The Wielder of Death Magic

“No understanding,” he breathed a silent gasp, hands slowly muddled into the slightly damp pockets, “-if tis a battle you wish, tis a battle you’ll get.”

“Oh, I definitely want a battle,” the solemnly kind expression faded – Jae pulled on his sword and fixed the blade in Igna’s direction, “-go on guards,” he said, “-face the man for glory!” the ground shook, a multiple of spells conjured – various projectiles flung and in said projectiles laid full-on men wielder of body enhancement magic and their potent blood. No escape, the swarm wrapped around, an aerial punch grazed his cheek, ‘-fast and strong,’ went across the mind, a kick snapped at the side of his knee, an orb of crystal hovered from which darts fired. *Martial-Arts – Full body counter,* the form eased, the limbs relaxed – the palms flowed, he grabbed the first who’d thrown an aerial punch by the arm, turned and threw him on three others. The darts teleported to inches from his chest – the symbol toggled and a magical circle hovered in-between body and weapon, ‘-always watching,’ he grinned and skipped over a combo, threw elbows to backs of the heads, ‘-they don’t seem to want blood,’ he spun and knocked another few off their feet. Those wielding weapons were few, three in total, a mace and shield, a spear, and a bow. An exalted vibrance about the objects felt reminiscent, ‘-artifact,’ he blinked and squinted, ‘-getting hit won’t be pretty,’ symbols of power separated, a pair of wings crawled through the arm and onto the forehead, where the tips of the wings touched his eyebrows and spread erratically around his cheeks and contours. ‘-Knocking them down won’t suffice,’ he glanced again, the fallen were on their feet an in motions for another attack, ‘-the uncaring visage... they’re not warmed up,’ he clenched, a punch squarely took his stomach, “-Damn,” escaped for he didn’t budge. ‘-Too much of a novice to the full extent the ability of martial combat,’ two steps backward created distance – there, he looked upon the slowly amped faces.

“What’s with those guards?” inquired Leo.

“They’re battle-hardened fighters, it takes a while for the blood to get pumping. Once they reach a certain level of motion, there won’t be dodging or blocking the attacks. We live for a prolonged battle, besides,” she smiled, “-by ranking of entities, we stand above mortals, therefore, we can’t be hurt by dwellers of the mortal world. Tis same to facing a god or angel, the more one resist the worst it gets.”

“Igna,” fired across the field, “-are you willing to take us on or is it enough?”

“Don’t count me out of the picture yet,” he laughed, “-else you’ll regret angering me,” the sunken look of fatigue crashed upon Jae with a glimpse of the monster hidden beneath. ‘-I rose my guard,’ he gulped, ‘-I rose my guard from a single stare... what is he hiding?’

.....

Regard thrust upon Igna’s empty palm, ‘-allow us to help,’ said two distant whispers, ‘-look deep within, look for the knowledge we left, look at the abilities you learned in thy other life-times. Don’t underestimate the arts unique to thine soul, there is no better way to unleash what’s been kept under wraps for so long. Call out to her, she waits, the guardian deity watches, ask her help in prayer – she died for us, protecting a being not worthy of being alive. Come on, rise.’

‘-Don’t look at the ground, a king must stare the foe right in its face. Don’t repeat my mistake, you’ve learned much and adapted to more. Tis time, Wielder of Death Magic, show the world, show the multiverse, show the damned fuckers in heaven and hell who we are.’

Time slowed, the rain halted, ‘-time’s nigh,’ Igna rose his head, ‘-our legacy stands on a foundation of blood and destruction. I have power now,’ the lines contouring his face lit vibrantly, ‘-the power to draw in strength from what Staxius achieved,’ he pressed his arms in prayer, ‘-the true meaning of power is the ability to let go,’ he smirked, a darker, more ominous presence loomed.

*O’ goddess forgotten by the ages, o’ goddess who spread victory and peace over the souls of true warriors. I, humble vessel for thy Symbol, plea to have a sliver of thy strength,* the blessing’s hue tore through the shadows and rain. Ancient writings burnt off his skin, the ink-ridden skin cleared, “-book of Alfred,” the grimoire sparked into reality, “-Ex, Eoe, Eon, Looh,” symbols fluttered from the book and stuck onto a dully-colored sheath. Power coursed through his veins, the blessing of Nike kept a warmness to his chest, a safeguard from the deeper anger hidden beneath. Igna’s expression changed, there no longer laid a bicolored, somewhat human light in his eyes – it changed, red against purple, crimson against pure taint; horns rose from the forehead, a tail dropped from his back, the nails sharpened as did the canines, the hair, white and red, washed into a purple ending in white – crystal clear iris rose onto the adversaries.

“I’m sorry for the wait,” he whispered, “-I’m here,” he teleported at first glance, remnants of footprints refuted the assumption. A screeching howl blasted and stopped shy of Jae’s neck, “-look what you made me do,” he snickered, “-the death of talented guards,” the masses fell beheaded, *Soul-Absorption,* a skull bit from the heavens and swallowed the departed.

“Get away from him!” the top of the castle cracked, an arrow of which was the lady, landed in-between the duo with her fan pointed at Igna’s neck, “-one more step and I’ll end your life.”

