บท 28: Rain of Stars
'Are they from the same organisation?'
Aura moved closer to him. She wrapped her arms. She cast a long glance at him, reflecting on their earlier misunderstanding. But she cleared her throat. And she said as if sensing his plight,
"They are from the Beast Tamers and Exorcists Pavilion. They are those who either hunt us to form a bond or kill us. Depends on danger level..."
Zmey nodded with a brief gesture as if he had grasped everything immediately.
He searched around him and noticed a tree on his left side. His shoe crunched against the snow as he moved closer with care. And leaned Nero's back against it. He then looked at Aura with a hint of urgency and silence...
He said more like a whisper, "I will be back. Try to look after him..."
He turned his back with a sense of disregard.
"...What's your plan? To give them a hand?"
Aura's question cut through the air.
Zmey turned and muttered, "Wait." He strode up the slope, being mindful but not hesitant. They were his kind's greatest enemies. If he meant to hide from them, he wouldn't be walking into their path. A dragon without its draconic power was a mere mortal, after all...
'Silvan Ferox... so that's his name. The woman appears strong enough to rally the entire Pavilion for support. I guess Ashbane's power must be stronger than hers.'
At that moment, his eyes locked with one of the uniformed men. This person tilted his head out of curiosity or silent wonder. Zmey walked with his back straight, hands tucked in his pockets. He didn't know why he had made this decision. But he felt like he could be of help.
In contrast to the gentle tension outside the frosty plane, chaos erupted inside. Sharp, blue-and-black, translatory lights hit each other as they flew through the air. Their lengths could be at least two metres.
On the transparent frosty floor was a thick flow of something that looked crimson. Dark embers drifted down from the sky. Clattering sounds screamed and echoed through the void. They foretold chaos, like fire in its wake.
A rotatory sound wove through the air. The clattering noises dissipated with a sudden silence. The next second, the body of Silvan Ferox, which seamlessly blended from the azure light, rolled down the....
Thud! - his body smashed to the ground. The sabre flew into the air. He rolled under the weight of the attack laid on him. In the distance, Nymera drifted to the ground with a gentle motion.
She suspended her body in the air in a straight position as if the world had slowed down. Dark embers concentrated around her the moment she reached the ground. She closed her eyes as something crossed her face.
Silvan pressed his elbow against the floor. He struggled to raise himself from the ground. He coughed. Blood sprouted from his mouth. Yet, he attempted harder - it was only a matter of a few seconds before he had got to his feet.
Nymera sighed, a tight load loosening from the centre of her chest. She drew the side of her thumb across the side of her lips. The thumb came up smeared with blood, which she licked with indifference.
Silvan's saliva thickened as he struggled to breathe. His legs shook a little, replaying hits and kicks.
"You're still yet to use your beasts..." Nymera prompted. She extended her palm towards him. Her face lacked the overwhelming confidence and dark excitement that one might expect.
Instead, it was something enough to sap even a hint of a smile away from her face, replacing it with grim frankness.
'She's tough...' Silvan thought, gazing at her in the distance. Her resistance to him was due to her mage body. It was also due to the countless life forces she had consumed.
Crazily enough, his parents happened to be among those she consumed. The great Beast Tamer, too. Whose heritage he was protecting. His three beasts had already reached a remarkable rank: High Elders.
This hadn't been an individual's journey; it had been a collective experience.
The memory of this monster had taunted him to push his limits over the years. He had seen open advantages to hurt her in the past, but he had always held back because of the difference in power. The variance between dark and pure magic, as well as mage bodies.
But even now, her powers were still immense. From the consumption of lives to years of experiences, she had got a better upper hand.
Silvan sighed.
'This fight might be the last for me…'
He straightened his back. He sighed again, his lips dry and chapped. The faint blue gradient filtered through his eyelids as he glanced at the sky.
He wished it could have been the sun. Maybe... it might adorn his face for the last time.
"Well, Nymera..." he called out, then dropped his glance at her; his brows creased with rage, fists clenched and he yelled, "... it's damn exciting and painful that we're dying together here today!"
Nymera frowned. She yelled back, "Tell me about it, Silvan Ferox! How dare you lowly peasant question my authority... EH!?"
She bent her body to the lowest state. Her widened palms fixed onto the ground. Dark energy, like milky black light, spread from her fingertips. It moved in a frequent manner; it spread out across the surface.
