix of Crete were dying as well. It was believed that they would be snuffed out… But, unbeknownst to them all, over 1000 years later, a man with the ability to handle it would unearth it during a campaign. An accident, no doubt, as the specific location was lost to time. From there, he decided, the beast known as Algios would rise again.
The beast had looked over toward Sokol and Taiki, and as Al-Moussa nodded, it had taken notice of its targets. The heat of the flames around the beast intensified, roaring violently as their color began to change to a blend of blue and white. The beams of heat that would barrel toward Sokol and Taiki were of the very same color. Sokol began to zip around once again, handily evading the attacks. Taiki, however, was less than fortunate, with some burns coming to cover the surface of his skin. Clearly, he was not far enough away.
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“I won’t be defeated too easily. I did not survive the chaos of the wars pre-sultanate, just to be killed like some trash… In that same way, Neither will you, Algios. Your flames will not go out, not if I have anything to say about it.”
Al-Moussa’s face contorted into a smirk as he extended the bone blades from his wrists once again.
“Now then. It’s time to end you!!!”
Al Moussa looked between his opponents, assessing his targets. Then, taking notice of the fact that Taiki was pinned down, at least for now, he selected his other opponent. Al-Moussa flew at Sokol, spreading his arms as he prepared to swipe at him. With his back facing Algios, it looked to be the perfect time. For some moments, it looked as if he didn’t take notice. But as he got closer to him, the man reared on him, stopping the blade with a parry. But a moment later, his sword moved as if it were a blur, stabbing right through his opponent’s arm. He retracted it as quickly as he’d entered, but as he would prepare for a second thrust, Al-Moussa would swipe at his chest. Sokol dodged. He sent yet another swipe at his shoulder, but he once again avoided it.
“You’re a fast one, but that doesn’t mean your victory is set in stone.”
Sokol was shortly caught from behind by a ray fired from behind him, burning his clothes and exposing his back, revealing a slight burn. He gritted his teeth as he darted around to avoid these attacks. However, Al-Moussa’s onslaught would not end there. Instead, he would barrel forward, attempting to cut Sokol’s back; though he weaved once again, he was momentarily caught by another beam, fired at where he’d stopped, torching some of his sleeve off. From here, Sokol was caught within an unending onslaught. From the superheated beams that came from Algios to the attacks that The Apostle launched. His guard was beginning to falter, and he took notice of this fact.
“Damnit….”
Taking notice of this, Taiki would narrowly evade yet another beam as he flew toward the two to join the fray. However, as Al-Moussa took notice, he would redirect himself, changing his target to Taiki. His mark tightened his grip on his blade, bringing his edge behind his body. He responded by extending his wrist blades once again, with the blades of bone now extending from his ankles once again. As Taiki thrust, the man weaved out of the way, moving to his right, before ascending, sending his foot and the blade that came with it at his opponent’s neck. Taiki ducked out of the way. However, the Apostle simply continued his assault. A lateral slice aimed at his chest once more with his wrist blades. But Taiki would angle his sword, stopping the strike there. Only to find his opponent quickly drawing back and swiping once more… Resulting in his blade carving through Taiki’s shoulder… It slowly began to go further and further in as time went on. He had to get it out, lest he lose an arm.
With a grunt of effort, Taiki grabbed the blade, forcefully pushing it out of his shoulder and letting go as he quickly moved in front of him, throwing a right uppercut, though the man would lean his head back, avoiding this strike. Unfortunately, he did not avoid the second, As Taiki brought his fist back down, smashing his elbow into his opponent’s gut. Given his widened eyes, the action had even surprised Al-Moussa. But he would shortly regain his composure, backing up as if nothing had happened.
“There may be two of you, but you don’t know how to fight in unison - that is why you heretics shall die here!!!”
Sokol arched his brows as he took notice of the smirk returning to Al-Moussa’s face… There were not many things the man particularly liked or disliked, or at least that he’d tell others, but to those who knew him, it was no secret that he strongly detested those who were arrogant. The fact that he’d smiled in the middle of a battle and the fact that he’d just said those words had given him some negative opinion, as neutral as he might’ve been otherwise.
“We need to end this in one strike…”
Soon after the statement was made, waves of flames and superheated beams came toward them once more as Algios opened his maw. Something which led to the two fighters darting around the room. It almost seemed to them that the Phoenix would never finish its assault. Sokol looked at Taiki, And flashed through the room, stopping beside him.
“Attack him, draw Algios’ attention. He seems to be adamant about defending him.”
They were soon broken apart again as beams came flying toward them, though they’d continue their exchange of words as they passed one another.
“Then we’ll change our target. There has to be a layer under those flames.” Sokol Noted.
