If you have not read book one turn back now, you will be so lost.

Here's a link to help~

Transcendence Book 1 New Dawn

Enjoy that for me

 

ALL OF THIS IS COPYRIGHT BY ME OFFICIALLY

Moving on to the main event, allow me to present to you --

 

Transcendence Book II Black Horizons

 

 

 

 

Bloody Evolution Part Start

 

Chapter One: From Ruin

 

 

  “Calus how is your end?” Haleigh's voice rang clearly in his mind while he made his way up a mountain of rubble. Seven feet tall, dressed in the thickest leather vest, showing off a plethora of tattoos painted across his arms and chest. Amber colored eyes shifted though the desiccated landscape, if you could call it that. “Shit.” A deep voice replied shortly.

 

   “Any more specific?”

 

   “Deep shit.” A slight of wind caught his dreadlocks, he saw the motion below.

 

   “Lovely, C-3 is almost clear, I should be heading your way soon.”

 

   Unnaturally crawling on the ground below was a creature made of what looked like black diamonds. Calus's eyes stuck out when compared to his dark skin, almost predatory, a beast about to strike down its prey. “N-7 is clear.” He leaped from the overhang, free falling through his decent. A ring of light rapped around his fist accompanied by numerous letters and symbols.

 

   The voidkin looked up, with what he assumed to be it's head, in the split second Calus struck. Dispersing violently into a cloud of dust and smoke, turning to nothing in the force of the impact. He had landed unscathed in the space it had been only a moment ago. “Child's play.” This he said aloud to himself.

 

   Something took his attention in the stale air, a presence. He looked up to find a spire of black crystal four times his size crashing down on his head.

 

   As the dust begun to settle a figure strode towards the newly marked grave. “Child's play.” Dressed in a tight fitting hooded trench coat, his face hidden behind a mask resembling the uncanny likeness of a white fox.

 

   Halting his stride, having noticed a small black swirl on the ground. Two, three, six in total had already surrounded him. “Tsk.” Foxface put up his guard the instant chain links sprung from each of them.

 

   In just seconds they had bound him from the neck down. He watched from behind his mask as a shape shrouded in darkness emerged from his own shadow. Calus rose from the black with the intent to kill strung across his calm.

 

   “These chains are a stalwart ally of mine.” He said reaching for the mask.

 

   Foxface hadn't moved a muscle when his finger tips touched the surface. Calus kicked himself back, narrowly avoiding the crystal spears that crashed into the ground he stood upon. An invisible force seemed to soften his landing, the ever watchful eyes assessing the situation.

 

   “You're wasting your time.” One by one each chain snapped off of him. “I'm much more than this.” They were blown away with a cloud of dust as he vanished from sight.

 

   Calus lunged forward with the same blinding speed. Meeting him in the middle they had reappeared, their fists slammed together creating a sound like that of a thunderclap.

 

   Another spear flew to his neck stopping short by only mere centimeters. This caught Foxface's attention, a single chain link had coiled around the center. The links wipped back returning the spear to its master with much added force. Black crystal pierced through his body, splashing the ground behind him in blood.

 

   Foxface stumbled back one hand clutching at his wound. His low chuckle had almost confused Calus until he saw it.

 

   The spear had started to shrink, melding into his body as if it were a piece of him returning home. A simple chuckle had grown into laughter as the air around them sparkled with a dark shimmer. Foxface had surrounded them with countless shards.

 

   A grin formed upon Calus's face. “That pressure.” His locks raised slightly like the hair of a cat, just as the amber eyes lit up. Black ink painted across his arms and chest shown gold.

 

   Striking all at once, they jetted towards their mark. Calus had barely moved a muscle before a towering pillar of scarlet blaze engulfed him all the while consuming the projectiles entirely.

 

   Walking out of the blaze was a woman. She tossed back her gray hair with her hand, wearing a bemused grin. Dressed in a slim fitting combat dress, she held a fierce elegance that matched the dispersing inferno she came from.

 

   “And Lady Valestani joins the frey.” Foxface commented to her arrival.

 

    “I prefer Madam Scarlet.” Her eyes had settled into a light gray. “Have we met?” She wouldn't get a response. Calus had darted ahead without a care for the makings of their conversation.

 

   Standing his ground until the last possible second, Foxface caught his punch effortlessly. “Like I said,” He lifted his leg, parrying Haleigh's thin blade with the bottom of his boot. “More.”

 

   They were both stunned, not by the fact that he had stopped the pair of them, but that he had done it like it was nothing. Foxface spun his body, releasing Calus's arm only once it had snapped, and countering Haleigh with his other boot in her stomach.

 

    She stumbled back just missing him disappear. Having slipped his wrist back in place Calus lunged for Haleigh. Confused at first when he grabbed her, but then she saw the seven foot spike that now stood where she once did. Another struck out, and then another after that. “We need to split up, it'll be harder with multiple targets.”

 

   Calus released her, but even this proved almost fatal. They dashed back from one another only just managing to evade another, twice in size with several attached to its base

 

   Encased within the clusters center had been Foxface, his body frozen in crystal and limbs folded to his chest. The duo knew what came next. His body sprang to life as the cluster exploded, sending the shattered fragments soaring to their marks.

 

   A perfect circle of fire absorbed the brunt of the attack for Haleigh, while Calus had summoned a wall of overlapping chain links.

 

   “Oh to hell with this.” Her eyes flared up as she went for Foxface. Calus joined her effort gladly.

 

   They pursued him down the open street of the desolation that remained of New York City. Entrapping chains failed to snare him as he also evaded an arsenal of scarlet blaze, each movement faster than the eye could follow. Keeping up with him had been no challenge at all, yet each offensive. no matter the distance, could not touch him. Whatever they threw at him was met with either an impossible dodge or instantly forming crystal shields.

 

   “Calus I have an idea.” Haleigh's words rang through his thoughts. Neither slowed in the slightest with their attacks. Dozens more crystals had come forth, dangling high above them for less than a second before they jettisoned to the pair below.

 

   The air began to ripple and the temperature rose by at least thirty degrees. “Now!” Calus vanished from sight; a vicious dome of Haleigh's inferno surrounded Foxface along with herself. Not one of the raining spears penetrated the all consuming tempest.

 

   Inside had become an entirely different world. Every inch coated in a fierce red glare, and the sound. Deafening beyond measure, a roaring blaze true in name and strength. Foxface stood in the center taking in the dilemma now before him. She couldn't help but smile. “I would start taking shallow breaths, the air here isn't going to last long.”

 

   “What of you?” Another spear sped through the air, Haleigh didn't even bother to flinch. Once it made contact her body exploded into a flurry of crimson.

 

   “Me?” Her laughter seemed to echo in her formless state. The embers began to reshape her yet the blaze held its strength. “I'm the one breathing all of the oxygen,” From the bottoms of her boots to the tips of her waving hair, every part comprised of the scarlet blaze. “I am fire.”

 

   Projectiles struck down upon her, passing through her only slightly disturbing her new form. “You aren't the only one with more to offer.” Haleigh lifted her arm as if she were reaching out to him, having conjured a symbolence that then became encased in flames. Overlapping circles, strange and foreign letters shown beautifully, if only for a moment. Haleigh staggered back when it exploded in front of her. Through the blast itself Foxface emerged, halting his advancement once his hand had firmly taken hold of her throat.

 

   Gripping tighter the flames began to retract, showing the skin of her neck. “H-how..?” She struggled as the embers dispersed, watching the dome do the same.

 

   Six spikes came to life floating symmetrically behind his back, almost like a deadly pair of wings. Simultaneously they moved in just as Haleigh had closed her eyes. Stopping just short, the closest barely grazing her waist, something had garnered his attention. In his free hand a blade took form, swinging it at the ground to sever the chains attached to his ankles.

 

   Foxface released her, his back unnaturally bent as Calus drove his elbow in. He dropped down low, using his legs to sweep out his. Landing on his free hand, Foxface sprung into the air spinning wildly until his wings righted himself. Descending gently onto the high ground he stood, almost waiting for them.

 

   “This is getting out of hand.” She griped rubbing the base of her neck. “I feel like he's toying with us.”

 

   He held up a single finger. “Why are you even here? Elipses has disbanded and Yggdrasil has sealed itself off. The Aesir do not fight and the world has gone mad with disarray. Balance doesn't exist anymore.”

 

   Neither knew the response he was looking for. “Look around you, the world itself is willing its own end.”

 

   “What?” Haleigh looked to Calus in sheer disbelief then back to him. “I have a better question; Why are you even talking? We're here. The End.” She whipped the air with her saber. “Are we going to kill each other or what?”

 

   Before Foxface had a chance to respond the ground burst, devouring him within another fiery tower. Haleigh had been no less than pleased with her work. The flurry ended leaving its prey scorched yet still standing. Parts of his coat still burned with living embers. Foxface raised his head to meet their gazes. “I accept.”

 

   Lighting struck the ground, blinding the trio in it's brilliance. As the disorientation left them they discovered another had been added to their company. This one was different from Foxface, his cloak was much heavier accompanied by several straps on his arms and chest, with a large gauntlet fitted to his left hand. The mask he wore was featureless save for a single slot for the left eye.

 

   “Not another one of these guys.” Haleigh tiscked.

 

   “Behind.” Calus sensed the next arrival approaching from the rear. This ones mask was painted to the likeness of a clown.

 

   A gale of relief past through Haleigh, greatly settling her nerves. “Carmicheal.. What are you..?”

 

   He acknowledged her before turning his head to the two young men ahead of them. Their gazes were locked in on one another. Something about it was strange, and somewhat frightening. This moment was for the two of them not meant to be witnessed by others.

 

   “You just had to show up.” Shifts in the space behind him became a portal into the unknown. He stepped back into the folds until it closed in on him, calming the distortion.

 

   Each of them waited as the significant level of tension diminished. Waiting for a sign of danger that never came.

 

   “Calus, Haleigh, It is good to see you.” Carmicheal greeted them.

 

   Haleigh nearly took a double take. “Good to see us? Where the hell have you been? Who is this guy?”

 

  “That's just Vwiess, don't mind him he doesn't talk much.” Stepping out from behind Carmicheal was another hooded man, clearly much younger by the pitch of his thick Irish accent. Definitely the more cheery of the two he dawned no mask just a lighthearted grin and emerald eyes.

 

   Carmicheal removed his before pulling back his hood, freeing the black mess underneath. His eyes weren't as vibrant as Calus's surrounded by dark circles and age. “This is Leon Wynguard, and that would be Hunter Vwiess, my personal guards.”

 

   “Hunter?” Calus took notice of the title.

 

   “You have a Hunter as your personal guard? When did that happen?” Haleigh looked him up and down. “How old are you?”

 

   “We're actually not to sure about Vwiess here, but yours truly turned seventeen last april.” Leo answered for him.

 

   “Seven-? What have you been doing Carmicheal?”

 

   “Take a breath Scarlet, we'll have enough to talk about back at Olmhold, frankly I don't prefer the view here.” Carmicheal waved his arm through the air and a portal came forth. “It's horrifying.” He passed through as the other two followed, Calus behind them.

 

   Haleigh took one last moment, looking at what Carmichel had been. A black hole hanging in the sky above the city, and the bottom half of the Empire State Building still hanging out of it. “No, it's sickening.”

 

 

Two Months Earlier

 

 

   “Take us back.” Sophie ordered with the two siblings right behind her.

 

   “I cannot.” Curdis replied flatly.

 

   “Can't or won't?” Tyler snapped back. “Personally speaking, compared to what I've seen in the last week dulls in contrast to taking us back to where we just came from.”

 

   He took a deep breath through his nose, rubbing the space between his eyes. “When I told you we could not go back, whether you choose to accept it or not, this is the path you now walk.”

 

   “What?” Stephanie couldn't keep a level head any longer. “That is our brother. We are going back, even if I have to take us myself.”

 

   “Stephanie..” Verdandi couldn't think of what to say to any of them.

 

   “Ask yourself why.” Skuld spoke from behind his fiery exterior. Haleigh stood behind him clearly agitated. Apparently he had rerouted himself through the portal leaving a flaming incarnation behind. “Why did he choose to stay behind?” Turning to Gilgamesh as he said this. “It's better this way right? For everyone.”

 

   “I'd hardly call it better..” Gil mumbled, following up with something no one picked up.

 

   “Like it or not Caleb realized what he was becoming before we even had an idea about it.”

 

   “Are we supposed to believe that?” Haleigh muttered wearing a scowl.

 

   Curdis took another breath. A chair came to life beneath him as he sat to rest a set of aching knees, his cane planted before him with both hands on its handle. “In truth I believed Caleb to be of great importance, in fact I believed he would be the one person to save us all.” He looked each one of them over. “Jeremiah I have cost you the whereabouts of your son, I have cost the two of you your brother, I have sacrificed so much from you all to put us on this course. Since the day I locked Sarrin inside of that book I have been guiding us to this. But I was wrong. There was still so much I myself did not understand, and so many things I never knew about.”

 

   Verdandi tilted her head slightly. “Do you remember what you told us in the manor, about Caleb? The heir to the void yes? Let's start there. Sarrin happens to be the voids current master by the looks of things and that was made apparent by the second conflict, so my thoughts lie on when our young Caleb inherited this right and why he is only just now surfacing.”

 

  “Emissary of Nell..” Skuld thought on these words.

 

   “Yes. Nell is the first piece to this puzzle.”

 

   “Stop there.” Verdandi bent down to look him in the eye. “I'm going to make this clear for you; I don't want you talking in circles, I want to know how we got here.”

 

   Curdis wasn't caught off guard, it was an expression most of them hadn't seen before. It was like a parent being talked down to by their own child. “You searched through an era long before your time and what did you discover?”

 

   “Aeolus.” Stephanie spoke up. “I watched everything I could find on him read every record.”

 

   “And why did you do that?”

 

   “We discovered that his life seemed to only begin and end with the void conflicts.” She took out here phone pulling something up. “The first recorded event of Aeolus Pride names him the hero of the first and the days before the second all records of him stop.” A puzzling look dressed itself across her face. “Sarrin and the second void conflict aren't even recorded, I've only just started adding what I've learned about it.”

 

   “Did you learn anything else?”

 

   “Um.. I think it's safe to say that we don't know enough about the people involved with the void exploration. Their mission is where all the records end before the aftermath of the second conflict.”

 

   Curdis placed his hat in his lap. “Aeolus Pride, Ludious Alcross, Alistair Harknet, Essence Bell, and Ketos Prori. Four of these members were personally selected by Aeolus himself. Their objective was to discover if life existed within the void beyond the voidkin, and to seek out the heart. Ragnarok.”

 

   “They were in that place for so long there's really no telling exactly what happened, but only two came out. Aeolus and with him Nell.”

 

   “We were astounded, the other Aesir and myself. We never believed he'd come back, let alone with her.” His tone was sharp. “The two of them knew nothing of what they had done.”

 

   “Aeolus Pride and his team were not to return, they had been sent there to die.”

 

   “What?” Jeremiah finally gained the nerve to speak.

 

   “We knew even then,” The Urd wasn't going to be interrupted. “We knew Aeolus would cause the second void conflict. So we sent him to his death, and he returned with the void itself. What choice did we have? We needed to understand the void, control it.”

 

   “And then we did. A key had been forged from Nell, at the cost of her life. We had the power of the void now, it was supposed to be over but somehow Aeolus managed to get to her side in her last moments. From there you know the rest, Sarrin killed Skuld and Verdandi took the key and fled into the void. Just a few years later he returned to take his revenge and then I imprisoned him.”

 

   “I personally saw to it that most of Aeolus's life was kept secret.”

 

   Haleigh stepped forward. “To cover up what you did?”

 

   “Yes”

 

  “You selfish bastard.”

 

   “Haleigh!” Jeremiah was appalled.

 

   “No, he is responsible for so much death and he used his authority and power to serve his own needs and cover it all up once he was done.” She looked the Urd in the eye. “You don't deserve to be an Aesir.”

 

   “That isn't why I did it.”

 

   Her anger seemed to pause at his words. Looking at the man she had met in her youth and realizing still just how little she knew about him. “Why?”

 

   “Because Sarrin was once Aeolus Pride, and Aeolus Pride was my son.”

 

   Ringing silence filled the room. None say for one had a response to give.

 

   “Not going to mention the entire land of Avalon being dragged into the pit?” Skuld chimed in.

 

   “I'd rather not.” Curdis rose to his feet. “There has been enough talk of death.” His hat was returned upon his balding head. “Agatha I'd be interested to know why we are not in Chicago.”

 

   Lights filled the giant room, illuminating the large featureless walls and a metal staircase crisscrossing over the far end.

 

   Standing above them was a bespectacled woman with glares reflecting off her lenses. Blond hair tied up, she wore a long sleeved white button up and a black skirt stretching past her knees.

 

   “Because there is no Chicago. Welcome to Olmhold Fortress.” She began to descend the stairs. “San Fransisco, Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Dallas, and seven unpopulated areas across North America have been confirmed as what we are now referring to as void territories.” The heels of her shoes clanged on the steps. “This happened within the first six hours. Since then we have lost contact with at least twenty four of our branches around the world.”

 

   Agatha approached them, her beauty was radiant but held a fierce intensity. “Most of our forces on this hemisphere are unaccounted for, and as of now Elipses has contact with zero percent of its remaining forces.”

 

   Jeremiah and Haleigh went stark white. Gil and the Aesir kept their eyes on the floor, it was clear they had expected something of this gravity to happen soon.

 

   “I don't understand.. They're all..?” Haleigh raced through her mind thinking of who knows what. “Where is Carmicheal?”

 

   “Where indeed..” Agatha flipped through the papers of a clipboard that had been under her arm. “He informed me when the first incident occurred in San Fransico and said he'd be returning once he had made contact with you.”

 

   Haleigh's face cringed slightly. “Carmicheal was there?”

 

   “Yes he left two weeks ago.” She adjusted her glasses. “Should I have led with that?”

 

   “Yes you should have.” Her fists tightened and teeth clenched. As the day progressed it became harder to deal with, but then all of the tension seemed to leave. “I need a drink.” The smile she now wore almost genuine. “Jeremiah let's go.”

 

   Without a word he followed her up the steps. It was clear to all of them he didn't want to be there either.

 

   Curdis approached Agatha. “I believe for now we need to see if we can make contact with any of the remaining allies we have, until then we will remain here and deliberate over the current state of affairs.”

 

   Agatha adjusted her glasses. “This is acceptable. There are several rooms upstairs.” She said gesturing to the stair case.

 

   “That won't be necessary.” Verdandi conjured a wafting portal in the rooms center. “We'll be connecting our respective domains to Olmhold.”

