Remus had come to learn that there was no better motivator in life, than running with a mass of claws and fangs mere feet away from you. How do you outrun the swiftest of speeds? How do you strike terror into the coldest of hearts? And most important of all these arbitrary questions, is how exactly one went about toppling the most steady of standing.
The answers to each and every one of these ordeals would have helped out Remus a great amount, when Styrmir, giant over the forces of nature, came calling for his flesh. Already, his back was an abstract painting involving a lot of splattered golds and sparkling yellows, but the Unbounded seemed dead-set on bringing his gory masterpiece to completion. Remus had to find a way to wrench its makeshift paint-brushes off of him — the ends of Styrmir’s elongated fingers an odd dye of Ichor — before his canvas of a body would be amply eviscerated in one last finishing touch.
In a mad scramble, Remus launched himself onto a boulder protruding from the ground. Styrmir promptly joined him upon its surface, re-materialising from his secondary form of a brisk wind, to a fully-fledged abomination of nature. It flickered through both states in seamless, rapid transitions, depending on whether the fiend was favouring scare-factor or speed at any particular moment.
“Friend!” It belched merrily through a toothy grin, though if by ‘friend’, it was referring to its next meal, then Remus didn’t find the invitation particularly enticing.
Before reality inverted in a flash of purple, Remus got another look at the Unbounded, in all its abominable glory. It was a hulking mass of blue, the shades that made up its leathery skin forever shifting in a thousand interchangeable colours. And not a single one brought beauty to the looming devil. Yellowing claws mimicking the colour of Styrmir’s abundant teeth — these protruding out of its crevice of a mouth, like icicles in a snow cave — punished his back for sagging too close behind.
Wailing wasn’t an activity Remus took pride in, but with every rupturing strike he was forced to sustain, he found himself growing from adept to a master of the craft. The all-encompassing magenta waned in the face of a fresh set of environs, and despite the war of pain inflicted upon him, Remus found himself beaming.
Violet had sent them one step closer to their destination.
That had been the third zip across the terrain of the land surrounding the Sky Fortress, also known as the giant’s number one stop for running amuck, and generally inciting havoc at every corner. Whilst Remus had been transported metres ahead, Styrmir was lagging behind. He silently thanked Violet for that clever manipulation of her abilities. Intentionally supplying Remus with a head-start every time she altered their locations was just the advantage he needed to survive, and Remus latched onto it like a safety rope.
. . . a safety rope that was flimsy as all hell, considering the array of injuries streaking down him, but hey, it was something right?
One more stop, one more stop, he thought, having already adjusted to the fresh surroundings after he and Violet had practised this course for hours on end, the night before. Any overlooking guards probably thought they were mad as anything, if any of them did catch the amusing sight of Remus scrambling ahead of an imaginary monster, but Iris likely informed them all of their harmless intentions.
The plan was to lead Styrmir towards an enclosed cave, with Violet blipping them around reality to ensnare the Unbounded. The trouble came with the distance. The amount of pure energy it would take to transport someone so far, in one explosive manoeuvre, would kill you on the spot, or would simply result in nothing of interest happening. Let alone attempting to accomplish the same thing with a literal giant.
Nevertheless, Violet had her work cut out for her even with the task cut into manageable chunks of land. The poor girl was likely more exhausted than he was, but Remus couldn’t be too sympathetic, when the structure of his back was being rearranged second by second.
Another gurgling roar from behind, and Remus let out a pitiful whimper.
Preparing an activation of a Mark’s power at a later time, like Violet had the night prior, typically took much preparation. Individuals at the apex of the Divine Ranks were able to do away with this step, possessing such a mastery over Mark manipulation that they could either withstand attacking over great distances with accuracy, or could blitz through the intricate preparations needed in a matter of seconds.
As an Emblazed however, Violet had created vast swathes of areas with intensive amounts of Chaos energy. Then, after creating links between her Mark and these sources, she could remotely teleport Remus from a safe distance, whenever he crossed any aforementioned checkpoints.
“Com . . . rade!” Styrmir was clearly feeling ambitious today, attempting two-syllable words, but Remus was too terrified to process them as anything other than declarations of war.
The final stretch was a grand, sweeping stretch of empty flatland. It was a microcosm for the entirety of the Tempest Territory, encapsulating exactly what Remus hated about the place. There was no terrain to use to his advantage, no obstacles to impede Styrmir, nor any shade against the blazing sun.
