The dim light that managed to pass into my room from the corridor outside greeted my puffy eyes. I passed through the doorway into the narrow passage leading up to the staircase.There was an unexplainable heaviness in each of my steps and the flashes of memories that materialized before my eyes made my heart thump wildly. No matter how much I tried to push them down, they resurfaced refusing to be forgotten.
The old wooden stairs creaked with every step that I took, their shuttering sounds enveloping the air and resonating behind my ear. Its melodic noise took me deeper into the gravestone of my mind where my memories laid, how I once used to run down these stairs without a care about the world. But that had changed now, everything did.
How did it all come to this? I wondered.
Of course I knew how. It was all his fault. His negligence had caused it all. If not mother would still be alive and nothing would have changed…
As I reached the bottom of the stairs, the semi-lit living room came into my view. As expected, there was nobody. I didn’t assume his presence either, for he neither attended my mother’s funeral nor the anniversary that followed.
It was cold hearted but after knowing him for all my life, I’d gotten used to it. His work mattered more than his family did. What made me angrier was the fact that he would sent his butler every single damned year to remind me of his presence—that he was there but still refused to come.
I passed another look around the room and found it to be devoid of any life, drastically different from the memories that still lingered in my mind. I found myself instinctively drawn toward my mother’s room. It had remained locked ever since her passing, and I hadn’t been able to enter it. When I asked about the key, the butler couldn’t provide any real answers.
Now that I thought about it, was he behind that too? Did he want to even deprive of my mother’s little memories that remained. It was odd and I found my mouth turn bitter.
I took a turn around a corner and saw faint light coming out from the room that was supposed to be locked. In the dark passage the light stood out greatly like a sore thumb.
My feet came to a halt as I took in the sight, my mind flaring into different emotions. First confusion, then surprise and finally anger. He was here!
I felt my cheeks flush in fury but then calmed myself down. There was no point in barging in with anger. It would not change anything at all. I should know better than that. Anger solves nothing, I reminded myself.
As I slowly approached the half-closed door, the inside of the room became visible to me. It was exactly how I’d remembered it. She used to keep her shelves clean and organized with various books. And every time I’d managed to play a prank, she used to get really angry.
Remembering the thought a small smile rose but soon dissolved when I realized it was there.
I hid my body behind the door and it’s frame and my eyes fell on the man who I refused to acknowledge as my father.
He sat on the mahogany table opposite of the shelf and turned through the pages of a book, the sound of which made me feel uncomfortable.
I wanted to ask what the hell he was doing there, but the mere thought of seeing his face made me feel sick to the stomach.
Just when I was about to leave, his voice pierced the silence, “Zareth, is that you?” His voice sounded older, rougher than what I’d remembered.
I hesitated for a moment, torn between the desire to ignore him and walk away, and then an inexplicable pull that drew me back. In the end, I gave in to later.
Pushing the door I entered the room.
His facial features appeared less sharp, and wrinkles around the eyes took away his youthful glamor. There were some gray streaks of hair that stood out.
His uncaring eyes followed my every movement as I approached the table with unsteady steps. Looking down at him, I mustered a blank expression and asked, "Why are you here after all this time, Father?"
But I still failed to keep the snickering tone out of my words. He raised his brow as his cold gaze moved down to my clenched hand, gripping the edge of the table tightly. Noticing his eyes, I let it go and he closed the book that was in his hand, placing it above some other things which I didn't bother to notice.
After a moment of silence—which felt more like an eternity to me, he spoke, his voice carrying a tinge of what I assumed was disappointment and resignation. " Because it's time, my son." His words were left hanging in the air as the word 'son' revibrated through my mind. Even if he was my biological father, for the longest time now I've stopped considering him so. All there remained now was hatred.
A humorless smirk played on my lips as I looked down at him. "Am I your son? Me? Fucking me?
A wave of bitterness swayed over me as the words flooded out of my mouth.
With an unusually calm demeanor, he watched me as I poured my unrestrained anger on him, his eyes remaining unfazed. "I understand that you must hate me, Zareth. And I don't blame you for it."
His words only fueled my anger further. "Even if that's true, even if I hate you with every fiber of my being, it doesn't change the fact that it's your fault. Mother would have never..." my voice trailed off, unable to bring myself to complete the sentence.
