Chapter 2: Ajal; Vagril 4th, 343SR; 22:40
"We have arrived at the ideal re-entry point for the given coordinates," a mechanical voice spoke. "Calculating altitude, approximately, ten thousand miles. Fuel capacity at... Sixty-five percent. Entering standby."
"Did Astora and Alexa take care of their sensors?" Enma asked.
"Yeah, no one will detect us up here, or down there... Autopilot, commence re-entry... Full power to..." Ajal felt his bones shudder. "Full power to the engines, maximize voyistus usage..."
"Affirmative. Rerouting fuel supply. All passengers, for your safety, please remain seated and secured during the re-entry process. Use of voyistus has been authorized. Deploying pressure shield, the hull must remain sealed during this time." The mechanical voice on the ship announced. "Re-entering Imperion's atmosphere in... Five seconds- Three seconds- Commencing re-entry..."
"Ajal are... Are you sure?" Enma asked hesitantly. "We don't need to use that... We have enough fuel... And... We can take our time..."
"Enma I... I just..." Ajal sighed. "I just want to get this over with... If we use voyistus, we can be there in a few minutes... I hate it... But it is convenient... I can't stand seeing the place we grew up in like this... The faster we kill Anor, the less people he can keep hurting..."
Enma looked down, the dropship rocked gently back and forth as it travelled parallel to Imperion's rings. A glass of wine on the table rattled as the ship descended to the planet. The sun peaked over the edge of Imperion's curve, the blue gradient becoming flatter as the ship descended. They approached a circular storm of clouds, split by what appeared like slivers of hair. 'The skyscrapers reach that high... You can almost see them from orbit... I used to dream about how tall those buildings would get... Thinking I'd touch the stars one day... Now no can see past the smog...'
"Now approaching Solron, Karna district... Destination... Solkaz Towers," the mechanical voice reached through the ship. "Altitude, eight thousand miles."
At the center of the storm, the majestic Celestial of Solron stood tall. The massive pillar was just over six miles in length even while rooted almost a quarter of a mile underground. Off in the distance, Ajal could see the Celestial of Radion peaking over the curve.
"Altitude, six thousand miles."
The thrusters hummed, adjusting their flight path steadily against the forces in the atmosphere and avoiding debris. Ajal reached for the glass of wine. He held the thin stem, swirling the maroon liquid in the bowl.
"Altitude, four thousand miles."
He brought the rim close, and a sweet smell filled his nose. Upon taking a sip his mouth was overpowered by a tangy, but bitter taste that would make anyone who hadn't experienced worse gag. However in that moment, it was relieving. He gulped down the rest of the wine, then put the empty glass on the table and sighed.
"Altitude, two thousand miles."
"It's been a long day..." Ajal sighed as he pulled the zipper on his collar down.
Ajal reached for a grey device on the counter, a clip used for communication. He detached an earphone from it, and fitted it into his right ear, then clipped the other side with a microphone to the collar of his uniform. The dropship approached the city of Solron, a sea of clouds burying a dense urban jungle. Some of the buildings reached past the clouds, they looked like jagged spires. The clouds drifted past the skyscrapers like water. Polluted smog and fumes blanketed the city, produced fresh daily by rampant factories deep at the ground level. Ajal squinted at it, his eyelid twitching in disgust.
"Altitude, one thousand miles. Pressure shield adjusting."
The wheel turned on its own, and the entire ship shifted sideways, travelling over the buildings silently. The dropship lowered above one of the taller buildings in the city. Enma reached for a green button, it lit up as they passed an altitude of one hundred miles.
"Don't land, it's just me getting off here," Ajal stood and pulled his mantle over his shoulders.
Enma wore black pants, and a dark grey vest that reached down to his knees, it's golden zipper was slightly down, allowing the collar to remain open. It was the standard uniform within the Imperial military, Ajal wore the same. It provided both durability and mobility, while being comfortable to wear. Over his shoulders was an Imperial mantle, a white cape with a collar made from the white fur of tundra wolves. Ajal noticed Enma sweating profusely, he was scratching his red hair, and his orange eyes were wavering. 'I've never seen Enma this nervous...' Ajal doubted himself for a moment, but he knew this had to be done.
"I'll give Anor your regards," said Ajal.
"Just because I learned from him, doesn't mean I care for that scumbag!" Enma suddenly snapped. "He's family, but..."
"Sorry..." Ajal didn't expect the sudden reaction.
"Don't apologize... I know this is hard for you too... I'd do it myself, believe me... But after everything they've done to you... I know how much you want to kill them..."
Ajal looked down, then walked towards the door.
"Hey... Wait," said Enma.
Ajal turned. Enma stood there with his head down, it seemed like he wanted to say something. "Look, I... Sorry, never mind, it's nothing..." Enma stuttered, a look of concern still on his face.
Ajal reached forward, hesitating for a moment before grasping Enma's shoulder. His orange eyes were hidden behind his red bangs, and his usual confident and joyful expression was replaced with one of anxious concern. Ajal's other hand clenched into a fist, pressing his nails into his own palm.
"We have arrived at the destination. Altitude, three point five miles."
"It'll all be over after this. I'll carry the burden..." said Ajal.
