Dumah and I had left Desvulp, walking in silence. I could sense his dark aura pushing against my light, it was obvious this close that I still did not possess the necessary power to purify his darkness.
I had learnt over time and understood why dad could do so little to destroy him. He may still be a Warrior of Fang, but it seemed one day I would become stronger than he, capable of banishing the darkness he could not.
“You going to tell me why you’re here Dumah?” I questioned. “Away from the city, you have no reason to hide.”
“Hide?” He gazed at me, then smirked. “I can no longer hide my intentions from you since your accursed awakening, but it was put off long enough for us to spread our darkness, even if you somehow managed to defeat us all, the darkness runs too deep now.”
“We’ll see about that,” I hissed. “Now answer me, why are you here?” I stopped walking.
“Might as well tell you considering you won’t be making it back to the city,” he responded, walking a few meters away before stopping himself. “Scorlax informed me of a crystal cave he found, only Zerda can enter, so I came to claim this city under the name of King Alton with my bride, Princess Tigra and turn each and every one of them into my slaves, cultivating the crystal cave until nothing remains and finally plant dark crystals.” He wanted to do the exact same as what happened to Link, the loss of more lives to the darkness, and he continued to brag about Tigra being his bride, she was mine now, he would never touch her.
“I won’t let that happen, you will not repeat what happened to Link,” I snapped back.
Dumah turned to face me. “Interesting how he managed to survive, perhaps he developed a resistance to it.” Dumah drew Demori, fire instantly engulfing his body. He was more powerful than he was when we first fought. “Don’t think you are the only one who has grown stronger. I am blessed every day with more of his power.” I sensed him getting ready to attack. “Let’s see if you can handle my new power.”
The heat from his body burned the air around him. The energy so fierce I could easily track him. His speed had increased fuelled by fire and hatred towards me.
I drew Raziel and Arata readying for combat. Dumah leapt forward, his energy disappearing for a second and then he was at my side. I lifted Raziel quickly defending, his blade inches away, how’d he do that?
“Flame burst!” His sword burst into a blaze, all aimed and controlled in my direction. Instinctively I put up a barrier of water, but Dumah’s fire sizzled and turned my barrier into steam.
I jumped away, redirecting the fire with Larana’s wind to prevent myself from getting burned.
Just as I got away Dumah moved again right in my face. What was with this new power he seemed to possess, did he know I could only sense someone’s energy and movement through Larana’s wind. How was it possible to completely disperse one’s entire body and energy.
“What’s the matter Fang, gotten slow since your fight with Scorlax, fighting blind isn’t easy.” He brought down Demori in a blaze.
Raziel pounced at Dumah, snapping at his arm. Dumah quickly moved back as Raziel breathed out a blast of concentrated fire.
“Thanks Raziel,” I said.
“Don’t let him overwhelm you, focus,” said Raziel. “How many times do I have to tell you that.”
“Sorry.” I tightened my grip, noticing Raziel’s interference had disrupted his flow of attacks, so now it was my turn.
I dashed forward, flowing with the wind as I approached him, swiping left then right, sending out beams of fire and lightning, trying to break apart his stance before I got too close. Swiping a second time, then summoned Larana’s wings.
Dumah held Demori in front of him, defending from each attack. I smirked, swiping right in the form of an attack, but ascending centimetres from the ground, moving quickly around him aiming to attack from a different direction.
Dumah did nothing as I continued to attack, but I was left surprised as the fire around him formed into a fiery beast moving like a raging dragon. Its mouth opening wide, engulfing me in its fire.
Within the fire, I felt the heat, sure it would have been far worse if I did not possess Raziel. Surrounded in fire, trying to use water and wind to weaken it or to even escape from it. The fire shimmered with dark power, feeding it making it hard to breathe.
I quickly realised that I could no longer sense anything, all of it was mixed up in blinding energy, the wind burning, preventing me from using either method to see what was happening around me. I was definitely blind now.
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I lifted my swords above my head as Dumah came down from above, pushing me down onto one knee. I had been lucky my clairvoyance had shown me his next attack.
“Your abilities are certainly annoying,” commented Dumah, pushing down even more pressure.
“Gifts from the Goddess I never asked for them,” I responded.
“Destined child of hers, just like him,” he snarled. “I get sick of her intervention and your linage, the eternal dragon once ruled this world, the land covered in his power, his darkness, no one could resist until he showed up, born into the world, no brought into this world, a single spec of light.” His anger was growing. “That is all he is and will be, the same goes for you, a small spec in the darkness that I will destroy.”