The dark shockwave shattered the midpoint ledge. Ice flew through the air. As the wave neared Silvan, he grounded his mind.
With rage and frustration, he jabbed the ground with his azure-fumed fist. The ground didn't shatter. But blue shockwaves spread out from him, repelling the dark approaching one. The collision neutralised the forces.
Ferox was relentless. He controlled the flow of energy within him with focused awareness. A rush coursed from his lowers to uppers. In the midst of this, his body pushed towards the sky with unexpected force.
He shut his eyes, shivers and vibrations moving through him. A large plate, having three annuluses, emanated beneath him. It emitted a brilliant sky-blue light. The runes inscribed along the rims of both the plate and annuluses carved it.
Runes are ancient, magical symbols that embody specific powers. They are conduits for magic. They can inscribe themselves on objects, dresses, weapons, or even living beings. For instance, a rune on some clothing might protect or invoke elemental forces.
Of the types of runes, the ones around the plates of Silvan's awakening were the Elemental Runes called Ignis. Triangular flame with a vertical line through the centre.
At that moment, the air far behind Silvan rippled. It shifted with a sudden motion. And a variety of fluctuating golden lights shimmered in the atmosphere.
It later cut wide open. First, it revealed Zmey; his two hands dropped at that moment, and he panted out of exhaustion. The uniformed men had looked at Zmey with admiration. Then, one of them rushed in.
The young, uniformed magic wielder dashed into the rippled part. His eyes grew wide. "Captain!"
The other stood, eyes wide as well. Their mouth hung wide open. Stunned.
The young wielder came to a sudden stop behind Silvan. Zmey frowned, seeing the hesitation in his movement. He looked at the others too - they couldn't be like that because of their captain's struggle, could they?
"W-why in the world would you do this? Everyone is finally here after all!" the young guy lamented, his voice sober. He clenched his fist, unshed tears hanging in his eyelids. "You should have waited a little bit longer!"
A uniformed lady with braided golden hair, standing behind Zmey, asked.
"Is Captain Ferox going to die from this? P-please, tell me no..." Trepidation laced her voice. Zmey caught breaks in her voice.
Zmey's brows creased, glancing at her.
"What death?" he asked, not out of curiosity. But to clear things up. He didn't know why, but he felt his chest tightening at the long looks everyone was pulling. The lady locked eyes with him, her eyeballs trembling with intensity.
Zmey's mouth closed as he was about to speak.
Aura strode a little bit across the slope. She stopped at the top of it, glancing through the mean distance between two of the uniformed men.
She thought with her arms crossed, displaying a stoic expression. 'I see... in there is the source of the strong energy I felt back then.' Then, her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. She glanced at Zmey in the distance.
She recalled what Zmey said on the cliff. 'That's definitely what he was talking about back then too. Did his meridians get opened after... he has already lost his power!?'
Meanwhile, Zmey, somehow, got an idea in his mind. The more he felt pulses and shivers at his fingertips, the more something drew him to the kidnapper.
Now, he saw something forming in the captain's surroundings. His brows creased. The plate beneath Ferox expanded, halving the distance between him and Nymera.
Nymera stood dumbfounded. She scoffed, "Nice that everyone from your pavilion is here. I shall use you as a scapegoat today...! You'll be the demonstration of what they call 'never test the Necrots'!"
Silvan could feel it. Overwhelming shivers - power - surging through him. His veins bulged beneath his skin. It was time. But deep in his awakening, his heart ached at the trust and hope he was sacrificing.
Yet, a thought came—it was worth it. Besides, he would get his revenge in the end.
"From the void of eternity, where shadows dance with light," Silvan Ferox cried. The uniformed wielders wept. "I call upon the stars, bound by oath and blood. Ignite."
The world trembled under his chant. Shadows crawled beneath him. Light blue flames burned over the outermost annulus of the plate.
"...O children of the astral plates, born of my will and flame. By my breath... my BLOOD... I whisper each sacred name. O Ymirhund, the Terramagma Ice Wolf, tear the heavens with your might..."
Suddenly, the sky overhead grew stormy with dark, swirling clouds. Everyone glanced at the sky. A creature emerged inches behind Silvan. It was as if someone had collected and assembled the elements in the air over time.