Enma looked up, his eyes wide with concern. Ajal turned and grabbed the smooth handle, pulling the sliding door to the right, and entering a small corridor. There were two rooms on each side, and a door across from him leading to a small armory at the back of the ship. Ajal's black hair just barely touched the ceiling, he was used to it though having always been tall. He passed by the first room on the left, the door was held slightly ajar.
Ajal looked in to see a blue-haired woman with a black and white book in her hands. She held her head low, her blue hair covering the upper half of her face. Ajal felt like he should talk to her, he was about to open the door but reconsidered. 'I can't even imagine how she's taken the last few days... The fall of Braxus is where this all started... That day your home fell, all the ethereals that died... It was all because of...' Another sliver of regret crept over Ajal as he shut his eyes.
The room adjacent to Aria was occupied by Kadyr, the door was left open as per usual. Kadyr sat on the floor in meditation. His skin was clad in brown fur. 'Your own people imprisoned you for an entire year because of the archbishops...' The claws of his thumb and index finger trembled as they touched. His breaths were rhythmic, until he suddenly grunted and snarled. Kadyr covered his eyes as he held his forehead. Ajal didn't want to disturb him, but he noticed his mask resting on the ground. The smooth silver mask resembled the head of a wolf. 'I never really see him without the mask anymore...' Ajal looked down as he continued through the hall to the next two rooms. He stopped as he heard someone sob.
He peeked into the next room, where two more of his friends sat next to each other. Tears fell from one of their eyes, a black haired woman with dried blood on her face. She rubbed her eyes as she huffed, unable to control her pain echoing through the hallway. 'Kono...' Ajal felt his heart ache, listening to his own disciple cry made his eyes twitch. A woman with white hair held her close, her light blue eyes full of pain. She looked up and noticed Ajal in the hallway. He wasn't used to seeing her gaze so narrowed and lifeless. 'Crystal and Kono are also a mess... What happened after I sent them to kill Kiros...' Crystal's eyebrows furrowed as she noticed Ajal. She shook her head and closed her eyes, Ajal understood quickly.
Ajal looked to the other room. On the right was a clean white bed, and on the left was a table where a green-haired man was wiping blood off a single edged straight sword. He was tall and lanky, his appearance commonly misled his enemies. His green hair was combed to the left, his bangs covering that side of his face. The five foot long curved sword had a long green handle, and a curvy golden guard resembling a cloud. Gale usually looked calm, but his blood stained hands made that tranquility feel like apathy.
"Are you heading out soon?" Gale asked Ajal while still focused on the blade.
"Yeah. Everyone seems tense, it's only natural though, we're taking steps towards a better future for Imperion, anyone would be anxious," Ajal responded.
"Yeah..." Gale replied as his gaze narrowed.
Gale picked up the sword and angled the edge towards the ceiling, he analyzed the reflection of his eyes in the blade. He let out a sigh, then stood, turned, and rested the sword on his shoulder.
"You're gonna cut the ceiling," Ajal joked.
"Yeah well I think I should, that way your big head won't hit it," Gale smirked, the two of them snickered. His smile faded, but his gaze remained soft. "Do you... Remember that saying in Bree, the one Ustat always said years ago... That the wind carries our star dust till it fades, waiting to come together once again and to be brighter than before... The only reason I chose to follow you... Was because something about you shined... Even though you were dyed in the most darkness... So... Even if you think you've lost yourself... I'll carry that light with me, for as long as I can so it doesn't go out..."
"Heh... Where'd that come from..." Ajal shook his head. "You thought that of me while you were talking all that shit, huh?"
"Heh..." Gale grinned as he chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not taking any of that back."
"I wouldn't want you too," said Ajal. He turned and walked back towards the corridor, but he stopped outside the door. "How many people were guarding the-"
"Ajal... Do not falter," Gale uttered as he closed the door.
Ajal looked down, his eyes filled with guilt as he clenched his fist. 'I won't...' He turned to his right and walked through the last door. The armory was much wider, well-lit, and multiple tools lined the room. Moonlight shone through an open hatch serving as the ship's entrance and exit. A cool breeze slipped through the armory, the air was crisp above the clouds. Titan took up two seats on the left, his arms crossed. Ava stood at the edge of the ship, gazing at the full moon.
Titan wore his hood, sitting with his arms crossed, and a silver halberd resting on his shoulder. His imperial uniform covered most of his hulking form, but his exposed mechanical limbs caught Ajal's eye. Like Kadyr, Titan always wore his mask, a culture amongst the citizens of Junipus. 'Maybe you wouldn't have become this... You've lost the most... I was only thirteen when I met you and Gale... Over two hundred and fifty years all just feels like a blink of the eye looking back... How many people did my actions end up killing during that time... I already lost count of how many people I killed with my own hand, I can't even begin to imagine how many I killed indirectly...'
Ajal took a step down a small set of stairs but noticed a blue light below him. He looked down and saw Ryu, a sixteen year old boy with blue eyes sitting on the stairs. The dragon born in the abyss, Antiri, manifested in the form of blue bolts of energy. The creature coiled around the young ethereal's right arm. He had short blue hair, and over his left eye was a bolt shaped scar. The snake-like dragon sat upright in his palm and bared its fangs at Ryu.