Reaching down, he picked up the old book which fell off because of my violent outburst, and then dusted off its cover. "I know you blame me, and perhaps I deserve that blame. But don't burden yourself with it, Zareth. I don't expect you to understand me either."
He paused his eyes meeting mine, "But for some reason, I've got a hunch that you will understand pretty soon."
He picked up a silver-colored lamp from the table and placed it in front of me. Its sight reminded me of the time when my mother brought it from her country on their seventeenth marriage anniversary. But was it here all this time?
"This is for you, Zareth. Your mother intended for you to have it." He said.
I took a look at the lamp, its design wasn't extravagant but it still had an air of mystery to it. I picked it up in my hand, feeling its brass-made body.
Then started walking straight toward the door, not wanting to stay another moment where he was, but before I could step out of the room, his voice stopped me.
"Happy birthday, Zareth," he said softly, his voice still sounding bland.
Happy? It wasn't a word I expected from him. But that was fine. I stood there for a moment, my hand still gripping the doorknob, contemplating my response if I had any.
I couldn't remember a single moment in my life where he had displayed even an ounce of care for me or my mother. All I saw was indifference in his eyes. From my childhood to even today. As I turned to face him, our eyes locked for a moment, and I saw a flicker of something in them that I didn't quite understand nor wanted to.
"I don't know if I can ever find happiness in this life. But even if I did it surely would happen when I have managed to forget everything," I finally spoke, my voice laden with calmness that even surprised me. And with that, I stepped out of the room, leaving him behind.
I was going to leave this city soon. There were enough memories here that shackled me and all I wanted was to escape from them…
----------------------------------------
I snapped my eyes open, sucking in the cool and moist air, and passing it through my sore throat, and upon reaching my heart, it pumped me with the feeling of being awake and alive.
The beads of sweat that had formed on my forehead because of the nightmare trickled down to my eyes; causing blurred vision and the stinging sensation that followed after made me feel like someone threw sand at my face.
But it wasn't sand, instead the rough patchy remnants of mud that were left on the side of my face.
What was that? What was that nightmare about even? I couldn't remember. But the distinct and almost realistic afterimage left by it made me feel as if it was a moment that I had just lived by. Perhaps long in the past or very recently. Either way, where in the hell was I?
My entire body was being cushioned by some kind of green leafy grass and -what I'd assume are creeping plants- yet the small droplets of dew formed on their tiny and slender bodies were enough to wet my entire back.
Or was it my cold sweat formed by the nightmare?
The mud underneath wasn't as solid as I'd expect but rather its texture was rough and sometimes sticky, leaving behind brownish marks as I touched them.
Using both of my hands as support, I pushed myself up to my legs and then observed my surrounding for a moment with a blank stare. But it was all for naught, no matter how much I tried to figure out where I was, everything denoted that I wasn't 'home'.
Although there was a garden at the back of the house, it sure did not have trees as large as the ones surrounding me. The width of their body wasn't anything to joke about either. Clearly, thicker than even the Warner.
They had their branches and leaves entangled amongst themselves forming a net-like structure and the light that fell through it created shadowy spider webs around me. There were also some roots and stems growing out of the soil and sticking out.
The tree trunks were at least thrice my width and the height was long enough for my neck to be strained while trying to see its top.
As I slowly came out of the cage of those trees, they started to spread apart from each other creating more distance in between.
But it was still a question as to how I was in the middle of a forest.
When that piece of thought left its mark in my mind, I noticed something subtle but noticeable. I let myself go near it and crouching down felt the small hollow space left by boots.
It wasn't deep, instead had its mark almost fleeting and shallow.
From the different sizes of them, I could guess there were at least three people here before me, passing by this route. Are they the ones who brought me here? Why even?
But the odd part was how spread out each of their steps was as if they were jumping meters each time and still landing perfectly fine. Well, that's how two of theirs were but the third's mark was more clear and the space between each was incomparably less than the other two.
And from the size of the mark, it was someone of short stature, perhaps even slower than the others.
It did not take me long to decide to follow the leftover footmarks. I couldn't tell how large this forest was and my best choice was not to sit still but try to figure a way out. Something inside me told me they were the key to escaping this place. That feeling again…
But that said, If it was them who had brought me here, I couldn't let my guard down.