And, arguably worst of all, absolutely nowhere to hide.
Daily runs for Passings on end had reduced Remus’ shoes to flopping pieces of leather, and he was very tempted to abandon them all together as they chafed against his raw skin. Actually doing so, however, wasn’t a question. A breeze was building up behind Remus, an unearthly gust of wind comprised of a compressed Styrmir, edging closer to tear the thumping heart out of his chest. An explosive sound, like a tear in reality itself, was enough indication to Remus to scurry faster. The giant of tempests was up to his last steps now, and, like always, the universe decided it was prime time to screw him over.
His ankle twisted. Remus was staggering before the pain hit him, and even earlier before a large, scaled hand grasped him from the legs up to his neck. His lungs were emptied of all their air, his organs were the subject of an agonising amount of pressure, and Remus’ mind couldn’t take this for reality. Dying now wouldn’t just be anti-climatic, it seemed impossible. After achieving so much, slipping out of so many tight corners, he had admittedly grown cocky. Developed a belief of invulnerability that only scraping by death itself could conquer.
“Mine.” Styrmir declared. “Mine!”
The next zip was only a metre away, and there was nothing Remus could do. A scream throttled its way out of his throat in a hoarse sound, something in his arm bending in a way that was not natural. Not at all. His Engorged strength was nothing to Styrmir’s, and moisture birthed out of both pain and frustration settled in the crevices of his withering eyes.
Not one of his proudest moments, Remus bit into the Unbounded’s gripping arms, scales of its flesh scattering off in fickle strips of skin, but Styrmir didn’t so much as budge.
It may very well have been a desperate thought, stemming from the terror that arose nanoseconds before being squashed like a grape, but it occurred to Remus that Styrmir had no way of knowing the trap that lay ahead. He rocked his body with all his force, adrenaline invigorating his worn-out muscles with newfound strength. His teeth chomped down in the most disgusting, last ditch attempt at survival possible — grey streams of blood soaking his hair in a monochrome makeover. He fought the urge to gag, lest he swallowed any of the Unbounded’s lifeblood.
Howling threatened to rupture Remus’ eardrums past the point of functionality, and what made it worse was that he couldn’t tell who it originated from. Styrmir’s grip loosened, just enough for Remus to breathe in desperate, heavy inhalations. The Unbounded tripped forwards a couple steps, and after another vicious bite, a few more.
That did the trick. And good fortunate it did too; any longer, and Remus would’ve been a deadman. A word-shattering mauve reduced the word to a single plain, consisting of one overflowing pigment of purple. Remus felt a surge of relief as Styrmir’s weight was released from his body.
Before the adrenaline could wear off, leaving him to suffer the consequences of whatever the giant had inflicted upon his arm, his eyes blinked lazily at the visage of utter darkness. As they adjusted, the contours making up the image of a basic, mundane cavern filled out the environment before him. A hand latched onto his shoulder, and before Remus could even wail out, he was sent hurtling to gods’ know where. No time to catch your breath today, it seemed.
The distinct sensation of hard dirt sent a wave of thumping pain through his lower-back. The same back that was currently bearing the weight of a whole range of crude lacerations. Suffice to say, his next series of howls were no more soothing to the ears than the previous dozen. Over the generator of noise that was his throat, a secondary crash could be heard, as simultaneous vibrations riddled the trembling ground beneath him. Remus supposed, in a delirious thought, that such a racket was to be expected, after both a giant and boulder had just been plopped down in a rash activation of Violet’s Mark.
Remus noticed the airtight blockage impeding Styrmir exit out of the cave, at the same time he did Violet’s sprawled form. She was lying prone, not an inch of her body moving. Hurrying over to her, Remus grasped his ginger locks in tight bundles, wondering with growing apprehension just how dire her situation was. The both of them had demonstrated a complete lack of foresight within their planning. Sure, they had rehearsed the same exact route over and over again in preparation for this morning’s frantic rush, and Violet had only worked up a sweat back then. But how the extra strain of transporting an Unbounded on top of that had eluded their thought processes, Remus was left clueless.