"If you're nervous, Antiri will be too," Ajal crouched down next to Ryu.
The boy's head jolted as he heard Ajal say that. His worried expression turned worse and he turned his head back at the dragon who glared back at him. 'Uh, shit... Maybe I shouldn't have said that... Natalia used to say that too...' Ajal felt horrible for a moment.
"Ah!" Ryu winced.
The small dragon tightened its long tail around Ryu's arm as it hissed. It kept its head low, gritting its sharp teeth in a hostile manner. Ryu cringed at the pain, until Antiri disappeared on her own. Ryu didn't look up at Ajal, his head stayed low. Ajal patted his head, his loose blue hair was fluffy.
"Don't be upset if you didn't get it this time, just try again when you're feeling better," Ajal awkwardly tried to encourage Ryu.
He ruffled Ryu's soft hair, but the boy simply stood up and walked through the door. Ajal's hand lowered as his fingers trembled. 'That was stupid of me...' Ajal groaned in his own head, the disappointment he felt in his insensitive choice of words added to the collective disappointment he felt in himself. Titan stood and walked past Ajal with his halberd in hand. He stopped as he stood next to him, then offered his hand. Ajal declined and stood up on his own. Titan grasped his shoulder with the cold metal hand.
"Lift your head, it's time for this age to end..." Titan spoke slowly, his town deep. "Steel yourself, we will begin a better one..."
"Yeah..." Ajal made a slight smile toward the man made of metal.
Ava's short purple hair flapped in the wind. She stopped dazing off at the moon some time ago, her vivid eyes read every emotion Ajal tried to hide. She stood just taller than six feet, her shoulders broad and her legs especially long. She leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, her feet inches away from the edge.
"You seem rather chipper," Ava closed one eye and tilted her head.
"I wish..." Ajal sighed. "I wish I had done this a long time ago... Before anything went wrong... Before anyone was lost..."
"Yeah..." Ava's smile flipped.
Ajal stepped up to the ledge right next to her and looked down. They were directly above the square roof of the Solkaz building. Murky clouds obscured the depths of the city, Ajal looked up at the bright white moon.
"Everyone is on edge," Ajal frowned. "I didn't consider how anxious this might make you all, the imperials will rule over Imperion after the Archbishop dies. The era of serving false prophets will end..."
Ava said nothing, instead, she reached out and held his hand.
"Everything we did, and everything we will do... It's for the future, our future. We all know this and we don't need to burden it alone... Peace requires sacrifice," Ava replied.
She took Ajal's other hand. The strong wind made their capes flap. Ajal brought his hands together while she held them, and he gently grasped her soft palm.
"I'm going to change that, peace should require bonds. All of us, despite coming from different corners of this damn world managed it... You're like family to me, we fought for each other... Became strong enough to stand for what we each believed in, and here we are... Paving the way into the future," said Ajal.
Ava gazed deeply into Ajal, her anxious eyes had every shade of purple gradating through it. He held her close, and she tilted her head. Their eyes narrowed as they got closer. Her soft lips pecked his first, then he pushed forward and kissed her. Ava wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him forward, tightly embracing him. After several seconds, she slowly pushed him away.
"I can taste the wine on your lips..." Ava whispered to Ajal. "You're in pain..."
"You know me too well..." Ajal sighed as he pushed his forehead gently against hers. "After today, I'll only open wine for good meals and celebration... And sometimes, just the two of us."
Ava stepped back with an innocent smile, her cheeks flushed and her eyes quivering. Ajal smiled as he let go of her hands. He took a step backward off the ship, falling toward the building. He flipped once in the air, before landing knee first. The thick clouds around the roof were pushed away by the impact. The warmth of her kiss still lingered on his lip. Ajal took a deep breath as he looked forward at the rancid sea of fumes. 'The tyranny will end tonight, and Imperion can finally be at peace...'
The large blue rectangular ship slowly turned, '#78-MC Imperial Dragoon' was written along the right side. The thrusters spewed blue flames, propelling the dropship forward. The sound of the thrusters soon disappeared as it descended into the abyss of clouds. Ajal approached a stairwell that led down the building, he clicked the device on his collar as he made his way over.
The device emitted a see-through blue hologram in front of him, displaying a grid with the numbers zero to nine. 'If I recall correctly... the church number was 6-0262...' Ajal pressed the keys in front of him while he walked down the dirty stairs, far enough so that the sound of wind wouldn't be heard. A scent like urine and dirty water stung his nose.
"Hello?" Ajal heard a brittle old man's voice from the earphone, Ajal clicked a button on his collar.
"Good evening uncle, I was just calling to confirm if you'd be attending the ceremony in Braxus tomorrow?" Ajal talked into the device on his collar with fake hospitality.
The device simultaneously displayed a holographic map of the city. A red dot pulsed on the display, the signal was several blocks from the building Ajal was in.
"Ah, Ajal, how are you doing my boy. Yes, yes, don't worry I'll attend. How are Shin and Enma doing? I haven't seen them since they left Solron," the Archbishop asked.
Ajal reached a door with the elevator symbol painted on it and walked through. He entered a narrow hallway, it reeked of fast food and garbage. A man in ragged dark clothing sat on the ground on the side of the hall, he held a filtration mask loosely between his fingers. Ajal reached into his pocket and fiddled around, feeling a small stack of paper and some coins.