 

   Skulds flames began to diminish. “We are in agreement then? I'll be on my way, no offense to you Gilgamesh, but our newest showstopper was much more interesting to watch.”

 

   “Just go home.” With that Skuld had vanished.

 

  Once Verdandi noticed that the Urd to had left already she made for the light filled doorway. “Come along you two, much to do.”

 

   “Ma'am.” The two responded in unison realizing it had happened by reflex. Stephanie followed after her, while Tyler gave a brief goodbye before he departed.

 

   “Guess that's my cue.” Gil snapped his fingers and a familiar door appeared on the wall opposite of the stairs.

 

   Sophira lost track of just how long she had been starring off into space. It felt like some kind of daze. She shook it off. “Gilgamesh stop.”

 

   Halting his stride Gil didn't look at her. “No.”

 

   “But I know you can-”

 

   “No I can't!” He snapped. “Soph.. Even I can't go back. I'm sorry about Isaac and Caleb.” Gil opened the door just barely looking back at her. “It's better if you forget about them, trust me.” He said closing it behind him.

 

   She didn't say anything back, just focused on pain of her wounds and the sick feeling in her stomach. Agatha placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Neither of them spoke a word.

 

 

   “You broke our deal.” Tyler casually spoke trying to make some sense out of whatever Stephanie had started working on.

 

   Verdandi huffed. “He stayed there on his own.”

 

   “I don't care about that.”

 

   “Then you better stop.”

 

   “Or else what?” His voice echoed through the white.

 

   Stephanie paused leaning against the console with her head down. “It's no use.”

 

   “Stephanie stop helping her.” Tyler had lost his cool. “I don't give a damn what you are, there isn't a single thing-” His head had turned sideways without him realizing.

 

   The burn of his sisters hand print was visible on his cheek. “I can't see inside of San Francisco, what should I do?”

 

   “If you want to find your brother, the all seeing eye is the best tool at our disposal.” Phoebe spoke calmly. “Caleb might be out there somewhere and if he is I'm confident you'll be the one to find him.”

 

   Tyler had been beyond lost. “Wait..”

 

   “Your sister is in charge of finding your brother, she has all of my resources at her fingertips.” Verdandi came uncomfortably close, her exotic fragrance filling the air he breathed. “You have a job to do Mr. Harris and I expect you to preform as admirably as you always have, is that clear?”

 

   Chocking down his embarrassment, still feeling the warmth of his cheek, he watched as Stephanie returned to work without a second thought. “Crystal, ma'am.”

 

   “Splendid.” She clasped her hands together, dawning a bright smile. Another doorway opened as she lead Tyler by the hand. “Let's go make some friends shall we?”

 

Well there you have it Book 2's first 15 pages enjoy~

Let me know what your thoughts are and what you think may be coming next

and as always, Thanks for Reading,

-Sarrin

Its definitely been used before me and square can't take any credit there like I said its just a great line

 

 

Indeed, it is a great line! Perfect for epic, grim and dramatic moments!

 

 

I think I might be ending this feature soon doesn't seem to be much going on here lol

Duuuude don't do that! I wanna keep reading to see what happens! And just because people don't comment doesn't mean no one is reading your story! Just take a look at all the views your story has gotten! Don't be discouraged!

 

I happen to be the type of person that likes to comment on stories, because I wanna let the author know how awesome the story is, ya know? So don't give up heart!

Boom two more chapters lets see where these go~

 

Chapter Eight: North Wind

 

 

  Towering shelves that went on forever accompanied by piles of books stacked on top of one another. A library of far beyond biblical proportions had been the true home of Curtis Wells since before he had even dawned the mantle of Aesir.

 

   Admittedly no Urd of Origin has ever read all of its contents. The books in this place choose to give out knowledge to those who deserve to learn it. This is a place governed by fate as it's nature. The Urds true domain, The Library of Then. “I want nothing more than to understand what you are trying to tell us Aelous.” Curtis flipped through several pages. “You have to admit it'd be more than helpful if you could tell us what became of the boy you took with you.”

 

   Creaks came from the wooden chair as Curtis leaned back in it. He removed his hat scratching at the bald portion of his head. “Caleb what could you be doing on your own?”

 

   A small laugh came from him, it sounded sad. “I guess that's wrong, you wouldn't be the Caleb we knew any longer. The three of you were forever changed by my actions and so many others will be affected as well.” Curtis pushed away the chair as he rose to his feet. Pushing it back in its place beneath a simple desk, the Urd let out a solemn sigh.

 

   “I suppose you would be the person I should be apologizing to the most.” Curtis turned to face his guest standing just between light and shadow. Hooded in a long flowing coat and a face hidden only by a masked depicted as a fox. “However I do not think that gives you right to enter my home uninvited.”

 

   Foxface said not a single word whisking his hand to open a portal of unknown destination. He then pointed to it with one finger as a demand for him to go.

 

   “Yes, this is not a place for that. Sarrin was wise to send you.” Curtis formed a cane starting his stride. Looking deep into the masks eyes at the man behind he thought he knew. “Influence can only go so far but I can see this is what you want. You will have it.”

 

   The portal consumed his but not his lingering words. “That doesn't mean I will let you kill me.” Fox snapped his fingers, he and the portal disappeared.

 

 

If there were a way for us to know what we didn't it might have been easier for us to. Maybe.. we might not have been ready then either. I didn't understand much at first but Verdandi gave me a small gift that taught me everything I needed.

There are things that should never be done. Costs that must be paid.

My name was Stephanie, self proclaimed genius with a stupid idea.

 

 

   “Where is my daughter?” Jeremiah found Haleigh leaning over the platform's railing. A more than half empty bottle had made it clear she had been there a while.

 

   Haleigh made a double take when she looked at his face. He hadn't shaven in quite a while perhaps since the day they arrived. Nothing stopped her out burst as she proceeded to laugh in his face. Slamming her hand to her mouth she quieted herself. “I'm sorry that was rude.”

 

   “It's fine, have you seen Sophie? I can't find her anywhere.” The sound of his voice was unnatural for him. Haleigh wasn't sure she ever heard him sound this miserable.

 

   “She was supposed to meet me right here, but that was more than days ago so you can see how well that worked out.”

 

   “Then if shes not in Olmhold there's only one other place.”

 

   “Tried it, locked tight, no answer.” She took a swig emptying the last of its contents. “Whew, yeah I'm guessing she got fed up with me and went to learn a thing or two from the resident badass.”

 

   Jeremiah couldn't avoid thinking about there previous talks before locking himself up in his room like a child. “Are you-”

 

   “Don't okay?” Taking a seat on the first of the descending steps, Haleigh kept a satisfied disposition and a smile. Eyes closed with one hand gently holding her unsettled temples, she almost looked like she was asleep. “I was having such pleasant thoughts, I'd like to keep this mentality a bit longer.”

 

   “Good you're both here.” Agatha walked up behind Jeremiah who stepped out of the way for her. Only a strand of hair dangled in front of her glasses, out of place from the bun she had put it in. They both knew she was the type to keep busy yet despite her youthfulness Agatha looked exhausted. “There is a lot we need to go over about what comes next.”

 

   “Welp I'm gonna be needing another drink if..”

 

   “I'd much rather, and if we're all being honest here, preferred you didn't. We are flying completely blind here and I'm doing all I can to coordinate our remaining efforts.”

 

   “Just tell us what you need to don't mind us.”

 

   Making a tisk Agatha thought to herself, Yeah that's just gonna happen. “Verdandi is unreachable but my last contact with her was in northern Europe.. I think. Urd is also unreachable and Skuld as well.”

 

   “Sounds like them.”

 

   “Yes. Verdandi is working on gathering whatever remains of Elipses at this point. Truth be told I'm more than certain the branches that were not attacked simply defected.”

 

   “Not surprising, Elipses isn't well liked to begin with among several other problems.” Haleigh's nonchalance was creating an unseen reaction in Agatha's attitude.

 

   “Aside from the three of us as present company, this would be our current roster.” Handing over a clipboard with a list of names to them.

 

   “There's not that many on here,” Jeremiah noticed. “I don't even recognize half the people on this.”

 

   “Yes well it isn't like we have the luxury to keep searching for people who may or may not be around to help.” Agatha read through her own folder of reports seemingly still working on something while doing this as well. “It won't be long before Carmicheal returns and I need to have everyone here when that happens.”

 

   “About time, been waiting damn near a month and a half.”

 

   “Yes I'd like you to look over these when you have a moment, I've put all of the instructions laid out by Carmicheal inside.” Agatha presented more than a few papers, handing them over to Haleigh.

 

   “Setting aside how much effort Carmicheal is going to.” Looking over the first page briefly. “Wait?” Eyes widened and pupils dilated, an inner rage started to show on her face. “This is..”

 

   “Please finish before addressing your concerns Haleigh, we don't have the luxury.” She gave a slight sternness to her tone. “As for you I'd like you to retrieve your daughter immediately.”

 

   “Of course.” Jeremiah perked up his posture, however it didn't hold the same effect with bags under his eyes and a growing beard. “Why do you need her though?”

 

   “She's the only one we already have access to.”

 

   “What is that supposed to mean?” He wasn't entirely to sure how to take that.

 

   “Jeremiah just stop, I'll explain everything later.” Haleigh's attention quickly shifted.

 

   “No, I'd like to know-”

 

   “Shut up and look!”

 

   They did. Across the vast room lay Gil's door, a long crack had formed from top to bottom with a sort of distorted white light pouring through it's seams.

 

   Jeremiah instinctively swung over the railing to the floor far below. Yet before he could complete his decent the door shattered with terrifying brilliance.

 

 

   Slightest showings of a grin appeared on Stephanie's face. “Skuld take a look at this.” One screen enlarged itself to overlap several others. “I found Curtis.”

 

   Mention of the other Aesir's name caught the attention she wanted. He looked up from his transparent bindings to see two men on the screen. Undoubtedly one of them was the Urd, the other however Skuld could not recognize. Cloaked and hooded, face hidden behind a mask, this odd exchange felt wrong somehow. “Why show me this?”

 

   “It's not for you, I'm observing Anima.”

 

   Skuld leapt to his feet pressing his hands against the invisible walls. “You mean to tell me that you can actually find Anima?”

 

   “See now?”

 

   “I believe I am beginning to.” Skuld attempted to ignore his current thoughts towards the girl with an obvious death wish. “Tell me more.”

 

   “Well for starters get comfortable because we're barely halfway done, but so far from what I've gathered from you I'm able to distinctively locate large sources of energy produced as a byproduct of Anima.” She watched the pairs one sided conversation proceed soundlessly across the screen.

 

   “Go on.”

 

   “Once you've given me the complete construct I'll have the domain create a vessel and inside of that I will be putting in a piece of my soul.”

 

   “You don't care if you'll die at all.”

 

   “I expect to in a way.”

 

   He had actually been taken off guard by Stephanie's almost instant response. It showed for only a moment with the widening of his eyes. “How?”

 

   “Oh, well I figured taking out a piece of my own soul using this place would probably not be a great thing to just do to myself so..”

 

   “No I meant how did you come to decide this is what needed to be done?”

 

   Stephanie's look dimmed apathetically as to be looking through Skuld when she spoke. “Anima is the source of great and terrifying power, barring whatever made it, it would make sense that with enough of it you could be capable of destroying worlds with no effort.”

 

   A touch of fear ran down Skuld's spine, this women may in fact be his undoing.

 

   She realized how grim she had come off. “Of course I'm not going to do anything crazy like that it was just a theory I was working on. I am actually hopping to use this to amplify the domain's abilities and possibly help us do something about Sarrin.”

 

   “But you are aware what you're trying to create is dangerous, and if it shall fall into the wrong hands it could be catastrophic, borderline apocalyptic.”

 

   “I'm kind of working on that with a way that my soul will be required to use the device since my soul is also, um in the device?” Stephanie looked puzzled.

 

   “Was that a question?”

 

   “Look OK I'm not perfect there's still a lot to figure out assuming it doesn't blow up in our faces.”

 

   A deep sigh emerged from the strained Aesir, conversing at this length wasn't something he planned on getting used to. “Let me out, I can speed this process along.”

 

   “Sure but I think we should see what happens here before anything else.” With a few taps of keys Skuld was able to pass through his confinement.

 

   He approached the girl never once taking his eyes off the screen. Skuld placed a firm hand on Stephanie's shoulder leaning in close to her ear. “Just so we are clear. You work for me now.”

 

 

   “Why not just go home? It doesn't have to be this way.”

 

   Reasoning with Foxface wasn't leading anywhere. A set of black crystal spikes appeared before him, hurling towards the Urd. They were each turned to dust just inches from contact.

 

   Foxface darted ahead kicking himself off the ground. He raised his knee to connect with Curtis's head, but a set of translucent hexagons flashed to life serving as a barrier.

 

   Curtis barely twitched a finger and an invisible force pushed back the masked man. “I have not fought in quite some time,” His eyes narrowed as they illuminated. “And it is not my intention to do so now.”

 

   “Then die.” He rushed forward, kicking off the ground into the air. A heavy punch connected hard with the barrier, followed by two more and a kick Foxface used to reach the air again. Dark crystal formed into a jetting spear being destroyed by the barrier.

 

   Curtis was growing agitated by his futile attempts, if not fully showing it.

 

   As he landed, Foxface summoned dozens of spears, hitting the Urd's barrier again and again. This continued pointlessly with the barrage growing fiercer and the spears numerous. Abruptly ending with a block appearing above the Aseir before crashing down.

 

   The barrier stopped it in it's tracks, yet the impact still left several cracks in the ground Curtis stood upon. Braking into four thinner pieces the block fall around him.

 

   Foxface made a movement that looked as he was trying to firmly grab something in the air. The pieces halted crashing back into the barrier, attempting to reform with the Urd in the center. Pressure increased and the pieces showed sign of faltering until they shattered.

 

   “Stop this.. this mindlessness.” His plea fell on deaf ears as his adversary leered him down. “None of this serves any real purpose.”

 

   “All of this serves a purpose.” Foxface finally spoke. “Your death serves a purpose, it's almost necessary.” He swiped at the air in his first signs of wavering emotions. “I won't except this. I won't accept anything less.”

 

   The ground burst as he raced forward, drawing a sword from the back of his waist with spaces carved out of its blade. “You deserve so much more!” A mighty swing collided with the barrier unleashing a great tone as aftershock.

 

   The hexagons outlines warped and shifted from the constant pressure as the Urd watched defiantly, his image distorted by the bending of light.

 

   Lines of light snapped as Foxface completed his swing. Curtis staggered back while the barriers remnants dissolved around him. “What?” His disbelief was mistaken for an opening, Foxface striked as Curtis simply blocked with his cane. The instant his blade made contact with the woods surface, what looked to be electricity overcame him.

 

   Foxface convulsed, bending backwards unnaturally under the strain on his body. Braking the connection another invisible force pushed him back once more and Curtis straightened his clothes.

 

   “I think this has gone on long enough.” His wrinkles pulled back and age disappeared from around his eyes. They lit a vibrant gray as he ran his free hand through the frozen white hair appearing on top of his head.

 

   Curtis was getting younger before the man who could only watch under the growing weight of Curtis's overwhelming presence.

 

   “It's time you learned why the once called me the North Wind.” A pulse came from him that altered the landscape drastically, as far as the eye could reach everything had been covered in ice and snow.

 

 

   In the vast distance, light converged into a single point. They had arrived. Brilliance faded and Gil's teeth sank into his cigarette's filter as the expression he wore grew feral. “What kind of shit is this?”

 

   Tossed furniture in an all around definition of a mess, all of it more than familiar to both of them. Of all the places they could have ended up from diving head long into the depths of nothingness itself, it was Gilgamesh's own home.

 

   “What the actual firetruck is happening right now?”

 

   Sophie was just as stunned if not more so. “Do you actually expect me to have an answer for this?” Her voice was almost but a whisper.

 

   “No.” He tossed her a bottle that she caught.

 

   “Whiskey?”

 

   “Great whiskey.” Gil had already started on another bottle.

 

   She opened it taking a whiff, Sophie winced from the harsh response from the liquid. “I don't think now is a good time.”

 

   “You actually want to talk about what just happen?”

 

   “I would.”

 

   Sophira gasped dropping the bottle as Alastair walked out of nowhere while the glass shattered across the floor. “Alastair!” Her eyes were instantly ablaze.

 

   Gil nearly pounced while Alastair held up both of his hands.

 

   “Wait, this isn't about me.”

 

   “What?” Gil spat the word.

 

   “It's about me.” Another man strode out of the air like he had been there the entire time. Sophie began to shiver, some fragment of a memory she didn't recall. Did she know this man? A name had come to mind and confirmed her suspensions for her. She had met this man, just once though when she was barely clinging to life. “Sarrin.” It all came to her gradually, the deep red eyes and white hair.

 

   He gave her an empty smile. “You two shouldn't be here.”

 

   “I feel like I should be saying that to you.”

 

   “You don't get it.” Alastair interjected. “You have no idea where you are right now, do you?”

 

   Sarrin had started touching one of the walls and a crack began to form. “Such a nuisance, this place, being able to go wherever you please.” He gave another smile. “We can't have that can we? Not here.” The crack grew slightly, a dim white light pouring through its breaches.

 

   “What is this?” Gil growled.

 

   Sarrin's fingertips twitched just barely on the surface and the cracks spread far and wide to every nook they could find.

 

   Stunned by what he was seeing Gil could hardly form the gasp that escaped him. “So now you're going to destroy my home?”

 

   He smiled back at him. “You are mistaken Gilgamesh.” The pair of them faded away as the building shook with instability. “I have brought you home.”

 

   Light consumed everything as Gil's home was ripped apart through the ephemeral moment.

 

   Gil adjusted his eyes to the dark place they were now in. The first thing he saw was a set of crumbling towers and archways. It was a dying castle floating aimlessly in the darkness. Sophie watched as Gil spoke only one terrified word. “Babylon.” He took another swig from the bottle. A really long one.

 

 

Chapter Nine: Finding Hope

 

 

  “Why by myself though?” Tyler's breath obstructed the screen showing Verdandi. Snow crunched under his boot and the tail end of his coat trailed behind him with fur trim around the cuffs and collar. “You have everyone there so I just don't why.” She eyed him flatly without saying a word. “OK then defy emergency.”

 

   “Somethings going on at Olmhold, and on top of that Skuld and Urd are both missing as well as Gilgamesh, Sophira and Jeremiah.”

 

   “Yeah but why couldn't Calus stay with me? It's not like I can defend myself out here.”