The last portion of the stunt, with Violet awaiting in the cave for their arrival, had obviously been the final straw. As soon as Remus and Styrmir had materialised, she had transported both herself, Remus, and the monolith of rock that would keep the giant at bay, each into their proper positions.
For the cluster of rock, that had been the cave’s entrance. For them, it was somewhere safe. Judging from the unconscious girl before him, the latter had proved hugely unsuccessful in that regard.
Steadying his breath, Remus composed himself. The remainder that Violet would recover after a good rest was the only thing keeping Remus sane. This wasn’t anything serious, thank the gods.
He sat by her side, awaiting for the time — however long it would be — when she would stir.
----------------------------------------
Iris arrived a day later, armed, and ready to draw any of her blades if necessary.
She sauntered over in a deliberate fashion, each of her steps slow and exaggerated, as if she wanted them to grow anxious at the sight of her. Remus had watched silently as she descended, and as much as he hated to admit it, he found his throat running dry; his hands growing clammy. Violet, at his side, was much more effective at retaining her poker face.
Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!
“So,” Iris began, without preamble, “how is hunting Styrmir going? I normally keep an eye out for you two, but you haven’t appeared to be up to much for a while now. It's . . . almost suspicious.”
Violet held the woman’s gaze without faltering, pointing over her shoulder at the cave entrance. Her mouth opening ever so slightly, Iris appeared to not have noticed the depression as of yet. Curtly, Remus spoke. “Past the boulder. It should be safe now.”
Discreetly, Remus gulped. They hoped.
The three of them approached the boulder, and instead of having Violet simply activate her Mark and muddle around with reality — they didn’t want to alarm the guard with any sudden actions — Violet and Remus came together to nudge it aside. Iris, after scowling at their struggle, came to their assistance. Wind circulated around the hand, and with a few well placed punches into the stone, it was reduced to flinging debris.
Through the ashy smoke, Remus coughed. How he longed to one day possess such strength.
Together, they entered the cavern, the sun from behind slanting its haunting light through. One thing that immediately struck Remus as alarming was the fact that in the prison of a giant, he struggled to locate the Unbounded. He charged ahead, both women at his heels as he peered into the gloom.
Remus could sense the sceptical look appearing on Iris. “If this is some kind of trick-”
“No trick.” Remus insisted, treading cautiously deeper, his own alarming ideas of what had happened to Styrmir concerning him. What if the cave wasn’t truly airtight, and the giant had squeezed through in his gale form? It was a frightening prospect.
But one that was quickly disproved, as he turned a sharp corner. It was the only area in the entire expanse not visible from the entrance, pressing deeper in a stark turn into the earth. There, unmoving upon the floor, the renowned giant of winds lay huddled . . . barely larger than the size of a feeble man.
“Gods above.” Iris muttered, hunching over the Unbounded’s body. “Did you starve him?”
“Well that was the general idea, yeah.” Violet spoke, but something in her voice had changed. Some miniscule shifting of tone.
“Well, whatever gets the job done, I suppose.” The other woman said, hand moving towards the dagger hanging from her waist. “Now just to finish off the job.”
Remus screeched in alarm, putting his body before the guard, arms spread out in a star shape. “Stop! I have to deal the finishing blow, to fulfil the requirements of the trial — it would only make sense that way.”
Iris, after some time, moved her hand away, nodding. “Right. Well, credit where credit is due. I’ll be waiting outside to take you to the Sky Fortress when you’re done here. We’ll report Styrmir’s death, and I’ll fly Remus up from the base’s apex. Though, I will be checking that the giant is dead, so no tricky schemes, you hear?”
They both nodded, in a for some reason solemn fashion. As Iris left, Remus kneeled by Styrmir. Every part of the Unbounded was exceptionally weaker, as if an animal, whose millennia of evolution had reversed. Their skin was a singular, sickly shade of pale blue, compared to the vast collection of pigments that had previously adorned the giant — though the title didn't quite seem to fit the creature anymore. It was oddly depressing, like watching a vital part of someone’s identity being forcibly torn away from them, in the next best thing to flesh itself.
Its once gigantic hands were now stubs, from which tiny claws extended, a fading yellow not nearly as menacing as their former glory. With hesitance, Remus unsheathed a cutting knife he had previously used to prepare meat at meal times.