"They're good, they haven't changed much, that might be for the worse though considering Enma..." Ajal laughed.
"Oh, that hot-headed boy will never change," the archbishop chuckled. "Who else will attend the ceremony?"
Ajal dropped the money on the mans lap, startling him but promptly surprising him. Ajal didn't bother to count it. The man looked bewildered as the notorious eight foot man walked down hall toward the elevator. Ajal clicked the button with an arrow that pointed down.
"The archbishops from the other clans will be attending as well," Ajal answered.
He put one finger on the blue hologram and turned the map, changing the display to a side view of the city, the red dot that had appeared was now near the bottom of the display, while Ajal's position was much higher. The walls of the elevator were dyed with the blue light of the hologram.
"Anyways, I just wanted to confirm your attendance so we can organize the banquet. Have a great night Anor, I'll see you tomorrow," Ajal concluded the conversation as he pressed the button for the tenth floor.
"You too my friend, oh, and we won't be forgetting the tributes for Ra, our city requires prosperity after all," Anor chuckled before coughing raggedly.
Ajal's stomach turned at that last line. He glared up at a panel in the elevator that displayed the current floor number, the number was currently at forty. Ajal clicked a button on his collar and it reopened the number pad. He punched in a new code, and then waited for an answer.
"I'm listening," Gale picked up.
"I have the archbishop's signal, he's in the church as we expected. I'm heading in, inform everyone to be ready, you're moving in as soon as Ryu takes out the lights," Ajal ordered.
"Got it," Gale responded quickly.
Ajal stopped at the tenth floor and exited the elevator, he turned and walked down a pathway.
"That old bastard, he's planning on tributing more innocent people," Ajal spoke into the device as he walked down the hall.
"Well... That's what we're here for, to end him," said Gale.
"Yeah," Ajal clicked the device on his collar to end the call.
Ajal exited the hallway and took a left into a lobby that was used as a lounge. The light from outside bounced off the surface of the tables. Ajal walked between them to the glass door that led outside. As he walked outside, strong winds and an awful scent made him squint.
The snow fell into the depths of the city. The tops and bottoms of the buildings were lost in the clouds above and below. The annoying buzz from hover car engines could be heard all around, zipping by for miles in every direction. Lights from the buildings reflected off the snow and filled the fog with vibrant neon colors. But the air reeked of sewage and tar all the while.
Ajal stood over the edge of the balcony on the tenth floor, he stepped forward to see over it. The city streets were obscured and out of sight. He saw nothing other than the lights in the fog, as well as a hover car occasionally zoom by. The fog of Solron made it difficult to even see a short distance ahead.
Ajal lowered his knee to the floor and placed his hand just over the snow-covered ledge. 'Dark Passage.' A black and white flame appeared on his hand. He placed his palm on the ledge, leaving a patch of black and white flame in the same spot. Ajal stood up and clicked the device on his collar.
"It's time. Ryu, cut the lights," Ajal ordered.
A bright blue light flashed high up above somewhere else in the city. The glass behind Ajal rattled as the thunder clap reached his ears, the lights all slowly began to turn off. The snow that reflected bright colors were now just white flakes in a sea of darkness. The hum of electrical circuits came to an abrupt stop.
Ajal looked through the clouds of smoke in front of him, the roads below which split the buildings in front of him made it the perfect path to the church. Ajal stepped off the edge of the building, and dropped into the fog. He descended fearlessly to the streets below, picking up speed while falling. The wind pressed against his face. His hair whipped back in forth in every direction, he put his arms to his side and began to dive head first at full speed.
A vertical line split the middle of his forehead and his skin pulled to the sides to reveal a purple third eye. Ajal listened to his cape flail in the wind, the strong gusts made him feel relaxed rather than tense. He didn't see the ground, only the fog a short distance away. As the dark ground became visible, his third eye flashed purple. A black-and-white aura shrouded his body as he collided with the ground. But instead of crashing into it, he slipped right through and appeared at the mark made at the tenth floor of the Solkaz building.
The momentum from the fall propelled Ajal through the air, and between the buildings. He soared horizontally towards the church, descending as he slowed down. After a few seconds, the back up generators across the city activated, lights in the city started to turn back on. He stretched out his hand, and focused his vast spirit into it. 'Spirit...'
A black shadow spilled out of Ajal's palm and formed into a pole. Ajal clutched it while he flew, holding it above his head. The liquid-like shadows curved at the end, manifesting into a black blade. 'Ignition!' Ajal swung the scythe down through the air, the force of his spirit ignition made his swing stronger. The fog split to the sides in front of him as a slice echoed through the silence. A slash of pure force cut through the fog, then cleaved through the wall of the church.
Chunks of the building smashed down around him, filling the foggy streets with dust. Ajal landed feet first on the ground of the street below, the white snow had piled up quite a lot as it submerged most of Ajal's boots. His feet shivered, the air was intoxicated with the pungent smell of the sewer.
Ajal walked through the opening he made and stepped onto the red carpet in the nave of the church. The snow off his boots left dark stains on the rug. Multiple followers of the church were already in a panic from the crash, they cowered in fear at the sight of the eight-foot man with three eyes emerging from the smoke. Ajal closed his third eye as he walked past the citizens and up the stairs toward the archbishop.