 

   “You're resourceful, you'll figure something out.” Verdandi gave him a bemused smile. “Besides he's going to be meeting up with Haleigh, then there's the matter of New..” Static appeared on the screen before it flashed out of existence.

 

   “Verdandi?” No response came. Tyler winced as a gust howled and pushed past him, the snow and low cloud cover opened just enough for him to see what lie ahead. A frozen city, and just past that a half thawed lake with a gaping black pit in its center.

 

   “How am I supposed to find anything in a place like this?”

 

 

   “Hello!” After a few hours of pointless wandering and sneaking around Tyler had grown impatient. How long was this place even like this? Ice covered everything but the storm never reached inside the city. “Bet everyone's nice and warm right now.” He shivered.

 

   The abandoned city answered him with the sound of an empty can hitting pavement. Tyler perked up, searching for its source. Something came out from behind another building. It wandered out into the street sniffing at the air with its smooshed in face, looking around with it's beady eyes. The body was odd with enormous front arms it walked on the knuckles of his giant human like hands. The skin was black with red lines glowing inside its body, and the back legs were like a rapid animals with claws.

 

   “Oh crap baskets.” He whispered to himself.

 

   Its tiny ears twitched as it turned to look at him sideways.

 

   “OK monster thing, or demon thing?”

 

   The creatures jaw unhinged and a storm of fire poured out with a bellowing roar. “Shit run!” Tyler's body jerked forward as he took off as fast as he could, the monster pounding the ground chasing after him.

 

   Ducking into the first alley he could Tyler never stopped running only looking back for a second. The creature was just entering the alley so Tyler kicked in the first door he saw which, thankfully, lead to a set of stairs.

 

   He went up them, with his legs feeling the burn, as fast as he could almost sliding a few times as he turned.

 

   Tyler heard the monster try to force its way into the stair well but it had been to bulbous to fit. It roared again spewing a cloud of fire that rapidly rose with the bends of the stairs.

 

   Tyler looked down at the blaze closing in on him. He didn't think twice as he booked it up the rest and pushed his way through the door at the end. Feeling the heat just behind him he was running out of roof. At the ledge he saw no other choice but to run until he was forced to jump.

 

   Soaring awkwardly through the air, reaching out to the next ledge like his life depended on it. Tyler just narrowly grabbed hold of the adjacent rooftops ledge. His body swung from the momentum he still carried, Tyler's rib cage met with the stone wall harshly, causing him to lose grip and descend.

 

   A clothesline caught his wrist and snapped under his weight, it carried him to a window in which he smashed through the glass rolling out onto the floor inside.

 

   No time to check his wounds Tyler sprung back up darting out of the room and into a set of hallways filled with more hanging clothes. A giant black hand grabbed hold of the windowsill and the monster poked out its head to see Tyler staring back at it. “Seeya.” He bolted and the monster roared in reply, preying its way in, ripping out part of the wall to accommodate its size.

 

   Tyler didn't bother looking back he didn't need to as the beast burst through a wall ahead of him. “Well then.” He kicked in another door dashing through the room to jump out another window.

 

   The ground approached rapidly as Tyler ducked and rolled to softened his landing. Broken glass rained down on him while he tucked himself in a ball for cover.

 

   He looked up after a few seconds. It was quiet now. Had the beast given up? Or was it just waiting for its moment. Tyler rose to his feet, dusting the shards off himself thoroughly. “Alright let's-”

 

   Another wall burst out and the thing landed on the ground in front of Tyler, kicking up a cloud of snow in its wake. Looking at him for only a second it began to open its mouth.

 

   “Get back!”

 

   A woman's voice caught Tyler by surprise. Someone darted past him faster than he could see, She brought a sheathed sword down on the creatures head and followed up with a swift midair kick which sent it spinning until it laid out on the ground. “We gotta go.” Grabbing Tyler's wrist she pulled him after her.

 

   Tyler watched as they ran and the creature started to get back up but not just that, it had been joined by two others. Each staring at them blankly with their beady eyes. “Um problem.”

 

   “What?”

 

   “That thing has friends!” They started after them roaring in pursuit. “Any bright ideas here?”

 

   She pulled him harder to keep up. “Just this one.” The girl was heading for a solid wall with no sign of turning. She threw something that looked to be a small crystal. Shimmering the instant it touched the wall a portal opened and the two of them jumped through.

 

   It closed instantly as the creatures piled on top of one another.

 

 

   “Whew.” Tyler caught his breath. “Scoreboard!”

 

   The girl pulled back her tattered hood to show a head of short wild auburn hair. Her face and green eyes silenced Tyler. She looked at him oddly wondering why he was staring at her like that.

 

   “Tyler.” He held out his hand to her but she only looked at it then him. “Thanks for your help back there?”

 

   “Terra.” She took his hand but didn't shake it, only kept looking at his slightly reddening face.

 

   He pulled back his hand ruffling the hair on the back of his head with a large grin. “So whats this an Elipses shelter?”

 

   “I think so.”

 

   “You're not apart of Elipses?”

 

   “No, I'm here for-” A knock came from across the room. “Her.”

 

   A young girl had knocked on an open door to get their attention. She had a large set of amber eyes and a wild mess of long black hair. Looking not much younger than either of them she approached the pair or rather Terra.

 

   “She's the one who told me where to find you, her name's Noel. She can't speak and she's the only person you'll find in this place.”

 

 

   “Wait, no.” Stephanie pushed several key on the consoles surface. An empty screen was all that came to her. “I lost the feed.”

 

   “I don't think you'll be getting it back either.”

 

   “But you saw that didn't you Skuld?” What she had witnessed had started to settle. “He got younger and then it was all cut off.”

 

   Skuld thought on this, clearly something about it unsettled him.

 

   “Can you do that to?” He almost pulled a double take to the question.

 

   “No, and personally I have no intention of looking any younger than I already do.”

 

   Stephanie could barely picture the youthful appearing Aesir with the likeness of a child. “Anima can do this?” It's capabilities boggled her mind. “What if it brings your body back to its most powerful point?”

 

   “There is a lot about Anima we do not yet fully understand. I wouldn't call it an exact science either, variations have occurred but similarities have also been noted.” Skuld thought on this. “If anyone would know more, it would be the Urd.”

 

   “Then there's still work to be done.”

 

 

   “Truth be told I'm concerned.” Grantz watched sand waterfall between his fingers. Along the shore another stood on a set of rocks, observing the tide. He stood silently, hidden behind a mask and a mess of scarves.

 

   “Your concern is needless.” His voice almost seemed to not even come from him, like his words were just as formless as he was shrouded behind cloth. The tides pulled back revealing more of the shore.

 

   Grantz rose up wiping the remains of sand from his hands. “This want, and mindless violence, can't it just end now? Hasn't all of this gone on long enough? You must feel this way or you wouldn't have let me find you, let alone listen to an old man ramble.”

 

   “This small little world.” Seeming to look out into the vast distance Grantz had no way of knowing what the man could have been thinking. “This is what it was born for.”

 

   “But you can stop it! You alone carry the choice and I am pleading with you. Let this end.” Grantz pleaded with the man. “For thousands of years, war, genocide, death and destruction have consumed so much of this reality and if it goes on, nothing will be able to survive what is to come.”

 

   “But that isn't true.” He looked up this time still keeping his thoughts hidden. “The three of us will be left and then it will just be me, again.”

 

   “Three? You are mistaken if you think that man is anything close to the true Sarrin, he's as close to him as you are to being the real Asix.”

 

   “I gave myself the name and it is mine to carry now.”

 

   “But that doesn't change what they are and it certainly doesn't change what you are to them.”

 

   The man called Asix said nothing in reply.

 

   “Please head my words. If you do not stop this then I,” He made his decision. “Then I will join the fight that will inevitably come for you, and when it does , when that time comes where life stands between death and you, I will tell them everything.”

 

   “But why?” Asix pulled of his mask revealing to Grantz what lay beneath. “Why would I put an end to what I started?” He approached him unable to move out from under Asix's presence. “More importantly why would I let something as insignificant as you stand in my way?” Asix raised his hand and gently placed it on Grantz's forehead.

 

   He shuddered at first, that being the only movement he was able to make. Cracks began to form on the surface of his face and he began a set of rapid breaths. For a moment it sounded as if he were trying to speak. One final thing left he needed to say.

 

   Asix leaned in closer. “Sleep now my keeper, Our waiting is at its end and so yours has come.” Grantz dissipated gradually into a flurry of ash soaring far into the sky. His final words unspoken.

 

 

   “Are you in there?” Carmicheal asked the hooded boy standing just in front of him. “Respond, that's an order.”

 

   He stood at about chest level with him, staring blankly ahead. “I am.. here.”

 

   “Put this on Vwiess.” He handed Vwiess a featureless mask with a single slot carved for the left eye. “We have already lost many so it's imperative to hide our movements.”

 

   “Wouldn't a helmet work better?” Leo asked. “I'm just saying, mask won't do what a helmet will.” His accent gave his manner of speech a sort of playfulness.

 

   Carmicheal didn't hear him or at least he didn't try to. “Open a door Leon. Our next stop is New York.”

 

 

 

Enjoy and if you're reading let me know what you think of this long story so far and what you think might happen next~

Daaaang, so much keeps happening, it's all so exciting! That particular bit of Babylon with Gilgamesh seems intriguing! I'm guessing we'll be seeing more of his backstory regarding Babylon, eh?  And also, Curtis is one hell of a badass! I love his character, you wrote him very well! Lol, and Tyler's interaction with Terra was funny!

 

And wow, Stephanie is dead set on her goal, isn't she?

 

These were great chapters, I can't wait to read more!

There are only two chapters left in the Bloody Evolution Ark what the hell is about to happen right now

Any questions?

 

 

Thanks for reading

-Sarrin

Edited March 10, 20178 yr by Sarrin

There are only two chapters left in the Bloody Evolution Ark what the hell is about to happen right now

Any questions?

 

 

Thanks for reading

-Sarrin

 

Ooh, ooh, I have a question!  Will there be more backstory that details things between Curtis and Aeolus? And will Gilgamesh face his innermost demons? And where's Isaac at!?

 

I can't wait to see where this all leads! I'm looking forward to more chapters, my friend!

Curtis and Aeolis hmm you'll just have to find out for yourself there ;p

Yes Gilgamesh is about to go through some things but he's definitely not the only one woo I put these characters through things

And as to where Isaac is, i wonder where could he be, but is he really the only person you should be asking about?

Curtis and Aeolis hmm you'll just have to find out for yourself there ;p

Yes Gilgamesh is about to go through some things but he's definitely not the only one woo I put these characters through things

And as to where Isaac is, i wonder where could he be, but is he really the only person you should be asking about?

 

Gahhh, this is all so exciting! I can't wait!

 

Oh yeah, I can definitely tell you like to put your characters through tough situations! You create very interesting scenarios for them!

 

Lol, I know that the other guy I should be asking about is Caleb, but he's Sarrin, so that's all I need to know for now. X3

Deleted 

Edited January 5, 20196 yr by Sarrin

But if he's Sarrin who's the other Sarrin? I count three Sarrin's, not including me anyway;p

 

Wait, what? O.O

 

My mind is shattered now...now I'm wondering who the other Sarrin is! Because Caleb is him, and Aelous is him, so then...who is the third one? Gahhhh, dang it, the mystery intensifies!

Better question is where's the real one

Better question is where's the real one

 

You sneaky fox! Now I can't wait to see what happens regarding Sarrin!

Here's the epic finale to the Bloody Evolution Ark!
 

Chapter Ten: Test of Will

 

 

  “Let's go Gil, it's time.” Never taking her eyes off the crumbling castle ahead and the foreboding path of broken arches, Sophira felt only one thing from a place like this. Death.

 

   Gil stared off into the distance as he sat with both legs dangling off the ledge of the path. Below were clouds of swirling darkness, ahead the same, and as above was no different. “The word trap means nothing to you does it?” He took a swig from a half empty bottle shivering afterwards. “I sent my home to the deepest nowhere I could find and in a way I locked my past away with it.”

 

   A lit cigarette now rest between his lips as a plume of smoke left him. “There's absolutely no telling where we are not to mention even beginning to get back. We were brought here for a reason, and Sophira..” Gil took a deep drag. “If you walk up those steps and into that place, I can't guarantee we will make it out, but I can promise you will die.” He stood and flicked the cigarette into the emptiness, the red ember drifting out of sight.

 

   “I can't just stand here and do nothing.”

 

   “You will go through what's left of your life making choices, and that will define you. So far I'd define you as a stupid individual with a death wish and an exuberantly worn out supply of luck.” Gil approached her eye's active and his expression haunting. “You want power and I cannot give it to you.” He downed the last of the contents held within the bottle. “However I am inclined to show you the way.”

 

   Sophira's nerves tightened with her muscles, her body was warning her of something she couldn't understand. “The way to what?”

 

   Gilgamesh took one more step past her and the deed was done. “The way to Anima.” He stopped only a few feet away from her. “By now you've realized you can't move.”

 

   She knew he was right, every part of her was bound by an invisible force.

 

   Trying to breath left the attempt caught in her throat. Dozens of symbols formed on her face. A loud ringing filled her ears until absolute silence. It wasn't long until her sight dimmed.

 

   “I have taken everything from you.” Gil's voice in her head was the only thing saving her from the sense of panic. “Your arms, legs, eyes, and ears.” A sharp pain joined Gil's voice. “Now I will take your mind.”

 

   The single pain evolved into what Sophie cold only describe as a series of nails being driven into her brain. Not only that, if started to feel like they were digging through her sanity itself. She could feel it, her life slipping away. It was sensational, alluring, almost tempting her to it's embrace.

 

   How long had this been going on for? How much oxygen has she been deprived? Where was she again?

 

 

   “You are weak.” Sophira felt herself slam into a hard surface and an impact in her chest. She began to see something, at first it was Haleigh then it changed to Phi Honnes.

 

   Back in the wet stone halls of Yggdrasil's roots. Sophie found herself in a familiar place under Phi's boot. Remembering how it played out before she began to say the words she did before, but this time was different.

 

   Phi swung his blade with two motions, the sound of metal grinding against stone rang in her ears followed by the unbearable pain of both her arms being cut off.

 

   She cried out, her voice cracking and trembling. Tears came faster the more she screamed.

 

   He gave a swift kick to Sophie's jaw, braking it with ease to muffle her voice. “Die with some dignity at least.” Looking up to him as he poised his blade for her.

 

   What was going on? Sophie could hardly understand what was happening to her. How did she end up here, the pain was tearing her apart. A clear thought was out of reach. This was it, she thought, the moment she was going to die.

 

   Who was going to save her now?

 

   The answer came to her in the form of a distant voice echoing in her mind. “No one. Save yourself.”

 

   Something snapped inside of her. Sophira pulled what was left of herself up with all her remaining strength. Offsetting Phi's leg and bring him within her reach. Bearing through the pain of opening her mouth she clamped down, digging her teeth into Phi's throat.

 

   His blood filled her mouth and poured down her throat. Sophie put her foot into his stomach, pushing him away and ripping the flesh from his neck. She spat it out, watching Phi bleed out beside her with his blood painted across her face. “There I'm done.”

 

   Phi made a disturbing sound. “firetruck your dignity.” She spat the blood still left in her mouth on his face before passing out on the stone floor.
 

 

 

   Darkness was the only thing to greet Sophie upon waking. She was back in the floating remnants of Babylon. Gil had returned to where he was before, kicking one leg back and forth off the ledge to nothing. “Ours isn't a pretty world, and now you might just have a shot at living to see some more of it.” Definitely drunk, maybe more now.

 

   There was no telling how long he had put her out and no telling how different time was still moving. How much had happened since she left Olmhold? Sophie thought of what had happened since San Francisco, what was about to happen. “What was that for?” Looking at her hand, relieved to see her arms still attached to her body. “Anima.” The word felt odd leaving her lips.

 

   “To test your potential.” Gil had gotten another bottle from somewhere, smoking another cigarette. “Crude I know but necessary.”

 

   “I don't understand.”

 

   “Of course you don't. The last time this was done properly was long before you were born. It gets worse, you know? Probably haven't heard this either but the Aesir Candidacy use to be nothing but fights to the death.” He said before drinking more.

 

   “They were thinning out the herd so to speak. Limiting the people capable of Anima. It didn't happen during the last Candidacy though. The Urd had thought it better that we not kill each other. At least we weren't supposed to kill each other. Didn't stop a few people from dying though.”

 

   Sophie almost didn't know what to say to him. Almost unsure if she should say anything at all. “We? You were a Candidate?”

 

   Gil smoked more of the cigarette. “I was a lot of things.” He rose up with the smoke he blew out. “Let's go, we've still got a long day ahead of us.”

 

   She lifted herself up and followed after him.

 

   “One more thing.” He caught her off guard with a firm poke to her forehead. “Survive.”

 

   “I won't accept anything less.”

 

   “No Sophira.” Gil continued on with her just steps behind. “You shouldn't.”

 

   As they continued up the path Sophie looked around. Had Gil really done all this? Not only was all of it floating in the middle of literal nowhere, it was also well beyond damaged. Scarred even.

 

   “If we can use the front entrance it'll be best, but there might be a slight hitch.”

 

   “Being?”

 

   “The path splits there.”

 

   “And you serving as the only person who knows where they're going, think this is a good idea?”

 

   “Only two main paths run through the castle, there's plenty of branching paths and rooms but you won't get lost.” Gil was starting to prepare himself, Sophira could feel the change in his demeanor.

 

   “So there's more to this plan yeah?”

 

   “I'll be taking the throne room, you'll secure the library.” She knew his orders weren't to be contested. “After that we'll meet up, the two areas connect further in.” The pair had arrived at a set of enormous stone doors. “Get ready, it's not everyday you walk into your own grave.” Gil placed one hand on the cold stone. The doors responded by opening on there own.

 

   Save yourself. Those word still rang in the farthest reaches of her mind. Sophira followed Gil inside, trying to steel her resolve, whatever that meant.

 

   A round dome shaped room served as their greeting, marble floors and a painted ceiling of a sleeping figure clothed in rags. Gil had been telling the truth, ahead of them lay a divulging path. He had started of towards the one on the right.

 

   “Wait.. I don't feel anything.” Sophie had to say something. “It's just cold.”

 

   He only half looked back at her. “That's what death feels like.” Gil continued forward until shadows had taken him from sight.

 

   “Right.” She took a deep breath. “You're all so damn cryptic.”

 

   Smacking her cheeks Sophie took the first steps down the left path. “Don't firetruck this one up Spitfire.”She said this to herself. Isaac had been the one to give her the nickname, and now she noticed talking for him had stated forming into a habit.