“I’ll make a coating of Aerogel. That’ll fend off any heat, for now at least. Shift!!!”
With this, fields of a translucent material with a light blue color soon surrounded both fighters. No sooner did they begin their charge. Al-Moussa extended both of his arms as he advanced to meet them. Algios, all the while, began firing yet another storm of beams with the intent of intercepting them. As their eyes darted to their left, they would soon stop their advance, breaking away from one another. Al-Moussa crossed his arms over his chest.
“What are they up to?” Thought Najeem.
As Al-Moussa got into range, he would send a swipe outward, and, though Sokol moved to stop the strike from the man’s left arm, moving to stop it with his blade, the force of the strike sent him flying back regardless, as he did so, he would quickly adjust his alignment, before dashing at Algios.
“Wait-- Danmit!!!”
He scrambled to follow him, but with Sokol’s speed, he was too late. Though the field around Sokol began to dissipate as he moved closer, he managed to get through the flames that the beast sent outward, flickering around the beams as well. Piercing the beast as he made contact, but that did not end his assault. As he moved along the beast, he began to carve, puncture, leaving whatever marks he could, with the beast unable to stop it, and though the Aerogel was faltering much faster now, so were the beast’s flames.
“This won’t last forever… And there’s still that one to worry about!!!” Sokol thought.
Al-Moussa continued his charge at Sokol, only for Taiki to fly in, coming at the man from his right, and landing a right hook on his cheek, taking advantage of his distraction. The male was sent spiraling away. As he stopped mid-air, Taiki continued his assault, swiping at the man’s chest with his longsword, leaving a gash across his chest, and staining his sword with the blood from the wound. Finally, he booted the man toward Algios. Sokol, ascending above the back of the now bloodied Phoenix, flashed forward, Tightening his grip on his blade as he flew into Al-Moussa’s range. He soon began to stab all over the man’s body, poking hole after hole with his rapier, numbering in the dozens, as the man’s body seemed to give out, beginning to fall. Al-Moussa’s vision began to blur as he looked up at his opponent. He’d taken notice of the facts. His body was just about reaching its limit. Regardless, he forced himself to stop mid-air. Arching his brows and clenching his fists.
“Damn it… We won’t die this pathetically... Algios!!!”
Al-Moussa soon began his ascent, as did Algios, following his command. In the midst of all this, a blue luminance began to grow around the Apostle… If he could avoid being within the piles of dead civilians the Jiddama Sultunate created when he was still in Arabia, he could survive these two. The expressions of both Sokol and Taiki turned to shock.
“What’s this rise of protomis I’m detecting?!” Sokol questioned.
“Tch-- I should’ve known he wouldn’t go down that easily!!!”
The flames around Algios began to roar once again as it let out a screech… This action did not go unnoticed by those below, as the troops looked up at the blue light that seemed more effective than any of the lighting they had, enough that they no longer had an effect. The two glanced at one another before flying up to, at the least, attempt to stop him. Regardless, Al-Moussa put his hand out.
“This ends now…. Unison Art: Vulcan Revolution!!!”
Just like that, a burst of plasma, much larger than any of those before, flew out of the bird, and though sparing some of the city below, it was not undamaged, the pure force sending buildings crumbling down. Taiki and Sokol, caught within the attack, found themselves struggling to keep their “footing,” so to speak. Grunting in effort as they attempted to avoid getting caught within the stream and being pushed away... The devastation did not stop at a few buildings. However, North of the gorge, the many metropolises that dotted the area found themselves razed within seconds, millions of lives hushed within moments. Peaks ripped apart as the force moved outward. The once-proud Caucasus mountains found themselves scarred. And though they’d taken the brunt of the force, it did not stop there. The Russian-inhabited lands of Sibavostok were not spared either. Volgograd, what was once a city that was the home to millions, was soon hit by the remains of the wave.
The towering metal spires found themselves ripped off their foundations, much of them torched away shortly after, the populace no different… Al-Moussa seemingly shared the same fate. Algios’ body simmered, left unmoving. Al-Moussa did the same in front of him… The two would begin their fall backward as the Apostle closed his eyes, his body falling limp. His two adversaries were not all that much better. Taiki was now without a shirt, much of his body covered in burns, the same happening with Sokol. The two began to speak, though huffing as they took pauses between words.
“That’s… Two down-- and two left…Looks like we’ll be out of the rest of this fight.”
“It’s unfortunate… But I trained those ones myself. I don’t believe we’ll have an issue. This war will end, but… At what cost.”
“Before we even finished rebuilding from the Third World War… The Kaemerge start yet another worldwide conflict… No matter how I view it, it’s my fault for letting them grab power… If that wasn’t enough, there was that attack back there. Who knows how many perished in that alone.”
To Be Continued