As I followed the trail, the leftover marks continued to become more and more clear, making it easier for me to trail along. But then all of sudden the marks completely disappeared into thin air. Before I could put my mind to try and figure out the reason behind it, a sudden metallic sound of metals crashing against each other filled the air, abruptly breaking the stillness of the otherwise quiet forest.
As I cranked my neck, at a speed I'd think was impossible- a flashy light disappeared from above one of the branches and a burst of cold air came straight for me, sending chills down my spine.
"Why are you running away, Sirius?" The voice echoed with a mocking tone, resonating among the swirling leaves. Perplexed, I frantically scanned my surroundings, trying to locate the source of the mysterious voice, but it seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once, shrouded in the veil of anonymity. Unable to see anyone or discern their intentions, a sense of unease crept over me, raising the hairs on the back of my neck.
They were moving all around me at such speed that my eyes were not able to keep up with them!
Taking the opportunity, I swiftly and cautiously positioned myself behind a tree with a comparatively large trunk, which provided ample cover for my entire body. Peering out from my hiding spot, I observed the scene unfolding before me.
The man who had just mockingly addressed someone as Sirius stood there, cloaked in black attire that concealed his entire stature. His face was obscured by a thin cloth, his presence made it harder for me to breathe even with the distance. On the other side, Sirius hid behind another tree, successfully concealing himself from my sight.
Instinctively, I made a conscious effort to remain concealed, ensuring that I did not give away my presence. It was clear they were in a fight of some sort, although the reasons remained a mystery to me.
There was no reply from Sirius, and the pursuer snickered, "Are you trying to sneak up on me, now?"
Behind him, an unexpected figure materialized, brandishing a gleaming sword that sliced through the air above the man in black. The blade missed its target, as the mysterious figure swiftly vanished, reappearing a short distance away. Their Shadows danced and intermingled, making it difficult to tell each one of them apart from my position.
I cautiously shifted my position, going closer to them while hiding behind the veil of trees to get a better view.
"Octus, why don't you sharpen your sword more before coming after me?" the man in all black taunted, a subtle gesture of confusion on his face or so I interpreted through the veil. Yet, the glimmer in his eyes betrayed his confusion, revealing a twisted humor in them.
Octus, swiftly took a combat stance, bending his knees in preparation for action. Extending his arm, he drew his sword back, the steel glinting in the dim light that made through the leaves. "I will when we have killed you, Eadric," Octus retorted, his voice laced with a mix of confidence and disdain.
Octus propelled himself into the air, utilizing the force generated by his powerful leg muscles which bulged even through the clothes covering them. The branch beneath him snapped under the intensity of his leap, granting him an instant arrival in front of the man in black.
Eadric tsked, displaying a hint of annoyance, and took a step back. Just as I expected him to fall off the branch, Eadric's body suddenly vanished, dissipating into thin air before my very eyes. In an instant, he reappeared behind Octus, using his newfound advantage.
Octus, caught off guard didn't manage to stop his momentum, and swung his sword in a powerful arc where Eadric had stood mere moments ago, only to find empty air. Before Octus could react again, Eadric delivered a thunderous punch aimed at Octus's unguarded back.
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A resounding thud filled the air as Eadric's clenched fist connected with Octus's flesh, driving deep into his back. The impact caused Octus's body to lurch forward, propelled by the force of the blow. He crashed against a tree in front, the sound of the impact made dozens of birds fly away.
The remnants of drowsiness that I'd already evaporated were replaced by confusion.
The sheer pressure emanating from Eadric's body was palpable. The intensity of that power reverberated through the air, causing my knees to tremble slightly and weaken beneath me.
I clutched the tree bark tightly, stabilizing my feet and refocusing on them.
A Dream? I wondered.
Sirius appeared again with a long glistening spear in his hand. He made a swift swing aimed at Eadric but Eadric easily sidestepped, avoiding the sharp silver blade.
Sirius place his right foot forward as some threads floating around us became visible to me. They rushed into his legs, strengthening them, and with an attacker's stance he closed his body off, hands extended and forearms tightening around the grip.
And then with a flash, he dashed toward Eadric. Eadric had his sword turned sideways as Sirius's spear glided over his.
Sirius's spear blade glistened for the last time as slowly the fine silken threads present inside disappeared. The glowing threads dimmed and disappeared from my vision as a severe pain assaulted my eyes. Opening my eyes I didn't find them, making me think if I'd imagined all of it.