 

 

   Keep walking. Don't try to remember. There isn't time for year walking. Gil kept his mind busy as he walked through the deserted halls he grew up in. These walls told a story.

 

   Not just any tale of the passing eye, No this story was the oldest there ever was. Let it take your mind and it could consume you. A possibility of a truth better left not known.

 

   Painted across these walls seemed to be nonsense images as children. Gil winced, it was if he was trying to tell himself something, like a wall was keeping him from turning his gaze.

 

   He remembered some of it from his youth. Two children interacting with each other with differing variances in their multiple depictions. Always the two of them, one with white hair and red eyes and another with black hair and mixing shades of black, blue and purple in his eyes, almost a scary likeness to the image of a universe filled with dark nebulas strewn across it.

 

   This was not a story about children. Why did he remember it though? Not just from his childhood but something else, something.. more.

 

   Under the paintings letters danced to life in an ancient language and dazzling lights. They strained Gil's eyes, triggering more within himself he didn't fully understand. “I barely remember how to read this.” It wasn't much but he could make bits and bites of it out.

 

   Mentions of All. A person perhaps? What a peculiar name he thought, All. It also referred to it as The First and The First Thought. Other names popped out a handful of times, Asix and then, Sarrin.

 

   “Sarrin?” The hairs on his neck stood on edge. “No that's not.. that's not right? The void conflicts were..” Gil rushed through his mind. “But the void conflicts were ages after Babylon. How could Sarrin be in this story?” Those eyes, why couldn't he stop thinking about him? Where was it, when?

 

   That moment, in that place just before. The eyes behind that mask, was it then? No but he couldn't be certain, he'd have to see it again. No. No he couldn't face that person again. A presence like that shouldn't exist, something like that could kill gods, change the world, even end it. Someone else maybe, something else.

 

   Reaching the end of what he could read, the throne room was just ahead and the doors were already opened. Sadly for Gil that train of thought didn't matter now. Only one thing mattered now, that and the single tear that infuriated him while it ran down his cheek. “Mom.”

 

 

   Sophie ran as hard as she could, she didn't know how long she had been at it but it couldn't have gone on forever. The paintings across the walls creeped her out but she couldn't fully explain why. It just looked wrong with those letters occasionally flashing to life.

 

   Whatever story it was trying to tell her wasn't of interest. She just wanted to get this over with. She just wanted to go home.

 

   No she didn't have a home anymore. It was abandoned. Abandoned because of them. Perhaps she didn't just want to get this over with, perhaps she was exactly where she wanted to be.

 

   She skidded to a halt at the entrance a great and spacious room, the walls lined tightly with books. Every inch. Sophira tried to remember them, she wanted to remember every detail of this moment. “Phi.” Biting her lip, holding her composure.

 

 

   “No, absolutely no. In fact no doesn't say it, I don't think there is a word for this.”

 

   Calus stood beside a wafting portal. He had already told them what he was doing, now he was just waiting for them.

 

   “But they're in New York. I have to go.”

 

   Agatha let out a deep sigh. “Haleigh we have not even begun to prepare for an offensive and you want to go up against Heva knows what with just the two of you.”

 

   Haleigh didn't know of how she could convince her. “These things happen.”

 

   “Carmicheal will be here soon, Verdandi and her people have gathered others. I have given you a task don't you-”

 

   “Agatha, what were about to do here..” She bit her lip holding her in. “I'm sorry but I'm going. This is the fight.”

 

   They looked at one another not truly knowing what the other was thinking. “Fine you'll do as you please one way or another.” Agatha conceded. “Do whatever you want, maybe I'll finally get some work done.”

 

   Haleigh started off as Calus had already gone through. “Come back.” Agatha said that one last thing before Haleigh was gone.

 

 

Chapter Eleven: Childhoods End

 

 

Life is, how do I put this? If everything in life was good then there would be no such thing as bad right?

Bad things happen.

Horrible things, things that can't be undone. They can change people, for better but also for worse.

Life changes you. Can you honestly say that after all this time you're still you?

 

   The risks you take in this life could get you killed, and the life you save may just be your own. Who had told her that? Some faded memory from a distant time in Sophie's past.

 

   Cynical ideologies, cryptic speakings, she never liked the way the world she lived in was but were you supposed to?

 

   “I once knew a woman named Alexis.” Phi had started to speak. “Talented, proud, determined, kind of like you actually.” He didn't let anything show, just the same expression she hated. “She died.”

 

   The way he said this forced a shutter in her body. “I-”

 

   “You don't even have a weapon this time.” Phi cut her off. “Why is it you persist to throw your life away?”

 

   How was she supposed to answer that now?

 

   “I saw something in you. Potential.” He turned away putting some distance between them. “I've seen it before. In others, in my adversaries, and like you they were foolish. Always risking their lives, running into things they couldn't understand and now all of those people are gone.”

 

   Who was she being compared to? “I'm not them, I'm nothing like them, I'm me no one else.”

 

   “How many times have you escaped death? How many times have your efforts been for nothing?” Phi pulled a long saber with curved metal pieces decorating the hilt. “Consider this a flower.” Tossing it to her, Sophie caught it never taking her eyes off him. “One for your grave.”

 

   Sophie didn't have any fancy comebacks for him, she took a deep breath and a step forward. Assuming her own stance she closed her eyes and when they opened it was like a switch had been flipped inside her.

 

   Seeing this Phi drew another saber also taking a step forward. “I'm going to kill you Sophira, prepare yourself.”

 

   With just a few starting steps Phi lunged forward while she evaded his first strike, their blades grinding together. He followed up with three thrusts Sophie elegantly parried, smiling at herself for a fraction of a second. Phi swung his blade to be blocked by her but not without the razor sharp metal sliding deeply across her shoulder.

 

   She jumped back under the cover of a burst of orange fire. Phi flew through the blaze unscathed, following up with two slashes Sophie narrowly blocked. He moved his body for a kick to her head which sent her spinning.

 

   This left her dazed, she was exposed. Phi kicked her again and grabbed her coats collar.

 

   Pulling her in close Phi locked eyes with the girl, staring into them as if for the last time. A pain came into her stomach forcing out a slight gasp, it went further until piercing out her back. Phi had driven his blade through her.

 

   Sophie still looking at his eyes as he showed no sign of feeling anything at all. He pulled the blade out in one swift motion, causing blood to splatter, and stepping past her as he did so.

 

   Sophie's knee's buckled staring blankly forward. That was it? How could it be over already? He was faster than her, hit harder than her, and most importantly of all he wasn't weak.

 

   “Don't be afraid.” Phi turned to look at her back, the blood had already started to pool below. “This is a good death, you deserve to be proud.” Sophira closed her eyes drifting off into the folds of acceptance and unconsciousness. Lifting his blade with one hand he brought it down in one final movement.

 

   Metal slammed against metal with a deafening ring. “Get away from my daughter you bastard!”

 

   The pole of Jeremiah's well timed lance was all that stood between Phi and Sophira. She fell over and Jeremiah's reach caused him to jump back form a swing of his lance.

 

   “Lay another hand on her and I will strike you down.” He stood over the bleeding girl aiming his lance with both hands.

 

   Phi danced back swinging his blade around, he was loosening up his body. Jeremiah dug his front foot into the marble lunging forward with his lance. He stepped aside stabbing forward, Jeremiah tisked spinning the metal bar between his hands as Phi continued a flurry of slashes.

 

   They moved faster and faster, blocking and attacking all at once. Just inches apart they kept up the barrage set to kill one another at a moments opening.

 

   Jeremiah swung the bladeless end knocking out one of his legs. Taking a knee, Phi watched as Jeremiah twirled the lance knocking him across the skull with a disturbing sound.

 

   Red poured down over one of his eyes, a tuff of his hair had even been stained. Jeremiah's lance was poised for him, only centimeters from his face.

 

   “What is with your fascination on her?”

 

   To Jeremiah's disbelief Phi actually smiled at him, it felt wrong almost dangerous. “I wanted her to be someone worth killing. She wasn't.”

 

   He snapped pushing the blade forward, Phi sprung up swinging his saber more times than Jeremiah could see. The plethora of blows managed to disarm him, Phi rushed in nailing him in the face with his fist. He spun into a kick hitting the same mark, forcing Jeremiah back into the realization that he had just hit the wall.

 

   Phi darted forward with a single step plunging his blade through the mans chest. He felt it escape from his back, a grunt was all he could give back.

 

   “Like father, like daughter.” Pulling on the hilt he turned, carrying Jeremaih with him by the blade. Phi kicked him in the stomach while drawing the saber out.

 

   Jeremiah stumbled back landing just a few feet from Sophira. The pair laid out there silent, either in shock or worse. It took less than a minute for their blood to begin to mix together.

 

   Seeing all the red fluid covering his sword, Phi whisked it through the air splashing more blood on the stained marble.

 

   It was almost impressive really, that he had managed to hit them both where it would cause the most damage, precise. Not the type to admire his work Phi had already started off, his parting steps echoing off the walls of books.

 

This kind of moment happened all the time, things end, people die, but not you.

Not yet.

 

   Gasping for air Sophira gained consciousness and sat up quickly only to fall back, clutching at her stomach. Rapid breaths and waves of pain were consuming her sensations, she was still bleeding out, feeling her life still leaving her body.

 

   Dark circles had formed around the eyes of her now pale face, there was only one thing she could do right now. Close the wound.

 

   “Ah.” She cried out in pain rolling onto her side. Cupping her hands together she tried to focus but nothing happened. “C'mon.. no.. c'mon damnit.” A small flicker of light came to life, it grew into a fire.

 

   Sophira split the blaze in two, placing her right hand just above her stomach and her left just over her back. One deep breath left her quivering lips. “AHH GOD DAMNIT!” She screamed as the intense heat burned her. The wound was being seared shut but it wasn't done yet, more heat more pain. “Survive.” She kept screaming, tears beginning to form.

 

   Deep breaths. In and out, keep breathing. You are still alive. You are going to live. She kept telling herself this, barely able to ignore the pain she inflicted upon herself.

 

   The paintings on the ceiling were blurring in and out of focus, she felt something wet on her hands, bringing them to her face she saw the blood. Was it hers? With some effort she lifted herself up and looked around, her fragile heart skipping a beat.

 

   “Dad?” Her eyes went wide, struggling to crawl forward. Sophie splashed through their blood to her father as fast as she could. “Dad? Dad?!” She grabbed his shoulder pulling him close. Sophie held him tight resting him on her lap. Looking him over she saw the wound and knew what to do, she looked to her hand and a light started to take shape.

 

   “No.” Jeremiah grabbed her hand.

 

   “Dad! Just hang on.” The tears started to fall. “Just hang on OK I'm gonna fix this.”

 

   “That won't work.” Jeremiah's cough came out with a bit of blood. “I'm afraid were past that now.”

 

   “Dad no let me help you, I can fix this please.” She jumped feeling his hand on her cheek. He smiled at her. “I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.” Tears kept coming, falling onto his face and down his own cheeks. She put her forehead to his and let the sobs come.

 

   “Shh shh shh, it's gonna be OK.” Jeremiah stroked her hair. “You're safe now, that's what matters most.”

 

   “This is all my fault, I shouldn't have ran off, I should have stayed at Olmhold, I should have..”

 

   “It's my job to protect you. A fathers job is to keep his daughter safe.” He started to wipe the tears from her face but they still came. “Did I ever tell you about the first time we met? What it was like for me?”

 

   She shook her head unable to say anything without losing it.

 

   “When I saw you, that scared little girl looking up at me, and I looked down at her and it hit me.” His eyes had started to close a bit, his voice growing fainter.

 

   Sophie was silent while she watched her fathers final moments.

 

   “Like I'd been struck by lightning. It was love, that instant inexplicable love you can only feel for your child.” Jeremiah spoke just above a whisper now, getting colder in his daughters hands by the minute. “In that moment I knew, I knew my life had been changed forever. You are absolutely incredible and I love you.” His hand fell from her face, Sophie grabbed it tightly. “I'm so proud.. to be your..”

 

   “Dad?” Jeremiah's eyes were closed now. “Dad?” She shook him but he didn't respond. “Daddy?” He was quiet. He was gone. “No.. don't leave me..”

 

   Sophie buried her face into his shoulder, holding him tighter. She cried out, screamed, cursed the world and everything in it.

 

   That wasn't going to help her and it wasn't to long until she figured that out.

 

   She wiped her face while putting her father on the floor. Sitting there kneeling over him, watching, waiting for something that would never come. She knew he was dead and she blamed herself. She blamed herself and everything else that lead to this. Phi, Sarrin, Alastair, Ludious, Caleb, all of it and all of them.

 

   Sophie leaned forward slightly placing her hand back on him, unable to let go. How could she?

 

   Had she ever felt this broken before? This deep empty pit had suddenly grown inside her without her knowledge and now it was just there, eating away. Isaac and then Jeremiah, both gone. Now she was truly alone. Truly empty.

 

   A small fire took shape burning away on the marble floor only feet away. Another and then several more scattered about without a seen cause or reason. Some of the books caught and it spread wildly. The room filled up quick until every inch had been consumed in Sophie's somber inferno.

 

   Flames whipped and danced around Jeremiah, burning away the excess hair on his head and singing his face until the beard and stubble had been cast off. He looked at peace for a moment until he was utterly consumed by the orange blaze.

 

   Sophie kept watching, staring blankly at the corpse steadily turning to ash before her glowing eyes. She raised her head looking at nothing when she to was engulfed in her own pitiful misery and loss. Wanting only one thing most now, to disappear. The fire became her and she became it, her form wafting and raging with the tide of the flames.

 

 

Bloody Evolution Part – End

 

There you have it folks the conclusion to Book II's first ark I hope you've all enjoyed it!

 

 

In the mean time I'll give you a sneak peak into the next ark; Perfect World

 

Chapter Twelve:   The Loving Dark

 

Chapter Thirteen:   Anima, Treasures and Stars

 

Chapter Fourteen:   Time and Memory

 

Chapter Fifteen:   We Who Hold The Future

 

Chapter Sixteen:   Perfect World

 

GAHHH, THE FEELS ARE INCREDIBLY STRONG IN THIS ONE!!!! WHAT A MASTERFUL END TO AN AWESOME ARC!

 

Good God, tension is flying ridiculously high, and it looks like Gilgamesh is gonna face the ghosts of his past! But good God, what happened to Jeremiah and Sophie broke me. She's now broken beyond repair! She's lost everything, and now, only her raging flames remain! There's gonna be hell to pay, and I'm sure Sophie's gonna may Phi pay big time! I can't wait for the next arc!

Now aside from the countless lives lost so far and in this stories background, three people have been lost first was the mastermind Ludious Alcross, Grantz the man who knew to much, and now Jeremiah Roads has been added to that list father of two of the greatest forces this world will know. You will be missed.

 

Not every story is happy and not all endings are wanted, but there are somethings in this world that you cannot deny or reject.

 

Thanks for reading.

-Sarrin

Edited March 15, 20178 yr by Sarrin

Now aside from the countless lives lost so far and in this stories background, three people have been lost first was the mastermind Ludious Alcross, Grantz the man who knew to much, and now Jeremiah Roads has been added to that list father of two of the greatest forces this world will know. You will be missed.

 

Not every story is happy and not all endings are wanted, but there are somethings in this world that you cannot deny or reject.

 

Thanks for reading.

-Sarrin

 

Oh ho ho, definitely undeniable truth! Truer words have never been spoken! I cannot wait to see what comes next!

 

 

This is one of this books most inspirational pieces of music enjoy

May you feel what I feel

Edited March 17, 20178 yr by Sarrin

Ooh, it's definitely a rousing, riveting and epic composition! It feels dramatic, as if we're witnessing end world events, which, in the case of your story, is the case! It also feels like music that plays when a character overcomes hardship and rises like a phoenix! Very inspiring music indeed!

Pheonix huh? Its very interesting that you say that and if you notice I don't say very at all

Pheonix huh? Its very interesting that you say that and if you notice I don't say very at all

 

Huh, then I'm onto something? Sweet! I'm not gonna ask any more, cuz I don't wanna get spoiled!

Here are the first two chapters of the next ark enjoy~

 

 

Perfect World Part – Start

 

Chapter Twelve: The Loving Dark

 

 

  “You stupid fools.” Fist impressions were important to Gil, to an extent. A great throne room lay before him, with a set of steps leading up to a raised platform where the actual throne sat accommodated a statue as well. One of a woman that just moments ago Gil had referred to as Mom. “You really are trying to end the world.”

 

   “Change can be many..”

 

   “Cut the crap, I'm not interested in your fancy words.” Gilgamesh interrupted Sarrin who was standing beside the statue. “Change, don't make me laugh. Just who the hell do you think you're talking to? In this place?”

 

   Sarrin stared at him, thinking his thoughts as he did, playing with the world around him as he saw fit. This man, this person, this thing, it made Gilgamesh sick. “Change can be many things Gilgamesh Thanatos.”

 

   “You know my name, creepy.”

 

   “He knows a lot of things.” Alistair walked out of nowhere. “In fact you've been a great subject of interest to him as of late, your family ties that is.” He wrapped his arm around the statues neck, casually leaning on it. “Rare thing, turning to stone. It's said to be a myth but we're past that now aren't we?”

 

   Gritting his teeth Gil thought of over a thousand possibilities that would unfold in the next moments. “Kill yourself Alastair Harknet, it's the only solace left for you now, I've seen your death.”

 

   Alastair couldn't help his grin.

 

   “And you, Sarrin.” He glared him down and Sarrin showed him he noticed. “You have no future, Pride.”

 

   “I am this worlds future.”

 

   “Conceited aren't we? No I get it, live long enough anyone will develop some sort of god complex.” Gil didn't know what to feel other than the seeding need for a cigarette, he even stopped to light one. “I don't know what you want man, but her, that's to far. If you know anything about it then you have to know what shes like, what she wants.”

 

   Showing no sign of remotely caring about what Gil had to say Sarrin ran his hand across the statues arm. “Such a sad fate it this must be for you.”

 

   “She will end everything good in this world.” Gil dawned a sudden realization. “Or is that what you want?” Anger painted his face as it cringed in his rising furry. “Are you just as dark as her?”

 

   “Going through so much to save yourself from your past.” Sarrin had continued speaking without acknowledging Gil's words. “Only to have it come back.”

 

   Gil stepped forward and Sarrin reacted instantly. His eyes lit up, Gil collapsed to his hands and knees under a crushing weight. Gil didn't expect him to use his presence as a weapon, it held him down, only able to raise his head.