Anor was a wrinkly old man, with long messy grey hair and saggy eyes. He wore white robes, decorated with red and yellow symbols circles near the edges. Anor reached for his staff, then he struggled to his feet. The old man was shocked at the sight of the person he had just spoken to a few minutes earlier.
"Good evening Anor," Ajal greeted him with a livid glare.
Ajal approached the old man with his scythe in hand. The civilians attempted to run through the opening however, they stopped as more figures clad in Imperial uniforms entered the church. Ajal's team blocked the followers at the entrance.
"What is the meaning of this Ajal! We just spoke!" the archbishop cried.
"With your death, Imperion can welcome its new future," Ajal replied with a cold smile. "A future where people don't have to suffer just for your benefit..."
"What- Then... The others-" Anor grimaced as his rage boiled. "You call this peace? Destroying my temple! Ra will not stand for such-" Ajal lifted his scythe, and Anor cowered.
"Your actions here are a disgrace to Ra. I can't see why he would care about your temple. His followers needlessly die here, thinking that their sacrifice will bring prosperity for Solron, except the fact they only contribute to the ongoing industrialization of their home."
"You- You knew?!" Anor's voice shook with his whole body. "I mean- Ajal, please! Come to your senses! I- I've always been there for you! I raised you! Like a son!"
"Your not my father... You make me sick... The people of Imperion don't need middlemen between Ra or any of the demigods, your temple is merely a façade. These people deserve bet-"
"I am an asset to the Imperial higher-ups!" Anor screamed out, interrupting Ajal.
Anor raised his hands in the air as he tried to reason. Ajal's face twitched as he held the scythe at the old man's neck, he raised his scythe, the old man cowered.
"Shin will be the next king! What do you think he will do when he finds out what you've done!" Anor cried.
"Shin wanted me to kill you," Ajal revealed, the old man's expression sank. "Shin and Enma wanted me to send you their regards... They value life after all, more than anyone else I know. But me... After everything you did... I don't give a single fuck about you... I'm almost excited to kill you... I'm glad that you'll be the last person I ever cut down."
"Wai-" Anor tried to speak, but couldn't get the word out before Ajal's blade glided through his neck.
The body of the old man fell onto its side, his head dropped onto the floor with a thud. After a few seconds, smoke rose from the corpse, forming into a ball, and glowing more yellow as the substance collected. The ball of light in front of Ajal shone brightly, its beautiful radiance illuminated the room riddled with destruction. 'Even the soul of the worst scumbag is still this bright...' As all the light from the archbishops body collected, it cracked like glass and crumbled into the air. Under where the ball of light once shone, lay the corpse of Anor Ranad. A cold breeze from outside scraped over Ajal's skin, and his scythe vanished. He turned and walked toward the exit.
"Don't let the followers leave. Word of what happened here can't get out yet," Ajal ordered.
He clicked the device on his collar.
"Shin, it's over," said Ajal.
"So he's dead then. Excellent," Shin replied.
Ajal waited for several seconds, but Shin didn't say anything else. Ajal raised an eyebrow, he felt confused. He clicked the device again.
"Hey, what about the followers... Shin? You there?" Ajal turned once more but heard no response. "Did I lose the signal?"
Screams suddenly filled the room. Ajal quickly looked over his shoulder to see the source of the noise. He was shocked to see his friends attack the captive followers at the front of the church. Titan ruthlessly plunged his halberd through a woman. Ava's tail extended, wrapping around a man's throat. She choked him with a cold glare. 'Ava, Titan... What are you...' Ryu raised his hand toward another child, he released a bolt of electricity that instant vaporized him. 'An enemy?! Is someone controlling them?!' Ajal opened his third eye, still in disbelief at what he was seeing.
'Dark abyss!' A wave extended out of his third eye, sapping the color out of everything it passed over. Everything the wave touched, nullified the ether of the Celestial and caused their gifts to vanish. The black and white wave receded back into Ajal's head. However, Gale still proceeded to stab his blade through a young man. The blood splattered onto his white cape, the red carpet, and the wooden walls. The man tried to reach for the blade but Gale tore it out of him. The old man fell to the ground helpless as he slowly passed, reaching for his family in his final moments. Ajal remained speechless, frozen in front of the corpse of Anor Ranad. 'It's not a gift? They aren't... Being controlled?'
"Hey, what the hell are you-" Ajal was cut off as Aria clapped her hands together.
A circle of light surrounded the dying man's family. 'Aria... Wait-' It erupted into a bright white inferno, the silhouette of their bodies crumbled within as they were burned to dust. Aria's bangs covered her eyes as the light dissipated. Weak pleas croaked from their charred corpses.
A young girl among the followers, no older than twelve looked around in panic, her face horrified. She quickly grasped her younger brother's hand. The two in grey tried to hopelessly run away from the entrance. Enma noticed, two wings of flame sprouted off his back. The flames spewed out of his back, propelling him forward. He grabbed the two children who tried to run and flew to the top of the room. 'Hey... Wait... Enma... Don't...' Ajal watched in disbelief as Enma let them go from that height, the bodies of the two young children spun slowly in the air. Their terrified cries echoed through the room.