By now it was quite clear to me that both Sirius and Octus together were no match for Eadric. Instead, it felt like he was just playing with them.
"Is that all you've got? I am getting bored now," Eadric nonchalantly yawned, using one hand to pick at his ear while wearing an expression of casual indifference.
Sirius, upon hearing Eadric's words, clenched his teeth in what initially appeared to be frustration. However, upon closer look, I discerned no trace of anger or irritation in his piercing blue eyes. Instead, an eerie calmness was present within them, reminiscent of the serene stillness of a lifeless sky.
Sirius opened his mouth slowly, "They should have told you about our pathfinder, but that seems not to be the case..." His words trailed off, leaving Eadric visibly taken aback, his eyes widening in surprise.
He was buying time all along!
Just as the realization hit me, my eyes darted around in search of the fourth person present around us.
"You son of a bitch!"Eadric cursed, his voice laced with anger and frustration.
However, before he could say anything else, a deafening noise resonated through the surroundings, cutting his voice and filling the air with an overwhelming cacophony.
And then a bright fire evolved my entire vision, forcing me to close both my eyes and ears with my hand.
I felt a warm, liquid substance trickling down from my ears, seeping through the gaps between my fingers. A mixture of blood and pus stained my fingertips, leaving them sticky and gross.
Opening my eyes I caught sight of three people who were responsible for the blast. I knew two of them Sirius and Octus but the third one was a boy no older than 11 or 12 years of age. I became quite certain this boy was the third person whose footmarks I followed here.
"Is he dead, Darren?" Sirius asked, his eyes glued to the clearing smoke.
"No, he isn't." The boy, Darren, deadpanned.
As the smoke started to clear, the first thing that my eyes picked up from behind its veil was the glowing figure of Eadric's body. Small silken threads coursed through his body like blood, following along the invisible channels inside. I doubted my eyes at first but then as the smoke started to clear up, I was able to make out his charred body.
Small pieces of burnt clothes fell on the ground, revealing Eadric's toned body. Black and grey marks were all over his body burned by the flicker of ashes.
As I tried to inspect the threads coursing through his body better, a sharp pain in my eyes cut me off for a moment, my vision turning normal for a second and then it was back.
Some threads like tendrils were revolving around Eadric's body. They were slowly seeping into the wounds in his body, mending and caressing them.
My eyes stung with a sharp, almost blinding pain once more, but I fought through it. The silken threads, akin to shimmering tendrils, spiraled and twisted around Eadric's wounded form, gradually permeating his injuries.
But there was more. A glowing mass of threads packed together in one place just right above his chest. It wasn't a part of this body. No, I could tell it was above his flesh, hidden behind the leftover clothing. From the structure, it had a round body.
Eadric's neck let out a loud crack as a twisted smile crept across his face. "That was quite impressive, I must admit," he sneered. "You nearly had me there. Almost turned me to ashes. But alas," he paused, his grin widening, "it is you all now who will be turned into such." With those words, both his form and his voice vanished into thin air, leaving behind an eerie silence.
Sirius and the others tensed, weapons held straight, ready for an incoming attack. But there was none at all. Instead, an ominous presence loomed over me—a glowing mass of ethereal threads swirling towards me from where Eadric stood moments ago. A searing pain radiated through my head, intensifying with each passing moment with its approach as if my skull was on the verge of imploding.
I realized that Eadric's target was none other than me. He had somehow noticed my presence here which the others failed to and then used his 'teleportation'!
I took an instinctive step back but it was too late. I found myself caught in a vice-like grip, a hand encircling my neck from behind. A hot burning sensation sourced from where his sharp long nails dug into my neck flesh.
Time seemed to slow down as breathing became harder with each passing second his grip tightening around my neck, choking my breath away.
With an inhuman display of strength, he effortlessly lifted me off the ground, but he wasn't tall enough for my feet to raise more than a couple of inches above ground. I clawed at his hand, my fingers desperate to loosen his grip, but it did not affect him.
As my legs started to turn limp, The world around me grew blurry, the edges of my vision slowly fading away.
From the corner of my eyes, I noticed Sirius and the others had fixed their gaze upon me, their expressions riddled with confusion. It was easy to tell they were quite surprised by my presence here amid a forest where they were fighting for their lives. But it wasn't like I was any less surprised than them.