 

   “Gilgamesh I want to teach you something, or rather I want to learn from you.” More nonsense he didn't want to hear. “I'm going to save the daughter of chaos, reunite you with your mother. You should be happy.” He pulled Gil up the stairs with a movement of his hand. “Alastair.”

 

   Chain links shot out from multiple tiny shadowy portals, snaring his wrists and neck. They pulled tightly moving into position, holding him bound on his knees in front of the statue.

 

   “I'm needed elsewhere, but I will leave you with this.” Sarrin walked through a portal, the instant he did cracks consumed the stone figure entirely.

 

   The first to fall was the face, a set of eyes started to open and a look of panic just barely showed on Gil's face. “What have you done?” Alastair put on a brimming grin.

 

   Her skin was tan and eyes the brightest shades, one of yellow and the other violet. Raven hair, painted blue lips and an air of terror Gil had nearly forgotten. Eyes still only half open, a smile formed on her face. “Thanatos, my dearest.”

 

   It wasn't long enough, not nearly enough time had passed for Gilgamesh to have to hear that voice again. Nightmares were had in anticipation of this moment, but this, this was much worse.

 

   More of the stone fell away as she freed herself. “How many years has it been?” She reached down holding his chin up. “Tell me Gilgamesh, just how long did leave your mother like this?”

 

   “Not long enough.” Gil pulled away. “I should have turned you to dust when I had the chance.”

 

   “But you didn't and here we are. Don't blame yourself for this, how could you expected to dispatch your own loving mother.”

 

   “Loving.” He smirked. “Yeah that's a word for it.” She smirked as well.

 

   In the blink of an eye the woman reached into Gil's chest grabbing a pulsing object in her hand. “Not now, but soon I'll come back for this.” Her grasp tightened causing him to react in pain. “For what's mine.”

 

   Gilgamesh's breaths grew shallow, his eyes wide from the shock. The grip on his heart grew stronger. “However now you can't afford to die even once.” A fake smile formed on Nyx's face. “There is another life connected to yours now.”

 

   “Stop.”

 

   “You chose to give your power to another, but why? Haven't I taught you that power is everything?”

 

   His eyes started to roll back and the lights in them had dimmed.

 

    “In exchange for this gift you will give me I in turn will grant you my darkest nightmares right here to take its place.” She retracted her hand leaving Gilgamesh to start a fit of gasping.

 

   “Nyx Avalie.” A familiar voice sent a shock down Gil's spine, he looked up with a piercing glare. “My apologies for missing your awakening. I trust Alastair has accommodated you.” Phi had come from back of the room, from the connecting path to the library.

 

   “Phi!” Gilgamesh barked. “Tell me you didn't.”

 

   Phi leered him over with an emotionless disgust. “I see you've found your place Gilgamesh. On the ground and on your knees.” He joined the pair standing over Gil. “You are alone now.”

 

   All of them could see and hear him grinding his teeth, Gil pulled on his chains on the absolute verge of snapping. He stopped. “You all just keep pushing me. I'm not those people anymore.”

 

   “I'm sorry did you just give up?” Alastair started laughing.

 

   Nyx waved her hand silencing him. “Everyone has their limits, there'sonly so much someone as fragile as him can take. He was always the sentimental type, caring far to much.”

 

   “No.” Gil hung his head low. “At some point it'll happen, just keep playing these games and I just know I'll be dragged back into the same cycle I keep living.”

 

   “The cycle, you have no idea.” Nyx commented, knowing he wouldn't understand.

 

   “I'd like to say it's been fun.” Alastair started, opening a portal. With a snap of his fingers he had dismissed the chain links that bound him. “I'd like to, but I won't. Places to be and all that.”

 

   “This is farewell I'm afraid.” Nyx leaned in close kissing Gil's cheek, she whispered in his ear. “Enjoy what little time you have left my little Thanatos.” Nyx turned to the portal nodding to the others and passing through, Phi after her.

 

   “You know, when you think about it,” Alastair stopped just in front of the portal, looking over his shoulder at the defeated man. “You've been the most useless person involved in all of this.” He left Gil there with that, he knew it would eat him up inside.

 

   The portal disappeared just as the ground shook. Gil felt it looking ahead to the back entrance, a glow approached.

 

   Fire exploded into the room, roaring and raging violently in all directions. A figure could be seen stumbling through the blaze, it emerged with fire clinging close to its shape, slowly pulling back.

 

   “Sophira? Thank god you're alive, I was..” Gil soon noticed something off about her, all things considered. “Soph?”

 

   Eyes burning brightly yet at the same time there was no life, no sign of anything behind them. “You aren't even in there.” Gil rose to his feet as Sophie mindlessly kept on, dragging a thin blade across the marble behind her. “I guess I can stop you, its the least I can do.”

 

 

   “You will not disappoint me.” Ragnarok reflected in Sarrin's half opened eyes, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. Nyx stood beside him watching what he watched but never seeing what he did.

 

  “We'll see won't we.”

 

   He made a fake smile, turning off to a forming portal. “That will suffice for now.”

 

   “Why didn't you stay in that city? Surely there was a fight to be had after you were done.”

 

   “This isn't about the fight, it's about everything else.”

 

 

 

Chapter Thirteen: Anima, Treasures and Stars

 

 

   Sophira roared out as orange fire raged around her. She slumped over mumbling something Gil couldn't make out over the cracking blaze. “Phi.”

 

   “He's long gone Soph, it's just you and me now.”

 

   Taking a step forward she spoke again, maybe she knew he was there, or maybe she was merely responding to an outside stimuli. “Jeremiah.. Phi.. Phi.. PHI!” Fire twirling around her as Gil's eyes went wide.

 

   “No, don't tell me..” Gil touched his chest looking to Sophira somberly. “I understand, come then.” The Gates of Babylon appeared, floating behind his back as five blades spun to life on the ring. “I will take your furry.”

 

   Sophie stepped forward, leaning low before kicking off into a full sprint. Reaching Gilgamesh quickly she slashed through the air as he evaded. The blade was set ablaze, seeming to extend its range.

 

   Gil gritted his teeth feeling something incredibly hot cut his cheek. One of the blades went to his hand as he blocked the next wave of strikes.

 

   She was relentless grabbing the hilt with both hands and bringing it down into a ground shaking explosion. Gil dealt with the blaze swinging through it to still be blocked by her. Using this moment he pushed her back as hard as he could, putting some much needed distance between them.

 

   A black symbolence appeared as Gil reached out. Red pulsing obs formed in front of it before launching off to their target. Exploding around her in they had been set off by the protective flames.

 

   The ends of her hair were lit without burning away, a blaze wrapped around her arm until settling into the form of a second sword in her hand. She looked back at Gil lifelessly a trail of blood coming from her eye.

 

   Towering flames burst out concealing her as it reached the painted ceiling. Images of clouds and three children distorted and burned, the tower spun out until Gil noticed Sophie was gone.

 

   Looking up Gil saw her, she descended upon him in a spinning strike. He pulled another blade using both to block her.

 

   She bounced off sending a wave of fire from her swords in the shape of an X. Gil jumped out of the way as it exploded on the ground, he had less than a second to see it happen before Sophie was on him again. Attaching, evading, blocking, all at once without sparing a second. Had he ever seen her fight this hard before, more rather when was the last time he fought like this?

 

   It hadn't surprised him that she had ended up this way, you could almost say he expected it.

 

   After Isaac and Caleb, losing her home and now the loss of a parent, for the third time.

 

   She deserved to react this way, it was her right, and that suited Gil just fine.

 

   Again and again they clashed, fire burning brighter, swords connecting harder, no end in sight and neither showing signs of letting up.

 

   Gil pushed her back once more after both of her swords came uncomfortably close to his neck. She skidded back, swinging both blades through the air as she stopped.

 

   “Look at that.” Gil rushed forward this time, locking his blades with hers. “I'm starting to enjoy this.” Pushing down on her with all his strength, waiting, watching for her legs to give out. The moment came and Gil seized it dropping low and sweeping out her legs from under her.

 

   Gil was forced back as every inch of empty space around the girl exploded in effort to protect her.

 

   The blaze cleared and Sophie could be seen staggering to her feet, eyes burning now brighter than ever. She swung back her head as fire bloomed to life, converging into a single point high above her head. Staring blankly at the condensed forming orb Sophie let the power overtake her, the tips of her feet almost leaving the ground.

 

   “Well I'll be damned.” Gil felt the overwhelming gravity of what she was creating, fire whipped around it finally devouring the last ember. The orb shuttered settling into its form, cracking the structure around with its mere existence. “That's a bona fide star right there.” Feeling the ground shake beneath his feet, the fragmenting ceiling rising up into the darkness, Gil took all of it in savoring every second.

 

   Sophie left the ground as it broke apart, rising up with her just a few feet below the cosmic entity.

 

   “You know what you're right, lets both lose control.” Gil threw both of his swords aside, the Gate of Babylon doing the same. “This is the perfect place after all, so lets tear it apart and burn it to nothing!” Black and white energy surged at his feet rising up an mixing around him. “So what do you say Spitfire, how 'bout a real dance?” Gil opened his eyes, several of the letters written around his iris's had vanished completely.

 

   The Gate of Babylon opened up changing its shape until it became an entire wall of what looked like glowing red water. Ripples formed as dozens of unique blades breached the surface.

 

 

   “Now when you say infallible?”

 

   “I'm not sure you'd call it that but it's the best way to describe it, I think.”

 

   “How is that a thing though?”

 

   “I don't know man I'm not a genius, that's what the note said.”

 

   “Note? What note?”

 

   Producing a folded up paper from her pocket Terra handed it to Tyler. “This one.”

 

   He unfolded it and began looking over it's contents.

 

C06 – 2 Designation: NOEL

 

Subject cannot speak, DO NOT attempt to make subject speak.

 

Infallible Speech – Extremely Dangerous

 

   “Yeah that's the definition of helpful, this thing reads like a user manual.” Tyler crumpled up the paper. “Of course the Urd sent you here, cryptic nonsense has his name all over it.”

 

   “Actually he just sent me here to bring anyone I found with me to a place called..” She had to think on it for a moment. “Olmhold?”

 

   “Where did you even come from? You don't seem to know what you're doing let alone where you're going.”

 

   Terra's eyes narrowed unexpectedly taking him off guard without showing it. “Where I'm from isn't important, what matters right now is her.” She said pointing to the black haired girl, still standing away from them.

 

   “How old even is she?”

 

   “I'm not sure.. sixteen?”

 

   “For the love of, Noel please come over here.”

 

   Perking up at the sound of her name, she walked over to the pair.

 

   “You can't talk?”

 

   She shook her head.

 

   “But you can actually talk, you just can't though right?”

 

   She nodded.

 

   “OK progress, how about your age sixteen?”

 

   Noel nodded again.

 

   “Wow that's definitely younger than most I've met, you're part of Elipses right?” After she nodded, he thought of what he should ask her. “Do you know where Olmhold is?”

 

   Noel pointed at him seeming to ask a question.

 

   “Me? I mean I've been there once, but where it actually is I don't know.” Looking to his wrist a screen flashed to life showing nothing. “I still can't make contact with Verdandi.” Tyler held his chin. “She said something was going on in New.. New Mexico? New York? Whatever it is we're missing it in this frozen city, wait are we even in that city anymore?”

 

   “Under it, but yeah why?”

 

   “Well with those things roaming around we shouldn't take any chances. I don't suppose any of you know how to open a portal?”

 

   Terra and Noel shook their heads in unison.

 

   “Fantastic.” Tyler lost in his thoughts had started unknowingly staring at Noel. “Why was there only just you? Was anyone else supposed to come here?”

 

   She shrugged, unable to answer his question.

 

   “Perhaps I can be of some assistance?” The trio jumped noticing a large chair had appeared in the room facing away from them. Legs could be seen hanging off one side and a head of blue hair on the other.

 

   Tyler instinctively smacked his forehead. “Just had to be you didn't it?”

 

   He looked somewhat offended. “That's rude.”

 

   “Um.. who is this guy?”

 

   Letting out an exhausted sigh Tyler began rubbing the space between his eyes. “That would be Collin don't mind him he's most likely high.”

 

   “Again rude.”

 

   “We'll who makes an entrance like that, and whats with the chair do you bring that everywhere?”

 

   “And what's wrong with my chair?”

 

   “Oh my god you're missing the point.” Tyler was getting tired with each passing second in his presence.

 

   “Whatever kiddo, I'm here to pick you little ones up then find more lost kids, busy day and all that. So if you don't mind to terribly I'd like to be going soon.” He waved his hand and a portal opened. Collin and the chair disappeared.

 

   “That guy just annoys me.”

 

   “You think that leads to Olmhold?” Terra asked referring to the portal.

 

   “Only one way to find out.” He said putting one foot in before turning back. “Ladies.” Tyler held out his hand to Terra who in turn took it and followed him through.

 

   Noel stood in silence until she was alone, she looked as of she were trying to speak but no words came just the movement of her lips. Passing through as the portal closed behind her.

 

 

   Opening his eyes to the breaking dawn blinded Gilgamesh for a moment. He used his arm to block out the light attempting to open his eyes once more, the sun still glaring.

 

   Sore and definitely unable to get up he could hardly remember how he made it to this bed of grass.

 

   Why couldn't he move his arm? He looked down at himself, singed clothes, healing burns and to his disbelief in his other hand was a severed arm.

 

   Exactly six seconds passed before he noticed it was his own. The pain from his wounds returned shortly after.

 

   Gil smiled coughing up a bit of red. “I think I'm in love.” Laughing uncontrollably, delirious from blood loss. He coughed again, harder this time. “Think I'm just gonna lie here a bit longer.” Gil closed his eyes slowly, the wind blowing through his hair.

 

 

   Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy, Sophie didn't know who had said that only that it had been told to her by Skuld. It was meant to serve as a warning, something she should have listened to, but there was one problem she found with that. “I'm no hero.”

 

   A rocky shore was where she sat, hugging her legs close to her chest. The coat Gil had given her was stained and burnt beyond belief, you could hardly tell that it used to be gray.

 

   How she had gotten here she couldn't say, so much haze clouded her memory, but she remembered Babylon, her father, Phi.

 

   “Phi.” Sophie growled the name, hugging herself tighter. Dawn was breaking, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face brought a wave of emotion. It made her nauseous, but not in a bad way.

 

   She tilted back her head closing her eyes. “I've never felt this way before, what is it I wonder..” Trailing off lost in thought. “Where should I go from here?” Waves crashing against the rocky shoreline.

 

 

   An empty glass egg formed in the palm of Skuld hand. “This would be?”

 

   “The container, it's gonna hold our little project.” The screen in front of Stephanie held an image of the egg alongside her notes on what it was and why she made it.

 

   “Then we are ready?”

 

   “Almost, just one last thing.” She tapped a few key and turned to him. Fragile and barely there, a small light formed within the confines of the glass. “You're here so that makes this easier.”

 

   “Go on.”

 

   “Doing it myself could be problematic, I can't say I exactly know what I'm doing here so..”

 

   “Out with it.”

 

   Stephanie locked eyes with the Aesir, knowing what she wanted but not what it would cost. “I need you to take out a piece of my soul.”

 

   Skuld didn't seem to have a problem with her request but he noticed her hesitation. “Are you sure, this isn't a road you can turn back on. Once this is done it will change you, even more so than this domain. You will truly not be human. Anima can grow it's part of you just as you are of it.”

 

   “I'm trying to understand I am, but when I think of everyone else, when I think of Caleb..” She didn't finish the thought. “Whatever the cost may be I'm willing to pay it.”

 

 

 

Let me know what you think!

Oh snap, Gilgamesh's Mom is loose! This can't be good, it just can't, if Gil's reactions are to be taken as evidence of her evil! Daaang, that battle between him and Sophie was just insane! I really loved how action packed it was!  And it seems everyone else is going their ways! I wonder how these paths will connect to each other again? It was awesome seeing Sarrin again, his power is just mind blowing! I wonder what's next for Gil and Sophie?

 

I'm also very concerned with Steph's little project! It could prove to have disastrous results! And Skuld, as usual, is a badass! Great work man, keep up the awesomeness!

For the first time ever here is THREE Chapters/ 34 pages

Enjoy~
 

Chapter Fourteen: Time and Memory

 

 

It's funny how things happen sometimes, little moments can have significant meanings, bend fate and even change the world itself.

The power of will is all consuming and overwhelming, if you aren't careful you can be lost to it.

But if you try and persevere you could become a legend, you could be a hero, you could even be a god.

Little moments are funny, they truly are precious.

 

   Who was Caleb Harris? What was his role in all of this? Heart of the Void, Key to the Fall, Heir of Nell, so many things for one person to be.

 

   Let me tell you a story, a tale of a girl, a tale of love and a tale of death.

 

   Long long ago, there were two girls. One was the heart of a great tree that brought life to many worlds and other forms. The other was the heart of nothing, she lived alone in the darkest of places. Life did not exist in the place she was born to, her world was sad and empty.

 

   In an effort to cure her loneliness the girl named Nell created what would be come to know as Voidkin. They weren't alive after all life couldn't exist there. Masterless, mindless and territorial to a fault, but above all else they were free, at peace. Never harming her or each other, different shapes sizes, some unique some not, they were her family.

 

   A day came when others arrived to this infinitely desolate place. Lost and unable to find their way, fighting armies of Voidkin all the while, some of them didn't make it, in a way none of them did.

 

   One of the visitors kept fighting, so much and for so long that they managed to gain Nell's attention. Not having come to save him but instead to ask him to stop hurting her family.

 

   This was a special moment, important you could say.

 

   Aeolus was his name, Aeolus Pride. Called a hero, a legend, men like him.. they didn't live long. Two people from different worlds found something in one another that neither had experienced before, something small, something precious, something called love.

 

   Time moved differently in places like this, the time they spent together didn't last forever, but even more had passed where the man was from and he couldn't remain in the Void forever.

 

   He convinced the girl who had never seen the world outside to come with him. Eventually she did.

 

   What could it have been like for her, to see the world of life for the first time. Those peaceful days in Avalon, they talk about how bad the void conflicts were but no one talks about how bad the second was. So much was lost, it was easy for it to be forgotten with no one left to remember.

 

   Nell never returned to the Void, she died locked in a room, having only seen the world of life for a brief moment, her life came to an end, but she wasn't alone.

 

   Aeolus defied his people, even his own father, in an effort to see her, and he succeeded. Aeolus Pride witnessed her death, he watched the only woman he ever loved die in his arms. Her stained glass like and multicolored eyes closed for the last time.