He found himself trying to locate the area of the beast that would be the least painful to take, for, of course, he required proof of slaying Styrmir — regardless of Remus’ own personal feelings on the matter. It was then that he found himself questioning his pity for an Unbounded. These creatures desired nothing more than to crush humanity, to dance around and play with its ashes, as harbingers of the apocalypse. And the most intelligent of the fiends, well, they were even worse. Yet even so, his sympathy didn’t subside.
Remus sensed Violet at his side, who was noticeably just as hesitant at killing the fiend. Or perhaps, barely disguised behind her superficial stoicism, she was coping with a more powerful dose of anguish than he would have been able to fathom. Remus shook his head, chiding himself. It would be impossible to tell.
Perhaps it was the feeling of punching down that was bringing him so much trouble. It felt viscerally wrong, like he was as bad as Edmar, always striking at the little guy.
But nevertheless, this had to be done. Remus, as swiftly as he could, sliced off a finger. He ignored the silvery blood, pocketing the thumb with uncomfortable grace.
Breath heavy, Remus raised his blade above the creature, ignoring the quiet sniffle from Violet, echoing across the cavern walls behind. The knife was directly above Styrmir’s heart, and the creature, in a gentle stir, groaned lightly.
Remus’ hands shook.
“Friend . . . ?” It rasped, in one, final breath.
Remus plunged his dagger.
----------------------------------------
Entering the Sky Fortress proved a challenge in itself.
“There are two possible pathways to enter the Tempest Clan’s base,” Iris explained, the roaring winds not seeming to disturb her in the slightest, “either you fly, or, for those not advanced enough to manage that, you climb.”
“Climb?” Remus spat, as they halted before an imperfect pillar, colossal in size, and shooting up to the cloud’s surface up ahead. “We’re supposed to clamber up that? In this weather?”
“Indeed you are.” She answered, a hint of nostalgia glistening in her eyes. “Ah, I recall almost falling down it a number of times, in my heyday.”
Violet’s lips scrunched. “Is that a common occurrence? Has anyone died?”
Iris shrugged, in a far too indifferent manner. “There’s typically guards like me on watch, to catch any falling rookies.”
“ . . . So none have died?”
Iris shot a hollow glance at Violet. Despite being of only one Divine Rank higher than her — Remus had speculated that Iris was a Foot-Soldier, taking to protecting her sect to skirt military service — the power difference between them was jarring. Hadrian, Veida, and even Andreas had concealed their ferocity under close watch, but Iris obviously didn’t care for containing anything. She wielded her power openly, and Remus found his blood running cold whenever he was exposed to that suffocating aura. The only other individuals to rival the sensation, was on the very rare occasion he found himself in the company of a god. But those times felt to him like shreds of a dream — fleeting insights into a world greater than Remus. The woman before him was of flesh and blood, and indisputably real.
“I’ll climb.” Remus came to a decision before had thought things through. “Just catch me if I fall.”
Violet spun on him. “What? With all those injuries?”
Remus hadn’t considered that. He shrugged. “I’ll be careful.”
“Careful?” Violet didn’t relent. “Remus, this is exactly the kind of shortsighted, spur of the moment decision-making that lands you in all the trouble you find yourself in! Can you for once think with your logic, instead of your boyish ego?”
It was Iris’ turn to round on him. “Injuries? What injuries?”
Remus was tempted to brush aside the gallery of marks lining his back, but Violet infomed her anyway.
“Then I’ll definitely be flying the both of you.” Iris said, in a manner that left no room for dispute. “I’m a nurse in training. I’ll check up on your injuries as an additional thanks for dealing with Styrmir, but listen to your friend. She knows what she’s talking about, by the sounds of it.”
Remus had no time to formulate an argument, if any would have been possible, before the air streaked around him in an encompassing orb. A similar rush of the airflow surrounded Violet, and before he could even think, Iris muttered one last line of guidance.
“The bubbles will carry you along with me, but feel free to hold onto one of my shoulders. I’ve heard it helps with the feeling of imminent doom.”
“Wait-!” Remus and Violet yelped in unison. Iris didn’t abide by their desperate cry.
The ground left Remus’ feet in a buzz of the senses, the disorienting sight of a wall of sheer rock zooming past in a fashion that didn’t appease his stomach. For a few terrifying seconds, it had seemed that he’d lost the ability to breath. His lungs decompressed, and before Remus could take a mouthful of much needed oxygen, a breathtaking sight threatening to rob it off of him all over again. The trip had only taken six whole seconds of blood-curdling madness, and Iris had already reached the apex of the chiselled mountain, and up through the foamy carpet that was its crest.
