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Chapter 7: Lucid

"Can you handle these puppets Sahn? I need to have a word with my brother." Lukohé let the sand absorb the book he'd been given earlier. He then pulled from the sand the Zephyrs dagger. "Sure kid, don't worry about these things." With that Sahn vanished and one by one the corpse puppets began to fall back to the earth. Lukohé with Zephyrs in his right hand began to approach his older brother paying no attention to the undead that dropped in place as he walked by them. "Akhkaba!" He called out to the twisted frame standing in the field. "Impetigoooo." It hoarsely replied. Lukohé sneered. "Fine, Impetigo then. Will you return my brother to me?" Impetigo let out a shriek as his body twisted and contorted. "We are one now and he stays here." Impetigo's body twisted in a new horrific manner. "Don't worry Lu it's not so bad here, you should actually join us." The voice that came from its grinning maw was no longer a demonic drawl, but the voice of Akhkaba. Lukohé tightened his grip in anger around the Zephyrs. "Fine then I'll cut you out of him and let your soul rot!" Impetigo let out a raspy chuckle before lunging toward Lukohé who pulled Zephyrs from its sheath causing a burst of wind to kick up a wall of grass and mud between the two of them. Having lost Lukohé's presence Impetigo stopped and survived the area. The air swirled around him making it difficult for the demon to pinpoint his brother's position. Lukohé outside the swirling wall of air could clearly make out his brother, so he threw the Zephyrs knowing if he could slice or pierce his skin the battle would be over. But the moment the blade entered inside the swirling wall Impetigo detected and avoided it. Snickering at his opponents poor choice of disarming himself, Impetigo lunged for where the dagger had entered from outside the wall. Lukohé however had attached Zephyrs to an elastic-like chain made out of golden sand which was connected to his wrist, so when Impetigo lunged Lukohé pulled Zephyrs back giving him another chance at slicing his brother's skin. At the last moment Impetigo noticed and avoided the second attempt but he couldn't avoid the kick his brother delivered which was boosted by an air burst. Impetigo staggered back as Lukohé thrust Zephyrs towards him. Impetigo once again avoided the attack and countered by slashing at Lukohé with his scythe shaped nails. The brothers entered into a frenzied yet graceful dance of swiping, slashing, and avoided each other's attacks until a corpse puppet burst out of the mud in an attempt to grab Lukohé. But before it could, the corpse fell limp back into the mud, Sahn had Lukohé's back. Angered at the corpse's failure, Impetigo disengaged his brother and jumped back letting out a frustrated shriek. A shadowy black mist oozed from Impetigo's mouth and wafted towards Lukohé who smiled, closed his eyes and let the mist envelop him.

Lukohé opened his eyes to a sea of golden sand that stretched infinitely in every direction. The clouds and sun were replaced by a pitch black sky. Although there was no source of light in the sky the shimmering of the sand was enough to illuminate everything. "Finally!" Lukohé exclaimed. The sand rose up like a wave and washed over him, lifting him into the air and swirling around him as if it were happy to see him. "Hahaha, ok ok it's nice to meet you too you can put me down now." The sand obeyed and gently put him back down. Lukohé adjusted his glasses and took a deep breath. "Where is Akhkaba?" As if answering his question the sand in front of him began to part as if being separated by a giant knife. The sand continued to widen until there was a vast golden canyon with golden steps leading down into it. "This better work." He mumbled to himself before descending down the steps.

Back in Xibalba Sahn sat on a boulder watching over Impetigo and Lukohé's bodies which were lying face up in the mud. He yawned while tossing pebbles at Impetigo's head. The rumble of an explosion in the distance caught his attention. He stood up and squinted towards the shadowy silhouette of the tree line. Some ways off past the trees an orange light flickered momentarily lightning up the dim gloomy sky. When the sky lit up Sahn could barely make out the shadow of something big slithering in the sky. "Hurry up kid, we're missing all the fun." He said looking back over at the brothers' limp bodies.

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Lukohé traversed the valley and studied the canyon walls which were adorned with glowing symbols he didn't recognize. He walked on for a few minutes until he could see the end of the canyon. At the end sitting in a large flamboyant chair was a man that resembled Akhkaba but didn't look quite like him. "You must be Lu. He doesn't shut up about you." The man said in an annoyed tone. Lukohé chuckled. "You even sound like him. But I know better Ecolni." The man's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, you're much more capable than your brother let on. He goes on and on about being all you had and how much you need him, but it seems like the needy one has been here the whole time." Lukohé moved closer. "Ecolni, fallen watcher. You betrayed your brothers when they were discovered intermingling with humanity. And although you gave them up to Tawasi, he still punished you for the part you played by sealing you in an old book." Ecolni fist clenched in anger. "Yeah I read all about you. Now if you would be so kind as to get out of my brother and I'll let you get back to your eternal imprisonment." Ecolni let out a hardy laugh. "Is that what you think is going on? I'm not possessing your brother, Impetigo is your brother. All I did was fill his spirit with my essence. Of course he lives out my will but Impetigo is Akhkaba and there's no changing that." Lukohé figured as much but he didn't want to face the possibility. "Then release him from your will." Lukohé demanded. Ecolni laughed again. "And why would I do that, because you asked? You're a bigger fool than your brother." Lukohé pushed his glasses back into position. "Then I'll kill you to free him." "Kill me? My soul is trapped here. I have no life to be taken, you ignorant child." Lukohé pulled the charm that he made with Ninti's feather from around his neck. "Not yet at least." He lunged forward and plunged the charm into Ecolni's chest.

In Xibalba Sahn had fallen asleep but the sound of the golden sand shifting woke him. He watched as the sand swirled and molded into the shape of a man. Once fully formed the sand morphed into flesh and came alive. "What sorcery is this?" The bald naked body asked, now housing Ecolni's living soul. "What's up?" Sahn greeted unfazed by what he was seeing. Lukohé's eyes sprung open and in one fluid motion he jumped up, pulled Zephyrs to him and sliced Ecolni across his chest. "Gahh what have you done you human filth." Ecolni stumbled back holding his chest. Lukohé grinned as he pushed his glasses back into place. "I've freed my brother." The wound on Ecolni's chest started to pull air into it like a vacuum. "Wha-what's happening?" Ecolni inquired while trying to block the air from seeping into his new quickly inflating body. "Zephyrs pulls air into anything it cuts. It's one of its many abilities." Lukohé answered while sheathing the

dagger. Sahn let out an impressed whistle as Ecolni's body stretched to its limits as it filled with air. Golden sand rose up in front of Lukohé and Sahn to shield them from the mess as Ecolni's short new life ended with a burst. "Damn kid. I'm not entirely sure what I just watched but it was wild." Sahn put his hand on Lukohé's shoulder in approval. The sand receded revealing Thanata floating in the air stuffing Ecolni's soul into her little satchel. "Oh, hi ummmm...Ninti's friend. This one is a high priority so I don't have time to chat, see ya." And with that she vanished. Sahn and Lukohé looked at each other and laughed. "For literally being death she is always so cheerful." Lukohé said, turning back to face Impetigo. "Here maybe." Sahn replied under his breath. Another explosion rang out in the distance. "What was that?" Lukohé asked, his attention momentarily taken from his brother's body. But the noise woke Impetigo who let out a shriek and quickly scurried off towards the sound of the explosion and the orange glow. "That's where the party is. Your brothers got the right idea." Sahn said, following after him. "Yeah." Lukohé replied quietly as he watched his brother's twisted frame disappear into the treeline. He stood there for a second before pushing his glasses into place and following after them.

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