 

   Supposedly she gave a piece of her soul to him and that changed everything. Soon after Aeolus faced the gods of fate known as the Aesir and killed Skuld and Verdandi on his own. The Urd of Origin came to stop him but Aeolus fled to the void.

 

   Once Nell had died a new life had already started to be born into her lifeless home. Nell's legacy, her heir, her rebirth. Aeolus somehow became the same person he defeated to become a hero that lead him down this path. He became Sarrin.

 

   The new life was meant to serve as the voids heart, but Sarrin held a piece of Nell inside him and he to obtained mastery of the void's great power. Sarrin couldn't contain what he was, so he put a part of himself in that new life, knowing that one day it could possibly save his.

 

   With this in mind he sent that child to the deepest of places, where time an space would move at a standstill until the time would come for him to return to the world.

 

   Aeolus, Nell, Sarrin and the will of the void itself. All of these things mixed and meshed together to create the young man known as Caleb Harris. However there was something more to him, something no one could have foreseen.

 

   He managed to become human, it may have been just for a short time but somehow, someway that child changed what he was, as for why or even how, I couldn't say.

 

 

   Once upon a time, actually time hadn't started just yet it was before the beginning. A man of some sort looked to the worlds he had created, noticing they all shared one thing in common, they had been ended by the same life he had bestowed upon them.

 

   Cursing himself for his love of life and his hatred towards what it had done. The man of sorts created infinitely more worlds, scattering them across what would come to be known as realities, time and space.

 

   This last endeavor was in hope that one of these many worlds would be able to find peace with the life that would be born to them.

 

   His own life soon came to an end having exhausted his great power, but in his absence he left two pieces of himself behind.

 

   His love and his hate. These two beings were bestowed with power beyond need and even comprehension. They experienced countless lives, annihilated worlds, destroyed themselves and others, so many horrible things came from these two.

 

   Some good came from them as well, but they were trapped in an endless cycle almost destined to fight one another time and again. There were others to, countless people who wanted to use their power to control everything.

 

   After all, everyone wants to rule the world.

 

   All things die, and so to did they. Their cycle came to an end, it was over for them, or so they thought.

 

 

   With so many things throwing the world out of balance, destiny saw fit to grant a young girl a great gift. It was as if the world knew what awaited it and chose her just in case those meant to protect it would fail.

 

   That little girl was meant to endure much hardship, make real choices and even fight people she loved, but sometimes there are little moments like this one that can have great meanings. Even if it didn't appear so at the time.

 

   On a day that was about to end, the sun shined its final lights on a large city. The young girl saw a boy taking pictures from the river bank. Days went by, he kept coming back and she kept watching him.

 

   Something about him had caught her attention, something she didn't understand. He was special just like her, even if neither of them really knew just how much.

 

   Her brother noticed what she had been up to and took it upon himself to meet the boy.

 

   This to was one of those special moments.

 

   Without this I'm not entirely sure what would have happened. For better or for worse it did happen and their lives were changed forever. Or maybe it was always meant to be this way, who can really say?

 

 

   “Why tell me all of this?”

 

   “They are just small pieces of a much bigger story.”

 

   “I'm sick of your stories.”

 

   “It's important to know where you come from. That's what I believe anyway.”

 

 

 

Chapter Fifteen: We Who Hold The Future

 

  “Fine.” Skuld backhanded Stephanie, knocking her out instantly. As she fell Skuld grabbed he by the collar, holding her up to his purple eyes. “Trust me, you did not want to be awake for this.”

 

   Her head hanging back, a symbolence formed just above her sleeping face. From Stephanie's lips a trail of light emerged, gathering in the center of the symbolence. Skuld placed the egg above her, letting it float there as the light the moved towards it.

 

   The second the process had ended the symbolence disappeared. Skuld let Stephanie fall back into her chair, grabbing the glass egg out of the air. He examined it closely, the light inside had grown beyond brighter and black patterns appeared on its crystal surface.

 

   “What are these?” Skuld had never seen this design before. “Visible workings?” Even the symbols and lettering was foreign to him. His eyes went wide when he felt it, like a gentle heart beat, the egg pulsed in his hand.

 

   Stephanie's gasp caught Skuld off guard, her eyes opened as a bright light came from them. Tears ran down her face with panicked breaths, the lights settled and she slumped back staring forward with a look of shock.

 

   “How do-”

 

   “Shut the firetruck up.” Stephanie interrupted him. “I knew you took your own sisters arm, what I didn't know was that you enjoyed it.”

 

  “What?” Skuld's expression grew slightly feral.

 

   “Wait, I'm sorry I don't know where that came from.” She sat up and started wiping her face.

 

   Skuld looked at the egg he still held in his hand, had this thing been looking back at him? “Here.” He handed it over to her. “It might be important that other people not touch that.”

 

   “Right.” She didn't look at him only the little egg, the small piece of herself. “Whatever you say.”

 

   “How do you feel?”

 

   “I'm not sure.. high?”

 

  “Excuse me?”

 

   “I feel like intoxicated, something inside me wafting over my mind.” Stephanie started rubbing her temples. “I'm so tired.”

 

   “I don't think it wise to sleep, being unconscious with new found power can sometimes be unpleasant.”

 

   “When I close my eyes I feel like I'm seeing something.”

 

   “What are you thinking about.”

 

   “Pain mostly, wait there's something.. words?”

 

   “Stop what you are doing.” Skuld barked shocking the girl. “We have literally no notion of a clue to what we have just done in this place, we need to proceed with absolute discretion. Do not let your mind wander into the depths.”

 

   “But I-”

 

   “Have never wielded power of any magnitude let alone this.”

 

   Stephanie let out an exasperated sigh. “Yes you're right, where do we begin?”

 

   He held his chin in his hand. “We are divided, separated by time and distance and I feel we may have lost some.” Skuld had come to a decision. “Find and gather our forces, everyone you can reach, I want you to seek them out and bring them to Olmhold. Then I want you to find Caleb.”

 

   “Yes sir.” Stephanie stared deep into the egg before closing her eyes.

 

   She first thought of Haleigh, this connected her to someone named Calus. Seeing them both in her mind she learned the mans name somehow. It felt like no one else was with them so she moved on.

 

   Sophie and Gilgamesh came to her mind, they weren't together but they both felt lost.

 

   Tyler and two others, Terra, Noel. They were going somewhere, it was hard to see them but she could feel that they were headed to Olmhold.

 

   Who was left? Verdandi, and there were others not just two or three but more, the names came to her one by one. Maggie, Clair, Owen, Holamark, Jessica, Matthew, Fora, Yin, people she didn't recognize. Who was next, who else did she need to find?

 

   Curtis? Wait she could see him now, old once more still standing in the frozen wastes he had created, but now he was alone.

 

   Her head was starting to hurt. “I think this is as far as I can go, what should I tell them?”

 

  “If I know Carmicheal then I have a fair idea of what hes planning for. Tell them the time of gods is over, tell them the era of Anima has begun.”

 

   “As you wish.”

 

 

   “Sophie.” The girl huddled up in front of a campfire nearly jumped when she felt the ring covered hand rest gently on her shoulder. “My name is Collin. I'm here to take you home.”

 

   She didn't say anything as the tide sounded through the night

 

   “Please?”

 

   “Where is Gilgamesh?”

 

   He wasn't sure why she asked, irked by the mans mention. “Not sure but I have a few guess's.”

 

   “Why should I go back there with you, nothings waiting for me.” She tried to shrug off his grasp, instead Collin tightened it.

 

   “You're wrong, destiny is waiting for you.”

 

 

   “What the hell?” Samuel jumped over the polished wooden bar as Gil stumbled out of Ba'ala's receding jaws, an arm in his only hand.

 

   The bar keep caught him as he fell over, bleeding out onto the red carpet. “For firetrucks sake Gilgamesh what have you done now?”

 

   “One for the road Sammy.” Delirious and pale Gil's words slurred already.

 

   Samuel hoisted the man up cradling him in his giant arms. “That's the last thing you need.” He sat him in a chair taking the severed limb from him. “Who did this to you?” He asked noting the arm had been cut clean.

 

   Gil had been trying to reach over the bar but the bottles were out of his reach. “Stupid magic, work already.” Samuel pulled him back.

 

   “Could you be a little more focused on your missing appendage.” He shoved Gil's arm back into his shoulder and a blue fire came to life, burning Gil back together.

 

   “Son of a bitch!” He slammed his fist on the wood making a set of cracks on its surface.

 

   “Hold still or it'll fall off.” Samuel kept a firm grip on his arm and shoulder as the azure flame did its job. “You gonna answer any of my questions or what?”

 

   “Questions?”

 

   “Who did this?”

 

   Gil smirked laying his head back on the bar. “One hell of a woman.”

 

   “What?” The fire was done and he looked over his work.

 

  “That doesn't matter now. Nyx is alive Samuel.”

 

   Samuel reached over the bar bringing back two glasses and a tall brown bottle, all of them crystal and precious to him. He poured a dark liquid into both glasses and slid one over to Gil.

 

   “Promise me one thing.” Samuel raised his glass to him. “Kill her this time.”

 

   Gil looked away from him downing the whole thing. “I've gotten soft over the last few hundred years, I'm pretty sure she's going to kill me.”

 

   “So that's it? You're just giving up?”

 

   “I went up against Anima and just barley measured up, I'm different now, somethings different.”

 

   “Anima.” Samuel poured both of them another. It's just a name we gave to something we pretend to not understand.”

 

   “So?”

 

   “So Anima is your will Gilgamesh.”

 

   His eyes went wide.

 

   “Have you lost your will? Have you lost the will to fight?”

 

   Gil couldn't respond, he just stared at his drink.

 

   “Are you just going to let yourself die? After all these years? No you're not. You're going to fix this world because you give a damn and denying it is nothing short of lying to yourself.” He downed his own drink.

 

   Gil looked at his friend, then back to his drink. He sprung up. “Thanks Samuel I have to go.” Ba'ala swallowed him up and with that he was gone.

 

   Samuel had started on the drink Gil had left behind, chuckling to himself. “Yeah don't clean up or anything.” Gil hadn't told him what he had just heard. It was a message from a young woman and it had gone far and wide.

 

 

   “Come to Olmhold. The time of the gods has ended and the era of Anima has begun.”

 

 

   Lighting struck the ground, blinding the trio in it's brilliance. As the disorientation left them they discovered another had been added to their company. This one was different from Foxface, his cloak was much heavier accompanied by several straps on his arms and chest, with a large gauntlet fitted to his left hand. The mask he wore was featureless save for a single slot for the left eye.

 

   “Not another one of these guys.” Haleigh tisked.

 

   “Behind.” Calus sensed the next arrival approaching from the rear. This ones mask was painted to the likeness of a clown.

 

   A gale of relief past through Haleigh, greatly settling her nerves. “Carmicheal.. What are you..?”

 

   He acknowledged her before turning his head to the two young men ahead of them. Their gazes were locked in on one another. Something about it was strange, and somewhat frightening. This moment was for the two of them not meant to be witnessed by others.

 

   “You just had to show up.” Shifts in the space behind him became a portal into the unknown. He stepped back into the folds until it closed in on him, calming the distortion.

 

   Each of them waited as the significant level of tension diminished. Waiting for a sign of danger that never came.

 

   “Calus, Haleigh, It is good to see you.” Carmicheal greeted them.

 

   Haleigh nearly took a double take. “Good to see us? Where the hell have you been? Who is this guy?”

 

   “That's just Vwiess, don't mind him he doesn't talk much.” Stepping out from behind Carmicheal was another hooded man, clearly much younger by the pitch of his thick Irish accent. Definetly the more cheery of the two, he dawned no mask just a lighthearted grin and emerald eyes.

 

   Carmicheal removed his before pulling back his hood, freeing the black mess underneath. His eyes weren't as vibrant as Calus's surrounded by dark circles and age. “This is Leon Wynguard, and that would be Hunter Vwiess, my personal guards.”

 

   “Hunter?” Calus took notice of the title.

 

  “You have a Hunter as your personal guard? When did that happen?” Haleigh looked him up and down. “How old are you?”

 

   “We're actually not to sure about Vwiess here, but yours truly turned seventeen last april.” Leo answered for him.

 

   “Seven-? What have you been doing Carmicheal?”

 

   “Take a breath Scarlet, we'll have enough to talk about back at Olmhold, frankly I don't prefer the view here.” Carmicheal waved his arm through the air and a portal came forth. “It's horrifying.” He passed through as the other two followed, Calus behind them.

 

   Haleigh took one last moment, looking at what Carmichel had been. A black hole hanging in the sky above the city, and the bottom half of the Empire State Building still hanging out of it. “No, it's sickening.”

 

 

Chapter Sixteen: Perfect World

 

Present Day

 

   “Victorium esval Anima.” Haleigh didn't say anything as they arrived in Olmhold. “It means victory lies within Anima.” Carmicheal finished the thought stepping ahead of the. “We're going to do great things here.”

 

   “Carmicheal New York was a disaster.” Haleigh finally spoke. “I read your plans, I want to know more about-”

 

  “Why didn't you ask him why Elipses was disbanded?” He interrupted her.

 

   “Your plans, and Stephanie's message, what is the era of Anima?”

 

   Narrowing his amber eyes at her. “Our only option now.”

 

   Six portals opened around them and and eighteen people emerged from their light. Curtis, Gil, Verdandi's group, Tyler with two girls, Sophie with Collin and Stephanie with Skuld.

 

   Verdandi quickly noticed her assistants sister.

 

   This moment brought great pleasure to Carmicheal and he almost let it show. “I think we've wasted enough time.” He made for the stairs. “We have arrived at a point in all our lives where we have to ask ourselves, what can we possibly do now?”

 

   The platform and railing began to extend to the corner as Carmicheal walked on it. Stretching then across the entire length of the next wall. “As we approach the battle for our existence, our continued existence.” He held onto the railing looking down at them. “It's time we begin the era of Anima.”

 

   All of them looked up to him, Carmicheal knew some of them had to have questions but no one asked. “If you do not understand what I have said then tomorrow you will.” A large set of double doors formed on the wall behind him, opening to his personal office. “So much has happened, so much is about to. Rest well.” They slammed shut behind him.

 

   The door at the end of the stairs opened as Agatha emerged. “This way to your rooms please.”

 

 

   Hours later Olmhold had become livelier than it had ever been, with so many people in one place it was comforting for some, annoying for others. Most of them had gathered in the main room after settling in.

 

   “When I call your name step forward.” Haleigh spoke looking at some papers in her hand, Agatha stood beside her doing the same.

 

   “Maggie Barret.” A brown haired girl stepped forward.

 

   “Owen Elcruz.” Pale skinned with bright blond hair the boy joined her.

 

   “Matthew Desoto.” This time it was a brown haired boy with a scar across his face.

 

   “Fora Esteed.” A tan girl with short gray hair and tattoos covering her left arm joined them.

 

   “Sophira Roads.” Haleigh didn't look at her and the girl knew why.

 

   When she had told her about Jeremiah Haleigh went to Carmicheal's office and didn't so much as speak to her after that. In fact this was the first time she had spoken in hours.

 

   Sophie stepped forward, her hair still wet and wearing a much needed change of clothes.

 

   “Yin Sakura.” A young Japanese girl this time, her black hair tied up into a tail she had two swords strapped to her right hip.

 

   “You will soon be fighting one another, we are doing this to evaluate you, how you react and utilize your power, This will show us whether or not you possess the potential for Anima. We are calling it the Anima Candidacy. After this process we will then place you with instructors if you do not have them. We will also be putting you on teams with some of us to begin our first missions.”

 

   The boy named Leo and his silent partner Vwiess joined the two women. “This is Leon Wynguard and Hunter Vwiess.” Agatha introduced them. “They will be fighting with you in the Anima Candidacy, this is how we will see how you handle opponents who may be much more skilled than you are.”

 

   “Dismissed.” Haleigh waved them off.

 

   “No not yet.” Agatha stepped up. “This is meant to be done as safely as possible please consult with our resident experts, and the Aesir are more than willing to speak to you. Anima is uncontrollable and beyond dangerous, that is all.

 

   “Gee what a downer.” Haleigh mumbled to herself.

 

   “Something wrong Ms. Valestani?”

 

   “Nope just peachy over here.”

 

   “Excuse me?” The blond haired boy named Owen approached them.

 

   “Yes what is it?” Agatha looked the boy over while referring to her notes.

 

   “My sister and I aren't magi and-”

 

   “We didn't call you're sisters name, we called yours.”

 

   “But I can't-”

 

   It was Haleigh who cut him off this time. “You can fight, if we didn't think of you as useful then you wouldn't have been mentioned. Clair Bayona is your instructor yes?

 

   “No ma'am, shes from my neighboring branch we only just met recently.”

 

   “I don't see her around right now?”

 

   “I think she is still resting ma'am.”

 

  “Then I would become better acquainted with your fellow candidates, this is a team building exercise after all.”

 

   “Yes ma'am.” He started to turn away.

 

   “Wait one more thing, magic isn't the only way to make things like fire and symbolences. Power comes from within whether you're born to it or not, even humans..” She trailed of for a brief second. “Even humans have extended their lives and fighting prowess in this world. Think on this and you should be fine.”

 

   “Thank you ma'am.”

 

   “Don't thank me yet.”

 

   Owen looked the small woman with long gray hair in the eyes, nodding before rejoining the others.

 

   “What do you think of them?” Agatha asked her

 

   “I think they're children and if this is all we have there isn't nearly enough of them.”

 

   “Then it's up to us to make them enough.”

 

   “We shouldn't be forcing them this way, they need training and proper guidance.”

 

   “Yeah that worked out for you. We don't have that kind of time and you know it.”

 

   “But why do we have time at all?”

 

   “Pardon?”

 

   “Why is it taking this long for anything to happen.”

 

   “I'm thinking what Gilgamesh was telling us earlier might have something to do with it.”

 

   “Time moves differently in places that's not unheard of but we've seen what our enemies can do, so what comes next and when?”

 

   Agatha wasn't the type to answer questions she herself did not know the answer to, remaining silent as Haleigh delve deeper into her thoughts.

 

 

   “You're Sophira?” It was the brown haired boy named Matthew that approached her with the girl named Fora.

 

   “Yes.” she gave a short reply clearly not in the talking mood.

 

   “So that makes you the sole disciple of the Valestani household?”

 

   “Yup.”

 

   “Wow so it is true?” Fora chimed in. “You two are like legends in Elipses. I've heard a lot of things about the Scarlet Flame, is it true she's really powerful?”

 

   “And strict, I heard she's really strict.” Matthew added.

 

   “Both true.”

 

   Fora had started looking at her oddly. “Don't tell me your one of those short speaking cryptic types to.”