"No!" Ajal screamed.
Ajal dashed forward as fast as he could. Enma changed course toward him. 'I can save them!' Ajal jumped upward, catching the young girl and holding her close to his chest. She clung to his left side, huffing frantically with shut eyes. As soon as he hit the ground he crouched down and took a short breath. Then immediately lunged for the younger brother. However, Enma flew toward him and angled his feet toward him.
"Enma! Stop!" Ajal pleaded desperately.
Enma dived in, his shoes engulfed themselves in a red flame. 'Shit!' Ajal shielded the girl and blocked Enma's feet with his right shoulder. The force of Enma's kick launched flame forward, burning Ajal while he was blocking the impact. Ajal tried to shield the girl but she shrieked at the flames touch. Ajal's arm stung from the impact, his arm continued to burn at the touch of the flames. Enma's wings began to grow and pushed him forward, adding more force to his kick. 'They aren't being controlled?! They're doing this of their own will?!' Ajal's thoughts raced, however, his eyes widened as Enma focused his spirit on his legs. The red flames flared as Enma ignited his spirit, launching Ajal across the church.
"Rgh!" Ajal grunted as his feet left the floor.
Ajal flew backward, he quickly curled his body inward to protect the child. His back slammed into the wall and crashed right through it, tumbling into a dark room at the back of the church, coughing in pain. Ajal looked up to see specs of dust flying in the light from the room he was just in. The specs became brighter and hotter. Flames from his clothes had spread to the junk around the room. 'Dark Abyss!' Ajal's third eye opened and let out a wave that surrounded him and the little girl. The grey field sapped the color from everything it passed over, and extinguished the flames.
Ajal looked down to see if the girl was okay, she had blonde hair and fair skin. The young girl's white eyes were wide open despite being unconscious, her terrified expression sending waves of guilt over Ajal. The flames burned the sleeve on her right arm, and her face was scarred from her neck to the right cheek, but she was still alive.
'She's okay... She's okay... The other-' Ajal looked through the hole in the wall to see a mangled body on the ground. The child's legs took the brunt of the impact from the way the femur stuck out of his thigh, one of his arms was even bent backward. The little boy's body oozed blood from various places. Ajal lifted the small girl, he took off his cape and wrapped it around her. There was a large wooden box tipped over onto its side. Ajal opened it and gently placed the little girl within it. He couldn't take his eyes away from her terrified face, he covered her body with a cloth.
"I'm so sorry," Ajal whispered with grit teeth, he looked up and walked back into the church.
Bloody corpses littered the floor. Men, women, and even children all lay lifeless at the front of the church. Light rose from all their bodies. Ajal looked down at the remains of the child who fell, and just like the others, particles of light drifted out of his body as well. It collected into the shape of a ball, and faded into the air. Ajal's expression remained cold before he looked up at his squad, he wore a lifeless expression.
"I was hoping this would be the last time I saw this. I never told any of you this before, but this eye of mine allows me to see what happens to the soul when someone dies," Ajal explained as he pointed his thumb at his forehead.
Titan pulled his silver halberd out of a corpse and whipped the blood off it before he took a stance. His friends slowly spread out, each of them glaring right at him. 'Seems like I'm next...'
"Their souls drift off and disappear into nothing. That's it. Why would anyone want that? Why would I want any more of that? I wanted this to be the end... Why would you do this... The archbishop was dead, there was no need to kill the followers, so why?" Ajal asked calmly.
He reached forward into the air as his third eye flashed, a black scythe manifested out of his palm. 'They aren't saying anything...' They slowly spread approached Ajal.
"So, you're going to kill me too..." Ajal gripped his scythe and readied himself to fight, however, his hand was shaking at the thought of it.
Titan ran forward and leaped into the air, he closed the distance quickly despite his size and swung his halberd down. Ajal raised his scythe and parried the blow, Titan stumbled backward. Ajal quickly spun his scythe in his hand and repositioned for another strike before he cleaved upwards. 'Spirit Ignition!' Titan quickly guarded, but the force from Ajal's strike knocked the large man off his feet.
Ajal spun his scythe around to follow up, but Gale dashed from under the airborne Titan and swung his sword up. Ajal swung his scythe down, and the two clashed, their weapons grinding against each other. Ajal looked Gale dead in the eyes, he was still as calm as he was earlier. Gale kicked Ajal back as Titan crashed into the ground on his back. Enma flew forward. 'Gale and Ava are the best at spirit arts, I need to watch out for them!' Ajal jumped and raised his leg over Gale, then slammed his foot down. Gale dodged, but before Ajal could follow up, he felt another kick to his left.
'Guh!' Ajal gasped as he was launched to the other side of the church. Before he hit the ground he flipped in mid-air and recovered quickly, his feet dragging against the wooden floor. Enma floated where Ajal had just been. Ajal grit his teeth.
"Enma..." Ajal hissed.
A blue light flooded the room. A sudden roar caught his attention as Ryu's dragon Antiri grew to a towering size, she let out a thunderous roar as sparks of blue lightning acted as its scales. 'Shit...' The dragon charged towards him. He attempted to jump, but stopped as he felt a sharp pain stab his right knee and ankle. He looked down to see two of Kono's knives stuck deep into his right thigh. He didn't have time to take it out as he looked up to see Antiri charge toward him.