When I woke up I found myself here and then found them. Who knew that their enemy would become my enemy too?
"I was informed that there were three individuals on this expedition, but, I was misled," Eadric stated quietly enough for only me to hear, his voice laced with a tinge of annoyance. Under his breath, he muttered the rest, "He also neglected to mention the power possessed by that boy."
He knew Darren was here? My eyes turned toward Darren who was behind Sirius, standing with his eyes glued on me. His eyes met mine and I read his moving lips.
Move when Sirius attacks? I read his mouth movement as much as I could but it became harder and harder to do so.
I watched Sirius, whose body was similarly glowing, and the threads slowly reached up to the spear's blade. Realizing that he was preparing for an attack, I decided to take the chance using the last bit of strength left in my body.
With my vision active, I saw the threads ground me and with intent, I tried bringing them closer to me how Sirius did but they did not respond to me. Instead, the silken threads continued floating around me.
I raised my leg hitting Eadric's elbow with as much force as I could muster at the moment.
Being unprepared for an attack from me, his grip loosened for a moment and a gust of wind sliced through the hand that was holding me from above. My body fell to the ground as the grip disappeared.
I gasped for the air, clutching my neck.
From my kneeling position, I saw Eadric's form flickered into existence a short distance away, a playful smirk on his face. "Well, would you look at that? By any chance did you get faster, Sirius?" He thoughtfully stroked his chin but his words showed he was more amused than anything.
Octus, who was behind me, dashed toward Eadric in a semi-circle arc."I wonder if that will be enough to sever your neck, though," Octus taunted, a grin stretching across his face.
"We'll have to see, don't we?" Eadric's voice rang out, his tone filled with amusement.
From behind me, Darren appeared surprising me for a moment but he stopped me from reacting. He gently touched my back and soon warmth flowed from his hand into my flesh and all over my body.
I hadn't realized it but my legs were slightly hurt from before. The warmth from Darren's hand reached up to my legs, causing the pain to disappear. The pain in my head and ears also ceased to exist.
With my eyes glued to his hand, I watched the threads flow into my body but I couldn't see anything like that in my own body. It was as if they disappeared into me. I could feel them but couldn't see them.
Octus and Sirius managed to push Eadric further back, creating a distance between us. But it wasn't that hard for me to see them. It was like my vision had been enhanced…
Octus's sword ignited with a bluish flame, illuminating his surroundings. Octus lunged forward, his blade slicing through the air just as lightning would. However, as the flames subsided, Eadric was no longer in his original position. My gaze darted around, searching for any sign of his presence, wondering if he would come after me again.
But Darren said from behind me, "Don't worry, he won't be able to 'teleport' here now."
I looked at him and asked," Why?"
"Because he is outside his teleportation range. I can't be certain how much it is but it's not more than 100 meters," he said, his eyes following the ongoing fight.
"How does his 'teleportation' work?" I asked what seemed to be the most obvious question right now.
"As a 'Mindless Wanderer', he should be able to teleport within a range of a maximum of 100 meters. But that said it does not matter as I can sense his bondor signature and tell where he will teleport next." Darren said.
The word 'Mindless Wanderer' stood out to me and the gears of my mind turned to figure out the meaning behind it. The first thought that came to my mind was that people who were able to use these kinds of sorcerers were called 'Mindless Wanderers' but then that made little to no sense.
I couldn't tell what 'Mindless' meant there but 'Wanderer' probably had something to do with Eadric's teleportation ability. Does that mean, being a 'Mindless Wanderer' gives him the ability to teleport?
I remembered back when Sirius mentioned something about a Pathfinder. Was he talking about Darren there?
I asked Darren, "You are a pathfinder?"
At my question, he was silent for a second and I started to think if I'd said something wrong but then he opened his mouth.
"Yes. From the sub-domain 'Concealment'." Darren replied, his later words going above my head.
That made sense. 'Mindless Wanderer' and 'Pathfinder' were two names and belonged to different kinds of sorcerers who have different abilities. It was like both were human but spoke different languages.
By how Sirius and Octus used different powers I concluded that they weren't 'Mindless Wanderers' or 'Pathfinders'. But something else.