 

   “What no.. I just, it's been eventful lately I'm just not processing it well.”

 

   “No hey we get it, things have been really crazy lately.” Matthew put a hand on her shoulder. “We've all lost something, it's important not to let that define you.”

 

   His words struck Sophie in a certain way, she knew what she had to do. “Excuse me.” She said apologetically walking away from them.

 

   “Haleigh?”

 

   She didn't look at her as she read files leaning up against the cold wall.

 

   “Is there a place we can talk.”

 

   “Actually there is.” Haleigh started off to the stairs without her.

 

   She followed. “It's a start I guess.”

 

 

 

   “Something's bugging me.” Tyler thought aloud.

 

   Terra had stuck with him, not really knowing anyone else present. “That would be?”

 

   “Noel, why didn't Haleigh call your name?”

 

   The young girl smiled at him putting a finger to her lips.

 

   “Yeah that's not ominous or anything.”

 

   Noel appeared to be laughing silently.

 

   It instantly creeped him out. “See I feel like you're doing this on purpose.”

 

 

   “Jess stop bothering her.” Owen took his younger sister by the hand.

 

   Yin had been sitting at eye level with the little girl. “It's fine she's sweet.”

 

   “Nosy is what she is.” He started wiping her face, somehow she had gotten dirt on it. “She's only six so I guess it's okay.”

 

   “Dose she speak?”

 

   “No not since two months ago, there was an accident and she hasn't really been the same since.”

 

   “Oh I'm sorry for asking I didn't mean to intrude.”

 

   “It's fine.” Owen waved off her apology. “These things happen.”

 

   Yin was taken aback by his optimism.

 

   The door at the end of the stairs swung open slamming into the wall. “Where is he!” Gilgamesh barked, he found the young man speaking to his friend. They locked eyes. “The warlock is dead and the demigod is back.” He descended the steps. “Everybody off the floor, there's unfinished business here.”

 

   “Don'tcha think we already settled this once?” Leo grinned.

 

   “Oh I wasn't quite myself back there.” Gil called a blade to his palm. “But don't worry, I'm getting there.”

 

   “Splendid.” Carmicheal had emerged from his office. “Let's begin the Anima Candidacy.”

 

   “Wait no this is-”

 

   “There are only two rules, No weapons and most importantly,” His face became grim. “No killing.”

 

   “You always spoil everything Carmicheal. Fine.” Dismissing the sword, punching his palm. “Come and get your beating, little brat.”

 

   “Start!”

 

 

   Haleigh shut the door behind her then sat on the bed. “Talk.” The first thing Sophie noticed was the broken mirror on the wall.

 

   “Jeremiahs death is my fault.”

 

   “Really.” Haleigh scoffed. “I don't have time for this.”

 

   “Just hear me out.”

 

   She looked at her coldly. “No, Jeremiah chose his fate it's done.”

 

   “But I-”

 

   “That's enough Sophira.” Haleigh cut her off. “I spoke to Gilgamesh and I know you have Anima or at least the potential. I know you lost control.”

 

   Sophie stepped back.

 

   “You abandoned my guidance and it has cost you dearly. You aren't responsible for his death but you are responsible for that.” Haleigh walked passed her. “From this moment onward you are no longer my student.” She left her there without another word.

 

 

 

   “In a perfect world we could have avoided all of this, but even if there are brighter time lines for us there are also the most darkest realities.”

 

   “What are you getting at Urd?” Verdandi asked.

 

   “Yes I'm interested in that myself.” Skuld added.

 

   “There are those who seek our ends, we must not leave the world in their hands, we can observe fate no longer. We must start fighting back or these may be the last days of the Aesir.”

 

Perfect World Part – End

 

I hope you've all been enjoying this and I'm sure there are questions, especially since i just posted 5 chapters in two days.

Gahhh, so much is happening, it's all so insanely badass and awesome and amazing! OMG, the origin of Caleb Harris, I can't even believe my eyes! That story of Nell and Aeolus was intriguing, and it definitely provided some essential backstory to the mythology of your work! Amazing presentation there!

 

Omg, and everyone is gathering to take a stand against Sarrin and the void! I cannot wait to see how this will turn out!

Soooo what if I posted three more chapters

Golden Hours Part – Start

 

Chapter Seventeen: Proof of Life

 

Before the we used magic, before light and dark.

We used the power within ourselves.

 

   Gil vanished instantly with a gust of air, reappearing just in front of his opponent. Shoving his fist into his, it connected but Leo didn't move an inch.

 

Leo smirked as Gil felt the push of wind wrapped around his fist. The wind pushed him back and Gil disappeared once more. Appearing behind him Gil followed up with another blocked kick, he kept this up punching and kicking, popping in and out of sight.

 

Starting to show signs of strain, Leo held his ground never letting Gil make contact. His hits had gotten harder and the wind barriers becoming so strong you could almost see the bursts of air twisting. He was noticing this wasn't the same person he fought before.

 

A dome of air wrapped around the boy, expanding outward. Gil was caught in the gust spinning back in the air. Leo reached out grabbing at the air, he had him.

 

Gil froze in midair, his body smashed into the ceiling and was forced down crashing into the floor.

 

Staggering to his feet Gil gritted his teeth seeing Leo's punch. Their fists collided with a burst of wind that everyone felt.

 

Leo jumped back when Gil gave a smirk of his own.

 

Standing straight Gil looked at his own palm then back to Leo. Black and white energy surged from where he stood and the space around him. The energy wrapping around his fists as Gil rushed his opponent, unloading a barrage of blows Leo could barely handle.

 

Starting to avoid some of the hits, Gil knew he was starting to overwhelm him. One hit finally connecting with Leo's chest, the air was knocked out of him in a ragged cough, he flew back into the wall before slumping over.

 

Leo, gasping for breath, rose back to his feet. “What? No clever words?”

 

Gil darted towards him plowing his fist into the wall, Leo had side stepped him throwing a wind wrapped punch of his own.

 

His fist slammed to halt meeting an instant forming barrier of the same energy wrapped around Gil's hands.

 

Time seemed to slow as Leo bounced off the shield, his own force coming back on him, losing his balance and starting to fall.

 

A deadly grin formed under Gil's now glowing eyes. With one more swing he connected with Leo's face, sending him bouncing across the floor like a skipping stone until he met the wall.

 

Gil stood ready as Leo struggled to get up. He couldn't do it, falling back to the floor.

 

Gil spat, the energy leaving him. Walking off already he lit a cigarette. “And don't you firetrucking forget it.”

 

“Tell me Gilgamesh, how does it feel to beat up a child?” Carmicheal laughed to himself.

 

Taking the cigarette out of his mouth he ashed it on the steps. “We can always go next.” Smoke leaving his lips with every word. Gil slammed the door behind him in an effort to prove what he would call being done with their shit.

 

Carmicheal stated clapping. “Pick yourself up Leo it's time for the next bout.” Waving to Agatha.

 

She conjured a symbolence and the damages were undone. “Owen Elcruz, Matthew Desoto you're up.” Both of them perked up quickly looking at one another.

 

Leo passed the pair making his way up the stairs. Sliding down the wall next to Vwiess he sat on the platform. “I'ma wee bit beat Vwiessy wake me if it gets fun yeah?” He mumbled as the masked man watched the boys below.

 

“So we just go at it?” Owen asked.

 

Matthew shrugged. “Careful Blondy, your green is showing.”

 

“Start.”

 

Matthew almost took a step forward before he saw Owen, he was already in the air in front of him. Leaping back Owen's fist crashed into the floor, using his hand he spun while swinging his legs. Blocking with both his forearms Matthew skidded back.

 

“And he was worried.” Haleigh smirked.

 

“You read his file I take it.” Agatha inquired.

 

“Owen Elcruz, he's certainly no magi but he's still a feykin.” She watched the boys brawl. “He has all of the physical perks of being one but what he lacks in other places he excels in that. Strength, speed, endurance, stamina and with Anima who knows what he could do.”

 

“But his opponent is no pushover himself.”

 

Matthew stood his ground as Owen ran circles around him. Moving faster with each passing second it was almost hard to see him until he attacked. Four consecutive hits landed and Matthew could hardly block any of them.

 

“Alright.” Matthews eyes lit up with a deep green. “Play time's over.” Slamming his open hand on the floor a symbolence took form. It distorted the room until everyone watching appeared to be standing in midair watching a landscape of multicolored hills dropping off in all directions to a white abyss.

 

Haleigh folded her arms leaning back on the wall she couldn't see. “Illusion magic.”

 

“Yes distortion happens to be that boys particular specialty.” Agatha confirmed.

 

Matthew rose up from the pink grass, floating in the air above four spears appearing two floting on each side of him. “Bow to me.”

 

“What?” Owen hadn't expected him to say something like that. “Wait didn't we say no weapons?” He looked to the spectators who said nothing.

 

“I have seen the top of the mountain.” The spears aimed for him. “And you will worship me as though I were a god.”

 

“Is this a complex or do you just do this?”

 

“I like to show off.” His spears rained down on Owen as he dodged each of them. Six more appeared and Owen kept running, each time he thought he was safe more spears came his way.

 

“Pay attention.” Yin called out to him.

 

Owen just barley escaped another spear being distracted by her. “What?”

 

She felt a set of eyes burning a hole into her head until she saw Carmicheal smiling at her, his eyes weren't even open. “Let that be your last outburst Ms. Sakura.”

 

She shivered a bit. “Yes sir.”

 

Owen kept running but he couldn't stay mobile forever, seeing a spear stabbed into the ground just ahead he had an idea. “Two can play at this.” He slid grabbing for the spears pole ready to launch it back at Matthew, but there was a problem, his hand had passed right through it.

 

Then it clicked. Spears rained down on him forming a cloud of dust, it settled and Owen smirked completely unscathed. He walked through the planted weapons to the space Matthew had been standing. Owen looked at the grass before kicking the air as hard as he could.

 

The illusion shattered as Matthew lost contact with the symbolence, landing on his back.

 

Owen started to stretch, taking this as his win. “I think that does it right?”

 

“Ugh.” Yin covered her eyes knowing what came next.

 

Matthew's body started to disintegrate. “What the?” Owen felt a hand on pull on his shoulder, turning him around until he saw two things, Matthews grinning face and his approaching fist.

 

Owen took the hit hard falling straight to the floor and out cold.

 

Shaking his sore hand out Matthew straightened his clothes. “Yeah Blondy, that'll do it.”

 

“Should have put money on that.” Agatha nudged Haleigh.

 

She laughed a bit. “Want to?”

 

“No, but we're gonna be here a bit so how about a drink?”

 

“Oh Agatha I thought you'd never ask.”

 

“Good job, both of you.” Carmicheal congratulated them. “Matthew take Owen to his room please, and take his sister with him.”

 

“Yes sir.” Matt hoisted the boys arm over his shoulder. “C'mon.” He started up the stairs seeing that the little girl had already opened the door for him.

 

Agatha fixed the rooms damages again. “Next up is, Yin Sakura and.” Not waiting to here who her opponent was, Yin had already swung herself over the railing. “Eager aren't we. Leon Wynguard you're up to.”

 

They all looked to the boy sleeping in the corner, Vwiess had stepped in front of him seeming to be asking something without speaking. Carmicheal nodded and it was all he needed.

 

Vwiess swung over the rail too, his weighted clothes making his landing much louder. He approached the girl until about twenty paces separated them.

 

A featureless mask save for one slot for the left eye, hood up on his thick coat that almost reached his boots and a large gauntlet fitted to his hand. Intimidating was the best word to describe him, Yin thought.

 

She bowed to him but he did not do the same.

 

“Start.”

 

Any thought of taking him head on left her mind the second he let her feel the weight of his presence. The sensation had sent her into a state of shock like panic, a bead of sweat already running down her cheek.

 

Yeah, she thought, definitely intimidating.

 

“This is off to a great start.” Haleigh passed the bottle. “Yin Sakura, what do we have on her?”

 

“Age eighteen, magi, advanced combat and.. oh.”

 

“Oh?”

 

She took a sip from the wine before passing it back. “She's telepathic.”

 

“Oh, well that's definitely interesting.”

 

Yin's eyes lit a dim white, meeting hers with Vwiess's one blue eye. Staggering back she started holding her head. “What was that?”

 

Don't do it. A voice called in her mind, her own voice. Don't look inside, it's better if you don't look. Her own body was warning her. There's nothing for you there.

 

“I don't understand.” She mumbled. “You didn't have any thoughts. How can you not have thoughts?” Yin asked him.

 

Her eyes lit up as she tried again. Stop. Still nothing, her head pounding as if she had hit a wall, again Yin tried. Don't. Nothing, the painful throbbing in her temples growing worse.

 

Vwiess never moved an inch, only watching and waiting. Yin gritted her teeth refusing to accept defeat this way. She tried once more, her eyes glowing fiercly, this time with everything she had.

 

Digging through the nothing, through the pain she endured that hell until the faintest of something came to her.

 

Vwiess's finger twitched.

 

No voice was heard, only a forming of word in her mind.

 

You have made a mistake.

 

Yin's head swung back as she stumbled to one knee. “Just..” She was out of breath, her vision blurring and the world around spinning. “Tell me..” Yin collapsed. “Who are you?” The words to faint for anyone else to hear. She lost consciousness.

 

Haleigh drank more. “Well that wasn't anything special.”

 

“Probably a poor match up.” Agatha added.

 

Vwiess carried the girl in one arm, leaping back up to the platform. He placed the girl next to Leo before returning to the same spot he had been standing before.

 

“Agatha who's next?”

 

She choked while drinking from the bottle starting a fit of coughing, Agatha handed the bottle and her papers over to Haleigh, proceeding to cough behind her.

 

Haleigh tried to shuffle through the papers with one hand, dropping a few in the process.

 

Almost smiling Sophie watched from the farthest corner of the overhanging platform.

 

“Sophira Roads and Hunter Vwiess.”

 

Her eyes widened just a bit when the masked man looked at her. Something about it pissed her off, but lately that was everything right?

 

“You know what? Never mind, let's take a brake as it would seem some of us need one.” He strolled back into his office, the doors closing behind him.

 

The first thing you needed to know was that Haleigh and Agatha were both already drunk, they were laughing, and most importantly no one enjoyed it.

 

 

“So why aren't you watching the fights?” Tyler asked leaning up against the door, clearly trying to look cool.

 

“The same reason you and you're sister aren't, it doesn't interest me.” Terra replied, sprawled out on her bed staring off at the ceiling.

 

“I'm a little interested.” He tried to think of something else to say. “Wouldn't you want to the people you're gonna work with in action?”

 

“Not really, I'll see it anyway once we're in action, assuming I can just stand their and watch.” She smiled.

 

“OK so what are you interested in?” He asked wanting to know more about her. “You haven't really said anything about yourself.”

 

Terra gave him a sly look. “Some people would think there a reason for things like that.”

 

“I mean I imagine there's a reason, it's kinda why I asked.” Smiling back at her.

 

“Look you're cute I'll give you that, but there's a lot more going on here and I'm definitely not where it starts.” She said flatly.

 

“Yeah you're right, I didn't mean anything by it.” He said apologetically opening the door.

 

Terra sat up. “Wait what are you doing?”

 

“Oh I was gonna.. do something?” At that moment he thought he was an idiot.

 

“I didn't say you had to go.”

 

Tyler shut the door by sheer reflex. “Oh.”

 

 

“Hey wait up.” Matthew called to Sophie as she was entering her room. “I was actually wondering something so just hear me out here.”

 

Sophie eyed him down. “What?”

 

“I don't have any prowess in fire, but you've literally trained with the best so I was wondering if you could give me some pointers in like fighting and other things” He started to pull his shirt up showing her the seal on his side.

 

“I barely know anything about seals, and my fighting style has leaves much to be desired.”

 

“Yeah but-”

 

“Neither of those things will help you with Anima, at least I don't think so.” She tried to think back on her only experience with it, the memories still lacking and coated in haze. “I can't help you.” Sophie went into her room, shutting the door behind her.

 

“Well now what?” Matthew thought aloud. “I guess I could ask Haleigh directly, no that would never work.”

 

“Would you be willing to learn from an old hermit?” A deep voice spoke to him with a thick Russian accent.

 

Matthew turned to find Holamark standing behind him. This was the first time he had actually spoken to the man let alone hear him actually speak. “You'd train me?”

 

“Da.”

 

“Train me in what?

 

“In what else? I am Mentor of Will, I will train you in Anima.”

 

 

“Oh Gilgamesh.” Collin called after knocking didn't work. “I know your place is gone but that doesn't mean you have to sulk in there.” He waited for a response that didn't come. “Alright I'm coming in.” Reaching for the knob a small black symbolence appeared on the surface, Collin was to smart to touch it. “That's stupid.”

 

“What are you doing?” Someone asked.

 

To Collin's surprise it was the young girl Fora, sniffing the air he knew the smell. “Ah a little Udyir has graced me with her presence.”

 

“Um no? You're in the hallway I was just-”

 

“No time for that.” Taking her by the hand. “You'll be fighting soon and if I'm not mistaken you have no teacher.

 

She started to pull back not knowing where he was taking her. “What why?”

 

“Why?” Collin had to think on it himself. “I simply have nothing better to do.”

 

 

“So about what Gilgamesh said earlier.” Having regained her compsure, Agatha and Haleigh still remained in the main room, both of the leaning on the platforms railing.

 

“What did he say?”

 

“The warlock is dead and the demigod is back, what does that mean?”

 

Haleigh smiled to herself, reliving some of her oldest memories. “How much do you know about Babylon?” The woman had spent a lot of time with the man in her youth.

 

“Let's see, Armagus Gilgamesh, son of Nebchadnezzar, became an epic hero passing his legacy onto his only son Gilgamesh Thanatos, and then that's pretty much it.”

 

“So you don't know anything about his mother then.”

 

“No I've never read anything about it.”

 

“True his father was called the King of Heroes the man was still human, all be it a powerful one at that. It was Gil's mother that made him what he is, she was a creature with no parents aside from chaos itself. I've only ever heard him speak a name once, Nyx.”

 

“And this Nyx is a god of some kind? I always knew that man was no warlock.”

 

“I'm not sure but she scares Gil.” She started drinking again. “And that scares the hell out of me.”

 

 

 

Chapter Eighteen: Major Arcana

 

 

    “For the next match up,” Many of them had gathered back in the giant room, aside from Owen and Yin who were still out and Clair who was still resting. “Fora Esteed and Maggie Barret.”

 

Sophie stopped having already started down the stairs. “Wait a minute, what about my match?” She hated the look Carmicheal had given her, almost like he was looking down on her.