The snake-like dragon opened its massive maw, only for Ajal's third eye to open and flash. 'Dark Abyss!' The wave expanded outwards out of his third eye, as it reached Antiri, the dragon disappeared and revealed Ryu. The little boy tumbled forward from the inside of the dragon only to get knocked out by a quick strike from the back of Ajal's scythe. 'Even Ryu is coming at me for the kill...' Ajal looked down at his thigh and pulled the two knives out, he winced at the sharp pain.
'Kono is attacking from my blind spots...' He looked around the room. 'I can't see Ava-' He turned to see Gale sprint towards him and swing his sword. Ajal redirected Gale's strike, spun his scythe, and swung again to disarm him. Ajal breathed in, grasped his scythe with both hands and raised it to strike. But he felt a chill run down his spine. Ajal hesitated, turning his scythe, and slamming him with the blunt end of the staff. Gale swiped at Ajal with a short dagger, before getting launched to the other side of the church. Gale threw the dagger, and Ajal dodged backward but a thick purple tail coiled around his leg. 'Shit!' He was yanked off his feet and dangled upside down. The long purple tail suspended Ajal in the air. He grimaced, and his eyebrows furrowed when he saw the woman he loved.
Ava released his leg and jumped, Ajal fell toward her at the same time. 'Block!' Ava spun and swung her leg towards his head. Ajal focused his spirit into his arms to block the kick. The smack echoed through the church, his forearms stung, he couldn't brace himself against the impact. Ajal flew through a wooden pillar, crashing into the ground and rolling onto his stomach. 'Ahagh!' Ajal huffed as he slipped into a shadow, and fell through. 'Ava... Even you... You...'
The inside of the shadow was nothing but darkness, the only exit were the shadows outside. Ajal floated in the cracked rifts within the darkness, there were white rifts above him he could use to exit. 'I can't... I can't do this... Getting away is the best option for now!' Ajal looked for a shadow that led out of the church but heard footsteps approach behind him. 'Shit! I taught-' Ajal turned as Kono charged at him through the darkness. He raised his hands to block but instead, she tackled him with all her weight and pushed him out of the shadow.
'Shit-' Ajal's third eye throbbed, an attack was coming, but he didn't have time to think. He was immediately lashed in the head by Ava's tail. Ajal felt his skull crack and his neck whip to the left. He was launched through the air, spinning into the middle of the church, and crashing into several chairs along the way. Ajal grasped his head, but his attention was drawn to an indigo-colored light that glowed at the front of the church.
Ajal looked up to see Kadyr at the back of the room with his hands on the floor. 'He's going to use Akara's Idol?! They really are trying to kill me...' Ajal gulped as he stood up quickly, his body going numb from the pain. A black aura surrounded his body as he prepared to engage Kadyr. He tried to move, but his legs didn't. Instead, they felt colder than they did outside.
Ajal looked down and noticed the ground around him was frozen, his feet were stuck in ice. He looked up to see Crystal with her left hand on the floor, glowing a bright white light. A trail of ice had spread across the ground from her hand to his feet. Ajal then heard rapid and heavy steps against the ice. Gale charged in with his sword, and Titan with his halberd. 'Damn!'
Ajal raised his scythe to smash the ground but he felt something pull it from his grasp. He glanced backward, only to see Ava behind him, her tail coiled around the scythe. 'Shit...' Gale stepped on Titan's halberd. The massive man made of metal swung the swordsmen forward. Gale flew through the room towards Ajal. At the same time, he felt the scythe Ava had stolen from him pierce through his right shoulder.
"Agh!" Ajal flinched.
'I can't dodge-' Gale's sword pierced straight through the left side of Ajal's abdomen. Red blood splattered against Ajal's white cowl. He had no time to register the pain as Gale tackled him with his shoulder which broke him out of the ice and knocked him backward. The scythe in his back vanished into the shadows. Gale stood, stepped down on Ajal's chest, then ripped the sword out of him.
"Ahagh-" Ajal wailed as his mouth filled with blood.
Ajal clenched his teeth from the pain, he held his wound tightly. Warm blood flowed out of him and leaked through his fingers. He wheezed with wide eyes, inhaling more liquid than air. His vision was hazy but three sources of light began to brighten the entire room. Gale raised his sword once more to stab him. 'Dark Passage!' Ajal's left hand was covered in a black and white flame, he quickly left a mark on the ground at the same time Gale thrusted his sword toward his head. 'Dark Passage!' Gale's eyes lit up as Ajal disappeared, and reappeared standing upright out of the blade's way with his right foot raised. 'Spirit!' Gale's green eyes widened. 'Ignition!' Ajal kicked straight forward, striking him in the chest.
"Ack!" Gale coughed, he tumbled backward and bounced back to his feet.