A wolf, its height twice Silvan's, appeared. It had dark, silver-streaked fur that shimmered like a starry night. Shards of ice tipped its tail, and a collar of frosty mist rounded its neck. Its massive paws dug into the ground.
The wolf howled, its breath sending chills through the air. The young wielder who ventured in first swallowed. This beast had appeared, though, at times, when the captain was in a duel.
"... O Ignivor, the Fiery Wing, let your fires burn the night. O Alboris, the Agent of Stealth, let the air be your shelter..."
A wave of heat engulfed the surrounding area as a blazing phoenix appeared from the air. A burst of golden fire erupted into the sky. It revealed a soaring creature with blazing wings. They cast fiery reflections on the ground.
In the next second, bulky earthy roots burst through the ground, coiling with grace. Pounds of ice burst. From the centre, a towering creature rose. Its glowing emerald eyes pierced the haze. The faint scent of fresh leaves wafted through the air.
The three creatures stood with a brave posture behind Silvan. Their combined presence was both overwhelming and fear-inducing. Nymera's legs faltered backwards before she even realised it; she glued her eyes to the apex of each beast.
When he talked of High Elder beasts, he meant he heard... three!? Three High Elder beasts?
But as she faltered further, an unseen force hooked her to a spot. She attempted to move, but she couldn't. She cussed under her breath.
One of the uniformed men ordered aloud, "We should lend Captain Ferox our magic! We should..." his voice broke soberly, "... support him for his fight to the death! Heed me, everyone! - let's give the captain our all!"
Before Zmey knew it, all the people had rushed into the plane like running water. They aligned side by side, holding each other's hands. They all closed their eyes, concentrating power on them. In seconds, a mix of bright, colourful lights burned on them.
It climbed over their intertwined arms. Their magic swirled towards the front, converging there. Bit by bit, they rolled in, forming something circular.
They formed a round stone with fluctuating light. One of them opened his eyes, drawing more energy from him and using that to transport the stone to Silvan.
The stone passed through Silvan's back as if he were made of something intangible.
Swoosh! - the plate rolled faster, reflecting fluctuating lights all over the place. At one point, the plane seemed dark but still lit.
The uniformed people sheathed their swords and pinned them to their chests. They knelt at the same time, showing respect amidst a broken heart.
"We respect you, Captain Silvan Ferox!"
Zmey looked between the people, Silvan Ferox, the beasts, and the terrified woman.
He clenched his fist. His eyes lingered finally on Silvan; he thought, 'Seems this spell he made would cost him his life…'
"... Through shadows cast and light undone. Through stars that fell to forge this one, I am the beacon, the scar, the summoner, who calls the stars. Rain now, my beasts, as heavens weep. By my death..."
Tears dropped from Silvan's eyes. Threads of energy from the beasts swirled into Silvan.
Nymera trembled on the spot. Her hands shot up, but nothing came out. She couldn't use her magic.
She cried, "No... n-no, not like this!"
The lady wielder sobbed aloud. Others silenced their cries with forced whimpers.
"... By my death, let power surge.... Rain of Stars!"
The wolf beast howled. The phoenix let out a melodic screech. The tree spirit beast made a mix of rustling leaves and gentle creaking wood.
The plate finally expanded, completely encompassing Silvan and Nymera. Her eyes grew wide - damn it, no one has come to her aid yet! Was this how she would die?
A hurricane-like dark blue mist filled both Silvan and Nymera in an instant.
"No!!!" Nymera's scream echoed through the plane. But Silvan's wasn't heard. He finally seemed satisfied.
'A fool worth being praised... curse it.' Zmey clenched his fist. He didn't know why, but he felt angry.
Splash! - the whirlwind of hurricane mist spread as a shockwave across the expanse. A strong wind swept outside the plane too, rustling leaves.
People either ducked, raised their hands over their faces, or pressed down to the ground.
Their vision was obscured for a short time.
The air became hazy. After it cleared, the space that had contained Silvan, the beasts and Nymera was now empty. But Zmey could have sworn that he had seen a golden star that vanished immediately.
....
He gasped in surprise.
.....
Blink-blink
Step....
"Lord Zmey!"
Zmey turned around. His mouth opened a little when Aura closed in like a predator. She grasped his wrist, driving him outside the plane. She said nothing but, "Danger is approaching."
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