 

“It's been canceled, your opponent is right for this kind of arrangement.” Agatha answered her.

 

“You think I cant handle it?”

 

“No I don't, do you have a problem with my decision?” Carmicheal finally spoke, still giving her the same look.

 

“Like hell I do. I deserve a chance as much as anyone else here to prove myself.” She wouldn't look away from him. “I'll fight you if that's what it takes.”

 

Vwiess jumped down to the floor below, Sophie looked over to him their eyes meeting.

 

“Looks like you have your answer.” Carmicheal waved her off the air of him completely changing as if he didn't care. “Don't waste it.” It flashed back for only a second.

 

Sophie stopped just a few feet away from him, she could already feel the weight of his presence, her fists clenched feeling the nails digging into her palms. Now or never right? She thought to herself, show them everything you have.

 

“Start.”

 

Neither of them moved, but not out a fear or any form of hesitation, they were both seeing who was foolish enough to make the first move and more importantly who would be smart enough to pull it off. Absolute discretion and a single step out of place could cost.

 

Sophie knew she couldn't afford to make any mistakes, not against this person. He definitely looked big but Sophie knew it was just the clothes, subtracting the boots he wasn't even much taller than her. She wasn't intimidated in the slightest but after a while she started thinking he was waiting for her.

 

A trap, it had to be. Fine, she thought taking in a deep breath and closing her eyes. They lit up as she opened them, bright but not fierce, however they didn't need to be there was a dark calm in them, as if she were the storm and her eyes were as such.

 

One light shimmered to life, floating aimlessly in the air, then another and more. Dozens of lights floated around them like countless fireflies all lit up at once.

 

“She's talented.” Agatha commented.

 

“No, she's sloppy.”

 

Drifting towards Vwiess was one of the many lights, Sophie did her best to keep her smile inside. Just before it got any closer the orb exploded but it wasn't close enough to do anything but blow hot air on his coat.

 

Vwiess's eye lit up and what looked like sparks of black electricity set of the rest of the bombs in and immaculate display of lightning and fire.

 

Smoke vastly covered the lower floor, Sophie used the to hide her movements. She ran around him coming up from behind jumping into a kick. She thought she was hidden, she thought wrong as evidence of Vwiess blocking her with his forarm.

 

Bouncing off his arm an explosion went off in between them. Vwiess's gauntlet reached through the blaze grabbing hold of her leg, he swung her over his head bringing her down to the floor with force. He spun throwing her off into the wall, she caught her self before she hit then landed on the floor.

 

Haleigh hiccuped. “And she's cocky to.”

 

Agatha looked at her oddly. “Are you mad at her or something?”

 

“Or something.” She had started dozing off on the railing until she felt Agatha's fingertips jabbing her side. “I'm up.”

 

Sophie brushed herself off staring Vwiess down. The man hadn't moved a single inch from where he was standing. “Well?” She asked him. “Come on.”

 

They rushed at one another, both of their fists connecting. Sophie winced from the pain of hitting his gauntlet but she couldn't let that faze her. She went for a kick and he folded his arm blocking it. Vwiess brought up his knee just narrowly missing her face. Another explosion went off between them but neither moved back, both still trying to hit the other.

 

A black line started creeping up Sophie's neck and then her cheek, it wiped around like a trial of fire. She started hitting harder and faster but Vwiess had no problem keeping up in fact she was even starting to feel like he was toying with her.

 

Vwiess grazed her temple with his gauntlet still blocking and avoiding her attacks. She didn't let up as blood trailed down her cheek, Sophie let her anger out through her expression and another blast of fire exploded between them. There was one more, then another again and more just piling on top of them.

 

She almost couldn't believe how resilient he was. Her hair stood on edge and she could feel the rise of energy around. Sophie moved her head at the last second as a blast of lighting shot right by her, She jumped back knowing the distance was needed.

 

Vwiess returned to the same spot but now there were signs of electricity randomly surging of him. The black light gathered in his palm as he raised it reaching out for her. Shooting off in every direction the main bolt raced to her. This one was bigger and more importantly faster, she wasn't dodging this.

 

Orange flames clung to her hand as she caught the lightning, the unyielding force beginning to push her back. “I can take this!” She struggled. The connection exploded into a cloud of oddly colored smoke pushing Sophira back.

 

Gritting her teeth, Sophie sprinted forward through the clearing smoke, both of her hands clad in fire. Kicking off the ground she reached out as a roaring inferno shot down on Vwiess like a flame thrower. It splashed away from him like water coming off a glass dome, his barrier held off the blaze, electricity started coming from him again.

 

“I don't think so.” The fire wrapped around the invisible ball with Vwiess inside. She stopped crossing her arms to shield herself as it blew up in a violent tempest.

 

The impact pushed passed her with great force and heat, Sophie watched breathlessly while the fire kept going. Clearly exhausted the black line on her face disappeared, she fell to one knee holding herself up with her hand on the floor.

 

With a mighty swing of his arm Vwiess cleared the blaze, revealing himself in the craters center. Completely unscathed, still standing in the exact same place. His eye lit up.

 

“That's enough.” Carmicheal spoke out, catching everyone off guard.

 

The light in Vwiess's blue eye dimmed, he turned slowly making for the stairs.

 

“But wait who won?” Sophie asked him.

 

He gave her that look again. “If this was about winning then you would be sorely disappointed. Agatha.”

 

“Sir.” She fixed the floor.

 

Pouting to herself Sophie made for the stairs. “I'll show you disappointment.” She mumbled.

 

“The next match is still the same.”

 

Fora and Maggie went down the stairs together.

 

“Don't be nervous.” Maggie spoke softly.

 

Fora laughed. “I'm not.”

 

“Oh.” She blushed. “I was talking to myself.”

 

“Start.”
 

 

Owen's eyes took a moment to adjust. “My head.” He sat up feeling the side of his head finding a painful bump under his hair. “Ow.”

 

A small hand slapped his. It was Jess's.

 

“Right I know, don't touch.” He took her hands. “Guess I didn't do so well.” His sister gave him a look while tilting her head.

 

“You can say that again.” Yin had been leaning up against the wall, Owen only just now realizing she was there. He was staring to think she must have been sneaky like that.

 

He started blushing. “So how did your fight go?”

 

Yin put on the biggest grin. “I went down without throwing a single punch.”

 

He couldn't help but laugh. “Yeah that's way better.”

 

“Hey at least I know when someones behind me.”

 

Owen ignored her comment, patting his sisters head. “So who's fighting now?”

 

“I'm not sure, haven't gone out there yet.”

 

He laughed a bit. “So you came here first huh?”

 

Yin responded with a dirty look. “Real smooth guy.”

 

 

Catching her breath, Maggie backed away from her opponent. “Hitting you is like hitting a wall.” She shook her hands out. “You smell like an Udyir, guess that explains the tough skin.” Maggie smiled giving Fora the sense she was actually complementing her.

 

“Looks like you've got good senses.”

 

“What kind of animal do you turn into? Or am I about to find out?”

 

Fora waved off her words. “Sorry to disappoint you but I'm not quite old enough for anything like that.”

 

“That's to bad.” She pouted. “I've never seen an Udyir transform before.” Maggie reached out to Fora. “I guess I should wrap this up then.”

 

“What?” Instantly on her guard.

 

Maggie swung her arm through the air calling a swarm of expanding dark clouds from where she stood. The nimbus blanketed the rooms entirety making it hard to see anything.

 

There was a flash of light with the sound of thunder, followed by a scream. The clouds cleared just as quickly as they had formed.

 

Fora's body shook while she struggled to stay upright, her clothes were ripped and burned at the shoulder. Already bleeding, she grunted seeming to be enduring waves of pain. “W-what did you do to me?” Fora asked before collapsing on the ground.

 

Making her way over Maggie. “I've got you.” Pulling the girls arm over her shoulder she made for the stairs. “I'll take care of it don't mind me.” Climbing the steps she left with her.

 

“Well that was certainly something.” Haleigh commented.

 

“I'll say.” Leo whispered to himself.

 

Carmicheal's office opened as he made his way inside. “The next round resumes in the morning, rest up.” The doors shut behind him.
 

 

“Hello my favorite sister.” Tyler entered Stephanie's room finding her on the bed working on a laptop.

 

“I'm your only sister, you seem chipper.” Working on something as usual she only half paid attention to him.

 

“Oh you know a little of this a little of that and some making out in between.” Tyler was lost in thought.

 

“I don't remember asking anything but what are you going on about?”

 

“I just made out with that elven girl Terra.”

 

“Great needed that in my life, I'm busy can you go away or something?”

 

“Rude.” Tyler tried to peak at her screen, she waved him off. “What are you working on anyway?”

 

“I'm learning.”

 

“Learning what?”

 

“I'll let you know when I've learned it.”

 

“Well maybe we could..”

 

“I'm really busy Tyler can we do this later maybe?”

 

He didn't like it but he wasn't about to let her know that. “Yeah, later works.” Tyler left, his sister still working.

 

 

“Gil?” Sophie knocked already seeing that she couldn't touch the door knob. “Agatha says we can use weapons in the next round, I was thinking since you're good with swords you could give me a few pointers.” If Gil said anything she didn't hear it. “Are you asleep? Gil?” She knocked again and the door opened just a crack.

 

“Why don't you ask Haleigh, she's good with small thin blades like yours.” He sounded tired, or maybe depressed. Sophie could tell something was off with him.

 

“Actually,” She flashed back to her conversation with Haleigh. “I'm not her student anymore, she kinda fired me.” Sophie tried to laugh it off nervously.

 

Gil didn't respond for a moment. “I didn't expect that.” The door opened more letting her in. “I'm kinda going through some things so let's do this in here.”

 

“Oh okay.” She didn't know what they could do in that small room but questioning Gilgamesh was always a poor choice. He closed the door a flash of light appearing underneath.
 

 

Sophie's eyes widened. “Where are we?” A vast landscape of dirt covered hills, an enormous broken stone crossroads and several broken arches above it. As far as she could see swords had been planted across the entire place, each of them unique and filled with power.

 

“Welcome to my own private hell. This is where my Gate of Babylon leads, its true form. A desolate wasteland forsaken by hope.”

 

 

 

Chapter Nineteen: Hallowed

 

 

    “Show me again.” Collin peeled an apple as he sat across from Fora in her room.

 

“Can we just take a break.” She started winding her arm with a wince. “I'm still really sore.”

 

“Work through the pain.” He continued peeling. “Builds character.”

 

“I feel like you say that about everything.” Fora held up a card. “OK.” The card lit up gold and so did the tattoos on her arm, it floated into the air and expanded in size. Flickering the light faded and the playing card fell to the floor.

 

Collin tossed her the apple. “Good job, it's important to be able to sustain it without draining yourself.” He pulled out another for himself and started peeling it with his knife.

 

“Energy is required to make just about anything happen, from the most complex magic even down to the simple act of breathing. Think of it like a battery once you expend enough energy to make something you should be able to use less to keep it going.”

 

“So I've been wondering something, what's your role in all of this? There's a whole bunch of people here not even related to Elipses there's even humans running around and no one seems to care. It's all just really confusing.”

 

“I can't really speak of what I wasn't around for but I can tell you that I'm a tool of war.”

 

“Tool of war?”

 

“I'm not the only one here either, Calus, your fellow Udyir, is one then there's Gilgamesh and Holamark.” He paused. “Well Gilgamesh is kind of a gray area, reinventing himself every so often andhe's done a little more than involve himself in Elipses affairs, same goes for Haleigh.” Collin started eating.

 

“Was that supposed to explain anything?”

 

“I'm getting to that.” He spoke with his mouth still full. “When you get to a certain point in your pursuit of power, living long enough definitely helps, but when you get to where I'm at you realize there are times when the world may need you. However it may not always be for the right cause.” The expression he wore became serious. “You have to choose what you're willing to fight for, you need to commit to it wholeheartedly. Do you understand what I mean?” Collin took another bite.

 

Fora followed his every word, thinking before speaking. “So without affiliations you hide your strength until literal war brakes out?”

 

“War hasn't always been the reason, but I have fought Elipses before during one of their several conflicts with Yggdrasil.”

 

“You fought for Bevelle?”

 

Moving back some of his blue hair Collin showed her the point of one of his ears. “I'm half elven and feykin.”

 

“Wait I thought one of your parents was a demon? Aren't you a warlock like that guy Gilgamesh?”

 

He couldn't contain his burst of laughter. “Not necessarily lets just say I have a rather extensive family tree and a lot of work went into making yours truly.” Putting his thumb on his chest.

 

“As for Gilgamesh that boy is about as far from a warlock as I am to a dog. Seen that guys family tree, whole different story there and not a pleasant one mind you. Guy has got skeletons.” Pretending to shiver a bit with a smile.

 

Fora definitely like him for her teacher, at least he was entertaining. “So how did the whole tool of war thing start?”

 

“Gilgamesh did it actually, a long time ago when he was a different person.” He looked somberly at the ceiling.

 

“Has he changed a lot since then?” She thought about the man she barley knew.

 

“I wouldn't say he changed, Gilgamesh has given up a lot of himself to succeed in his endeavors and even live to be here today. His is a life I couldn't bring myself to wish on anyone.”

 

She hadn't seen him act this way yet, like the cheer had left him. “You sound like you knew him well.”

 

“Well I was in love with the guy but that never amounted to anything, trouble has a habit of finding him often so it was probably for the best.”

 

“Wait you're gay?” She was completely taken by surprise.

 

“What? No.” Collin replied quickly. “You'll find love comes in an overwhelming abundance of variety, it's better not to be small minded enough to label such things.” Finishing the apple he tossed Fora the remaining core. “Now turn it into that.” Collin pointed to his extravagant red chair that he brought himself.

 

“Ok, but why?”

 

He winked at her. “Because no entrance is complete without a nice chair.”

 

“So that's why you have it?”

 

“Yes now less questions and more bending matter.”
 

 

Light parted around Gilgamesh as he returned to the scarred battleground, walking in out of thin air.

 

“I'm assuming the next match started?”

 

“Yin just lost to Leo.” He lit a cigarette before slicking back his hair with his hand. “You're supposed to be meditating so I don't know why you're talking.”

 

Sophie sat cross legged, one sword in her lap and five more planted in the ground behind her. Gil had told her to meditate until their true natures showed themselves to her. “I'm already done.”

 

“Then tell me,” He ashed on the ground. “What is a weapons true nature?”

 

Holding up the sword to him with both hands. “This is Cusha.” Then she pointed to each one behind her. “That's Mechon, Djinn-ma, Talisbar, Veronics and Xerxes.” She rose planting the blade called Cusha with the others. “A weapons true nature is its name.”

 

“Inanimate objects absorb and control the power exuded around them, weapons experience this same anomaly. In order to give something substance it must be granted an identity.” He pulled a random blade from nearby out of the ground. “Names are apart of the soul, they are what we use to confirm ourselves among other things. Draw your sword.”

 

Sophie pulled out the rapier blade Phi had given her. The weight it wasn't carried hadn't been consistent with the size, as if there was something more to it.

 

“That sword was with you at the moment that should have been your end, it was witness to the death of someone close to you, and most notably you wielded that same sword when Anima awakened inside of you.” He touched the blades razor edge. “You haven't had it long but I feel it's malevolent nature, it's unyielding desire to kill for you. This weapon has already declared you as it's master now you must give it substance. I want you to name it.”

 

Nothing came to mind at first, how did someone even go about naming a sword she wondered. The others before had given their names, what if this one could do the same? Sophie sat back down placing the rapier across her lap.

 

“Remember what it was like to hold it with your life, you may not have realized this but you place your entire being along with your future inside that sword. See it for what it is, know it as not only an extension of yourself but a partner that you trust with your life.”

 

Closing her eyes Sophie let her mind wander. Thinking back to Phi, to her father and to the hazy fight between her and Gil. The moment she was stabbed, then her father dying in her arms, that insane rush of power, overwhelming grief.

 

“Consider this a flower.” Words formed within her. “One for your grave.” Phi's words but then more echoed past them, voiceless and forcegully moving something deep inside of her.

 

“Never to meet again.” She saw Jeremiah's lifeless face, then others; her mother, father, “Abandoned.” Isaac's and Caleb's. “Consider this a flower.” Sophie was back with Phi in the library, with him throwing her a small thin saber. Catching it she didn't look to Phi, this time she looked at the sword. “One for your grave.”

 

An image came to her, one of an unmarked tombstone and the rapier stabbed into the grass in front of it, both surrounded by a bed of red petaled flora.

 

Sophira opened her eyes a with a look of ambivalent calm. “I once read that flowers have a language all their own.” Holding up the blade she noticed it somehow felt lighter now. “Manjushage, it means red spider lily.”

 

“Why?” He stomped out the cigarette.

 

“That's the only flower I'd want on my grave.”

 

 

“Fancy footwork there, betcha your a right handful out in the open.” Leo held out his hand to the defeated Yin.

 

“Ugh my head, again.”

 

“Sorry bout droppin you like that, had to make it official and all .” He had been referring to when he had lifted her to the ceiling and pulled her back down a moment ago. “You blacked out there for a spell, feelin top side now?”

 

“Yeah I'll be OK, you're no joke though.” She said scratching at her head.

 

Leo laughed waving her off. “Oh I'm nothin special just a few fancy tricks and a twist of the wrist.”

 

“Clear the floor please.” Carmicheal grew bored watching the talk.

 

“Your not gonna watch the next fight?” Agatha asked as Haleigh started off.

 

Haleigh paused trying to think of an excuse. “Nope.” She didn't.

 

Leaving the main room Haleigh continued down the hallway, passing the rooms as she went. Stopping in her tracks catching the merest mentions of her name behind a door.

 

“My fire just isn't as strong as Haleigh.” It was Sophie's vioce.

 

“Don't compare yourself to her.” Gil was there to. “If you really want to know I can tell you what separates the two of you.”

 

She didn't need to hear the rest so she moved on. “Carmicheal can you hear me?” Haleigh called out to him with her mind.

 

“I'm kinda busy right now.” His voice echoed.

 

Knowing he was just standing there watching she continued. “If Elipses is disbanded then Yggdrasil has most definitely been added to the list of problems we have to deal with.”

 

“Yes that the void and one other obstacle may be in our future.”

 

“That being?”

 

“I encountered something in San Francisco. It's beginning to look like the Amori are resurfacing.”

 

Haleigh didn't respond collapsing onto her bed from her new found exhaustion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you guys enjoy these three chapters/36 pages, irl I'm waaaay busy so haven't had much internet time.

Enjoy these three chapters for me, I'll put two more up soonish, I haven't forgotten about you guys.