The air pocket faded, and Remus landed on a pearly material far too solid to be of a cloud. Nevertheless, his eyes didn’t deceive him, and the material did diffuse slightly if he willed any part of him forcibly through it. Nevertheless, walking through a palace in the sky was not something he could ever get used to.
Violet looked like she was about to retch, doubling-over. “A moment’s warning would have been appreciated.”
“What? You’re fine. No harm, no foul.” Iris strode forwards into the airborne settlement, not granting them any chance to catch their breath.
Together, Remus and Violet followed at her heels at sensible gait, taking in the unreal scene enveloping them.
Ivory lined the cushions of white in clearly defined paths, and Remus was grateful for a standable surface not sending his survival instincts into overdrive. Buildings of varying sizes were scattered about the sides of these roads, consisting of bricks coloured the only shade this sect apparently knew: white. The surface was oddly reflective, as if glass, and an upside-down view of the clouds up above — in their proper positions — dazzled the eye in an enchanting spectacle. Remus assumed these were formed out of clouds even more concentrated than the drifting fog at their feet, with a sprinkling of Infinity supplying the buildings with their mystical touch.
Glancing upwards, the centrepiece of this wonderland was revealed. A citadel soaring up to great heights protruded at the exact middle of the fortress, embellished windows showing a winding interior brimming with the shifting cloaks of clan higher-ups, through the distortion of their multicoloured panes.
Remus couldn’t disguise his awe, and despite his fear of slipping through the stuff at their feet with any heedless step, he was itching to explore every nook and cranny of the ethereal expanse.
Iris turned right before him, stopping Remus before his excitement got the better of him. They had reached a rather humbly-sized building in contrast to the goliaths that were its neighbours. “You two wait here. It's the camp infirmary. I’ll inform the higher-ups of Styrmir’s death, check your injuries, and then, Remus, I’ll carry you up to as high as I can fly. I can’t assure you that you’ll find the Ambition Sect for certain, but this is your best chance.”
Remus nodded, feeling his bandages tickle against his wounds. Violet was talented in many avenues, but he had to admit, binding someone’s abrasions wasn’t her strong point. Nevertheless, Remus was thankful that she took the effort to do so anyway. It wasn’t like she had to tend to his wounds, and regardless of her healthcare’s quality in contrast to a training professional, her time had saved him from a world of unnecessary pain on numerous occasions.
“Almost time.” He murmured, an hour or so later. Iris had escorted them to the apex of the citadel, and both Remus and Violet had received several disapproving glares from old men with more wrinkles than care for the world. Remus had gotten the distinct impression that if they weren’t under the surveillance of one of their own, a few of the clansmen wouldn't have hesitated to hurtle them off the side of the Sky Fortress, right then and there.
Now at its peak, Remus was about to do so willingly. With professional assistance of course, Remus was only partially insane.
“I’ll keep watch over you from down here.” Violet told him, arms crossed. Remus wasn’t sure how much help she could be from down here, but it was the sentiment that counted. He muttered a brief thanks, too anxious to offer anything of more substance.
Iris arrived seconds later, the breeze rendering Remus’ hair in a fixed sway. Connected pillars lined the quaint area at every side, and he knew they would seem insignificant, once he was sent hurtling into the sapphire abyss overhead.
“You ready?” She asked, and Remus wasn’t sure of the answer.
Regardless, as he handed a bag full of Infirnite and Unbounded flesh to Violet for safekeeping, he knew there was only one possible answer. One word of confirmation that he was ready to bring this wild jolt to its end. “Yes.”
Once more, the air gathered around Remus in semi-tangible drifts, tugging at his clothes in a motion that in no way settled his nerves.
“You’re going to want to hang on this time.” Iris said, as the wind billowed far more intensely. “Trust me. We’ll be travelling near my maximum speed, and I’d hate to accidentally tear your skin off.”
Taking one last scan of the Sky fortress, Remus wrapped his arms around Iris, shoving down the blush threatening to purge his cheeks.
All it took was one eruption of movement, a vast billowing of air, and Remus’ fate was sealed.