“My lady,” leaned and whispered, “-look into my eyes,” he charmingly caught her attention, “-fall prey to thy deeper whims,” her wrist relaxed and ultimately lost grip of the fan, her knees buckled, Jae subconsciously tried to soften her fall, they blinked, before the fan landed, Igna held the emissary under his foot, *I am he who slays without fear, I am he who shall be the last of what thee see. Heed mine call, thou whomst dared to fight the natural order, tis the day thou ought to be destroyed, Ancient Magic – Astral Binding,* cross made of golden, yellow, and a line of electricity through the core impaled the ground and gathered the trio into a cage. “Astral binding, a very effective spell on celestial beings. Look here,” he glared at the lady, “-I don’t much care if thee lives or not,” the glance locked upon Lord Leo, “-far as I’m concerned, thou art but messengers. Shooting the messenger does not aid in war,” he knelt and moved his hauntingly terrifying hands across the cage and onto his neck, “-tell me where the Sen Dynasty resides.”

“I w-won-”

“No choice in the matter,” lines of white impaled Leo’s cranium, “-got the information I need,” he stood and glanced the forest; trees and nature, reliant on mana to survive began to wither, disregard for the sanctity of what laid around, he grabbed the cage, *Ancient-Magic: Teleportation,* and soon laid before on a balcony to a manor within the capital-city. The landscape was jaw-dropping, a direct view onto the fortress castle of ice, frost-pillars and the colossal mountain in its immediate background, day rose in the distance, he walked through the arch-doorway and entered the manor – inattentive servants peered curiously at the strange apparition, “-you’re no-” he flicked, a crimson arrow killed instantly. He belligerently cut across the corridors and made for the main hall, a massive bolted door slammed by a single kick, Leo flung onto the carpet, bloodied and near death, Jae and his lady drifted through a dimension where nothing existed.

“Leo,” exhaled an older man, “-by the lord’s word, what’s happened to you?”

“Master,” he gasped, “-run...”

“Run, me?” he looked at the intruder, “-you, who are you, what family do you belong to?”

“My name isn’t important, carry the terror and fear I shall bring upon thine family to death,” a burst of Staxius’s aura filled the hall and infected the entire manor, “-Sen Dynasty, they whomst dared decree me to death will fall.”

“GUARDS!”

“Don’t bother,” soon as the side-doors opened, a flick killed gruesomely, the blood swirled into the ceiling where a web of ancient writings wrote. *See the unseen, feel the unfelt, knowledge deep within, awaken for I order so; Eye of Truth.* for once, the granted sight didn’t pain the head nor the body, he looked about, reality dissolved and reformed into lines and threads only he could understand, “-there they are,” he locked onto bedrooms, inns across the capital, and through dimensions, *ravel for I’ve come,* he smirked, and clenched, members of the Sen Dynasty pulled from where they sat or waited. Gathered under a pentagram, Igna kept a cold expression, the purple side burnt deeply to the heavens, *Hand of the Lamented, I bring upon the earth the powers of the shunned child, watch me, the heavens and cower for I, Alfred, have reawakened. Watch as tis my forthcoming, my return, and my message to those who dare stand against me ever again, I will find you,* the hand-stretched across dimension, cut across universes and reached the realm of Sen, where the god watched a field of wheat peacefully, “-let it be known,” the fingers wrapped around his feet and pulled, forcibly dethroning a god, *smack,* the magnanimous entity fell upon the mortal realm without a defined shape.

“My children,” he echoed – the symbol above churned.

“Watch,” thundered Igna, “-as death takes away what was once precious to thee,” the hammer slammed and the pentagram dropped and took everyone present’s life.

“Who are you,” said the shapeless form.

“My name’s Stax- no. My name’s Igna Haggard, reincarnation of Staxius Haggard and the Cursed King Alfred. Heed my word, Sen, God of Harvest, for tis a message to the heavens. Oppose me once again, and I shall end everything they hold dear.”

“You brought me from my realm. What is the reason, Igna, speak for I must return to my world.”

“The reason is simple, bestow on me a ring which symbolizes my rightful claim over the Sen Dynasty.”

“By words passed in the ancient text. Thou art the victor, hence,” a ring summoned from the glowing cloud, “-I grant thee the symbol of my familia, the luck of harvest. Do with it as thee wish, my domain waits.”

Igna nodded and clapped, the hand unclenched – God Sen was pulled back into his elated realm where he rests peacefully unaffected by the churning of destiny and fate. *Snap,* the cage materialized and shattered. Lady Elliana and Jae dropped with petrified expressions. Sun rose in the distant east, Igna breathed a relieved exhale, the transformation split into two entity whomst left and stared facelessly, “-see,” said the darker one, “-wasn’t hard, was it?”

“Allowing us to help is fun,” added another more devilish featured purple outline, “-when the time calls, we’ll be there to help. Carry our name and strength with pride, Igna – we’ll meet soon, very soon,” the entities walked into him and vanished. Lines of sheer power across the forehead eased, “-carry my blessing in stride, Igna, for we always watch upon thee, Origin, Death, Time and I, we watch and smile, I know you saw, on unraveling the world, you saw the unseen truth, the real truth.” Another ring joined the collections, he dropped by some stairs and breathed, ‘-scary, my powers are frightening. Alfred and Staxius, my previous selves were power-hungry, and thanks to them, I was able to pull a god from his throne and take the symbol of power. I’ve yet to answer Laurine’s wish. I took the first step – I’ve taken over a dynasty. Next, the throne, the place of a true ruler, from there, I’ll turn Marinda into an isle suited to rival the Empire,’ breeze carried cold air, refreshment washed across his face, ‘-here I come.’