I was certain about one thing at least. No matter what kind of powers they used it was still based on the usage of the floating threads around us. That seemed to be the source of these powers. I wasn't able to control them but they were still visible to me.
Darren is a 'Pathfinder' which allowed him to sense Eadric's teleportation. But I was able to 'see' it. Was his abilities only limited to sensing them or did he lie to me? I couldn't confirm it, so I decided to keep the fact that I was able to 'see' those 'bondors'.
From his mention of the Sub-domain 'Concealment', I could tell there was a domain too. After all, if there was a domain only then would there be a sub-domain.
I didn't bother about asking about those unimportant topics and instead asked, "If his range was a hundred meters why didn't he kill all of you by now?"
It took a while to realize this now but Eadric intended to kill everyone here. And Sirius and the others were trying to do the same. They weren't joking when saying about it.
"He is playing with us but that itself will be his downfall. He had miscalculated my presence here. You see, for a 'Mindless Wanderer' their greatest enemy is 'Pathfinder' like me," Darren said with conviction.
I could tell by the way Darren was speaking that he was very confident about himself and his companion's abilities but I knew what he didn't. Eadric did know about Darren. He just hid that fact.
"No, he knew about you," I said.
Darren was about to turn his head at my words but Octus's loud shout stopped him, forcing both of us to look at Octus.
"Sirius!" Octus shouted but it was too late.
Something fell on the ground with a thud. It was Sirius's arm. Eadric had cut off Sirius's arm with his sword. Blood gushed out of Sirius's shoulder and groaning in pain he lunched forward, creating distance between him and Eadric.
Bending down, Eadric picked up the severed arm and muttered in regret."Tsk, here I was aiming for the neck." Swinging his hand he threw the arm away, "Have I gone dull, huh?"
The sight of raw blood dripping down from Sirius's wounded shoulder did not faze me as much as I'd expected, instead, I felt my thoughts rounding up and turning colder. It didn't feel like it was my first time experiencing something like that.
The Bondor around Octus lashed around, blueish flame glowing on his sword. He dashed forward, his sword cutting through his path in pure anger
"Sirius!" Darren said in worry as he ran toward Sirius and then crouched down beside him. Resting his palm over Sirius's shoulder blade, he pushed and guided the nearby bondors into Sirius's wound, and the fine threads condensed around it.
The pool of Sirius's blood that formed beside him was Splattered by Darren's clothes and from my side I was able to see both of their expression.
There was a slight frown on Sirius's face as he bit down on his lips in pain. But there was no sign of pain in his eyes, just coldness. He acted as if this was nothing new.
The flesh on his arm waggled for a moment as the flow of blood slowly ceased. Darren heaved a sigh, relieved that he was able to stop the bleeding. He took out a piece of clothing and tightly wrapped it around Sirius's arm.
On the other side, Octus had already attacked Eadric. This time Eadric did not teleport away but instead engaged in a sword clash with Octus. Both of their metallic swords clashed against each other but it came to a standstill as Eadric grinned.
"Don't have any more strength?" He taunted.
Octus did not reply instead his blade lashed out with flame stronger than before. With a darker shade of blue, he extended the edges of the flame to encircle Eadric's entire body, hiding him from my sight.
With the sound of a twig breaking Eadric appeared a little ahead of Octus.
"Do you intend to burn me alive or what?" Eadric said, trying to sound annoyed but it ended up sounding more sarcastic than anything.
"Fuck your teleportation!" Octus said, lowering his body and holding his sword low. He instantly flashed to where Eadric was standing, cutting apart everything with his blade.
But Eadric teleported again reappearing behind Octus, both their backs facing each other. His eyes were now focused on me as his expression turned darker. He shoved his elbow at Octus's sternum and then kicked there.
The impact made Octus's body fly toward a nearby tree and crash against its hard surface, making the earth shake slightly because of it. His body glided down the tree bark, revealing the broken tree bark, and falling to the ground, he coughed blood.
I turned my eyes to Eadric and noticed a shadow forming behind him. Sirius held his spear on his right and while being in the air he tightened his grip. He threw it, using the Bondors to rotate the spear and propel it with insane speed. The recoil of the throw pushed him back as he rolled back.
Eadric was somehow able to predict the attack and move his head out of its trajectory, narrowly avoiding it. The spear crashed into the ground, throwing dust and mud all over Eadric but he did not care enough.