“And here I heard you wanted to keep me around,” I said.
“I did, but since you’ve destroyed a second of my brethren, you no longer hold any importance for me.” The essence of fire building more.
“I won’t be losing here Dumah or any other battle.” I slowly pushed back. “I will become stronger to even purify your dark power and even Melchiah and the eternal dragon!” I shouted releasing Mila’s power. My fused armour took form, bubbles of water appearing all around me, each imbued with Arata’s lightning. Dumah’s flames overwhelmed with the release of water.
“You can never destroy the darkness!” shouted Dumah.
I pushed Dumah back just as he swiped down, cutting away the bandages on my face. My eyes clear of obstruction, I opened them, seeing a blurry image of Dumah surrounded by fire, blinking multiple times it cleared. I could see.
I lifted my hand, pointed my trident as its form came into shape, willing the infused bubbles to fly in his direction. Dumah jumped back, then dodged each one, swiping Demori to the ones who couldn’t avoid.
I summoned more, creating an endless assault, eventually breaking through his defensives, graving his arms and legs.
“So, this is the power you used to defeat Cutter,” smirked Dumah. “I haven’t seen it since Fang, but have you mastered it like he did?!” Dumah suddenly dashed forward, pushing through my bubbles, ignoring them as each one hit.
I was about to dash forward to greet him, but stopped, when I heard Fang. “Wait.”
“I can win this myself,” I responded.
“You are not meant to win, simply end in a draw a show of your power,” said Fang.
“Quick question, how is he not as powerful as in the stories?” I asked remembering how even the great Fang fought against them.
“It takes time for those who have been resurrected to gain the strength they once did, that’s why you must become stronger than them, defeat them before they restore that power without the condensed dark crystal,” he answered. “Now!”
I reacted thrusting my trident forward, clashing directly with Dumah’s power. It wasn’t just a clash of fire and water, but light and darkness. Our two wills coming into contact, the clash of our two powers began to build up in a sphere of unstable energy.
“I won’t lose!” I shouted pushing harder, more of my light enveloping my trident.
“Damned Fangs!” roared Dumah.
The sphere of energy between us, suddenly exploded, pushing us away from each other, the energy reaching up into the skies, a beam of pure power, light and dark side by side.
I had been thrown back some distance from where our attacks had come into contact. I laid on the ground Mila’s power had been disrupted and I had nothing left to fight with, somehow the clash had drained me of my power.
I slowly sat up, looking over to see Dumah was in the same shape as I was, laying out on the sands. I gripped tightly to Raziel wanting nothing more than to finish him off, but if I did, it would release the dark energy of his very being across the desert, and I did not have the power to purify it.
“Not bad, I suppose,” commented Arata sitting beside me. “Some more training and you might actually beat him.” He scoffed. “But I doubt that.” And he disappeared leaving only Raziel.
“I am out of power, but yet you still manifest your form, how is that even possible,” I said, remembering other times they had stayed visible even when I had run out.
“We are different than other talisman spirits, given much by the ones we loved, and the winged lions were once the sacred animals who walked beside the goddess,” mentioned Raziel, gazing down at me. “Our father is her Guardian spirit, protecting the place in which she still rests.”
“Are you two really that powerful?” I wondered.
“We are, you have yet to master our true power, only when you do will you be capable of taking him down.” Raziel looked over to Dumah. “And he knows it.”
“It won’t turn out this way next time,” snarled Dumah, shakily getting to his feet.
“Surprised you didn’t use that crystal,” I commented.
“Oh, you noticed.” He grasped hold of his. “No not time for that yet, only when it is time for me to re-write the Cathopia in the name of my master will I use this power, my death will bring about his rebirth.” He raised his arm into the air. “I’ll let you have this small victory but not next time.” Valli came swooping down from above, grabbing hold of Dumah’s arm and was gone.
“Well, that was eventful,” I coughed. “I think I hurt his pride; don’t you think so Fang.” Raziel stared at me when I said that.
“Indeed.” Was his only reply.
“I can hear him in my head sometimes,” I said. “You sure he’s dead?”
“I am certain,” replied Raziel. “Never did I know he connects to the Warrior of Fang. I simply thought you connected to the goddess, not him.”
“Connect yes, he sure can talk when he wants to,” I added, standing up. “Now then, let’s return to Desvulp and finish off what we came here to do.” Raziel nodded, standing beside me where we walked side by side.