The glowing object near his chest burned even more brightly, sucking in the nearby Bondor like a bloodthirsty demon.
And I realized what was wrong with him from the very start. It wasn't that Eadric was just playing around with them. No, he was waiting for this moment all along.
Eadric's figure disappeared the next moment and Darren turned around his head in a hurry, a look of confusion on his face. Soon his eyes became wide, and he realized exactly what had happened. Eadric used the round object on him which allowed him to hide the bondor signatures from Darren's senses.
But that wasn't the case for me. I was still able to see his Bondors. Even without looking, I could tell where Eadric's next teleportation was.
I pushed the ambient bondors that were around me into my legs, channeling them inside me along with my bondors, which I was able to feel.
I dashed toward Darren, closing the distance in an insane speed but as Eadric's figure manifested behind him, covering his body from me I realized I was going to be late to reach him.
Shit! I cursed inwardly but the next moment a dark blue flame on the wall cover my vision. As it went away, I found Octus beside Darren and Eadric was nowhere to be seen.
The wall of flame had managed to obstruct my sight long enough that I wasn't able to see Eadric's bondors.
I whipped my head around to spot Eadric or his bondor presence but his voice that came from behind me sent chills down my spine.
"Are you looking for me, little bitch?" he said, but before I knew it, my body moved on its own. I threw a kickback and then spun around.
He had easily blocked my kick and watched as I created distance between us. My eyes fell over his chest where the object was. It was still glowing and I assumed he could still use it again. And if he did, Darren wouldn't be able to sense him then.
From the corner of my eyes, I saw Sirius looking at us as Darren had a dark look on his face. Darren had already healed Octus.
For a moment I thought if I should just fall back and let them deal with Eadric. Even though Eadric probably wasn't as strong as they thought him to be, I was too new to this mysterious power. There was no way I could win against someone who could fight on an equal footing with three people.
But was that something that I wanted to do?
It became quite certain to me that Sirius and Octus weren't going to last long. And with their trump card being Darren's senses, which is useless now their chance of winning was rather low. But what use could I even provide?
There was no way I could escape from Eadric when he could just teleport to me in an instant. And without my sight which allowed me to tell where Eadric was going to teleport next, they were probably going to lose.
That left me with one choice only.
I felt my senses overwhelm for a second as dozens of glowing blades materialized above Eadric. Seconds later all of them rained down on Eadric, forcing him to take the defensive. He danced on his feet, swiftly avoiding most of them.
When it was over, Sirius and Octus were already back in action.
Eadric didn't know that I was able to see them throw his tricks that had managed to fool the others. And I'd to somehow use that fact. I'd to somehow hide the fact about the eyes at the same time as I didn't know whether it was a normal thing or not.
First of all, I had to break that thing.
Eadric teleported once again, creating distance between Sirius and Octus. Raising his hand, Sirius threw his spear at the branch where Eadric had just teleported to. It broke and he disappeared once again.
Octus who was closer to him, attacked him as Eadric had to focus on defending the attacks.
That's my chance!
I channeled the bondors into my legs once again and dashed toward Eadric. But defending Octus's blade, he round-kicked him tumbling him backward. But it was enough time for me to reach him. And the next moment, his eyes went wide seeing my face.
I smirked, "Surprised?"
Before he could reply, my hand touched his chest, exactly where the ball of glowing mass was. I clawed it hard enough and ripped apart his remaining cloth along with the object. I felt the piece of metal crushing at a tree behind me, breaking it into many pieces.
"You son of a birth!" Eadric's scream pierced my ears and I felt something hard hit my jaw. And my world went upside down.
With a strong pull, Eadric raised my head by my hair as I groaned. When he was about to punch me again, his face contorted in anger, his hand came to a halt as his expression slowly changed into that of pain first and then despair.
He looked down at his own chest and I followed it. There was a hole in his chest,spear tip poking out and almost touching my body.
"That's enough," I heard the cold voice of Sirius standing behind Eadric. He pulled the spear out as Eadric coughed some blood and his grip loosened enough for me to fall on my knees. Sirius did not give him any time and swinged his spear as Eadric’s head rolled down on the ground.
"What?" I uttered blankly.
Then I realized Eadric was dead. Sirius had killed him. As my eyes fell on his severed head, just as something rose from deep inside my stomach.
And I puked.