Ajal breathed in and out as he looked up at the source of the light. Aria had a magic circle behind her, shining a radiant white as she combined multiple spells together. Enma put his right foot forward which ignited into a red flame, growing brighter as he prepared to launch a devastating attack. Kadyr stood under Akara's Idol, a large statue with six arms, three wolf-like heads, and blue sapphire gemstones for eyes. 'Using Dark Abyss will get me killed immediately... I can't erase Aria's magic... If I get engulfed with light that strong... My dark abilities will be cancelled... It'll hurt like hell... And leave me defenseless against the rest...' Ajal looked around. Each of them kept their distance from him, awaiting his next move. 'If I use my eclipse magic... I could stop Aria's attack... But I can't use my dark abilities while I use magic... Leaving me just as defenseless... This is bad... They really thought this through...'
The statue behind Kadyr glared down at Ajal with it's unnerving gemstone eyes. The middle head had its mouth fully open, an indigo light seeped out of its maw, growing in intensity by the second. His focus was stolen as he heard someone spit. Ajal's third eye throbbed, and he reflexively ducked as Ava's acid flew over his head. At the same time, two of Kono's knives flew at him. He tried to dodge, but a bolt of Ryu's blue lightning crackled through the room and hit him directly.
"Ack!" Ajal grimaced with wide eyes as the electricity coursed through him.
'Of course they wouldn't just give me time to breathe, nope that's too kind!' Ajal was staggered for a moment as Kono's knives pierced his left arm. Crystal took the opportunity, hoisting up a piece of wood with her left hand, encasing it in ice and turning it into a spear. She threw it directly at him, he leaned to his left and just barely dodged it. But then, he noticed movement in the corner of his eye. He looked to his right and saw Titan hurl his halberd straight toward him as well. He had no time to dodge, the blade was coming directly for his head. Ajal leaned his head to the right as he turned his face to the left, moving just enough out of the way to avoid the fatal blow. The blade grazed his left eye.
"Agh!" Ajal winced.
Ajal stumbled backward, clutching his face as more of his blood spilled over his hands. He moaned in agony at the pain in his eye which spread through his face. He tried to open his eye, but he could only see red. A sudden kick to his back launched him off his feet once again before he could understand his surroundings. 'Ah, damn this is frustrating!' Ava followed up with a series of kicks to the same spot, each amplified by spirit. 'I can't fight all of them at once!' Ajal fell forward, but was stopped as he felt someone's knee hit the wound on his stomach. 'Rgh!' His right eye opened wide to see Kono. As he saw her up close, Ajal could clearly see her eyes shake hesitantly.
'Fight?' Ajal's body swayed weakly in front of the woman he himself trained. Kono drew two knives from her belt with one hand and threw them at Ajal's left leg, he anticipated an attack from Ava or Gale at the same time. 'Why am I fighting again... The Archbishop is dead.' Ajal jumped high, he held his left eye, and his head was hazy from all the blood he had lost. He sensed Ava's spirit to the left, and quickly guarded his front. She spun through the air and delivered a heavy kick with the momentum, launching him back to the ground.
Ajal smashed through the podium, tumbling over backward and stopping next to the hole he flew through earlier. Aria, Enma, and Kadyr continued to charge their attacks, they intended to finish this. 'I can't fight anymore... I don't know if that little girl will survive this blast...' The three of them prepared to fire, Ajal stood up with blood spilling from his mouth. He opened his third eye, it was lit bright purple. It glowed brighter with each second, particles of darkness around him floated toward it. Ajal felt a pressure welling up in his forehead. He looked forward, his left eye still throbbing in pain. 'If I can at least save that one girl...' Ajal felt a chill as he realized this was the end, he smiled.
"It was all a lie then... None of you are even saying a word to me. All those years we spent together... Were they so insignificant that I'm not even worth saying goodbye to..." Ajal laughed, grinning with a mad expression on his face as he huffed heavy breaths.
Ajal looked Ava in the eyes even though he couldn't see her face. He struggled to see any of them except for Akara's Idol. Two of the statues heads looked down on him with its terrifying glare. Blood covered his eyes, but even so, he could feel his tears falling. 'The archbishops are dead... And with me gone... Then voyistus can no longer be made... This is what we always wanted for Imperion...' Ajal smiled as his eyes quivered. 'Maybe... This was for the best...'
"Peace... Requires sacrifice... Right?" Ajal let out a weak laugh. "Enjoy the future... Looks like this is the end of the road for me... I'll be seeing you soon, Natalia..."
Ajal's third eye glowed brighter and brighter, its pressure rumbling through the room. The circle behind Aria released a bright white beam of light. Enma raised his right leg straight into the air and swung down, releasing a focused arch of fire from his foot. Kadyr's statue spat a massive blast from its mouth with a bone-chilling roar. The light from the three attacks was blinding, it obliterated every part of the church it touched.
"Dark... Blast!" Ajal roared.
Ajal fired a bright purple beam from his third eye. The attacks collided and the energy bursted outwards, creating a massive explosion that engulfed the church and the buildings that surrounded it in a pale inferno. Ajal flew backward from the force of the blast, soaring through several buildings, and slamming into multiple walls. His head crashed through wooden pillars, and then his shoulder through concrete. He eventually stopped as he rolled onto a pavement covered in glass.
"Ack-" Ajal coughed weakly, his throat filled with dust.
The ground was old and cracked, Ajal pushed himself up against the rugged concrete. He looked up and saw nothing but smoke. He listened to the sounds of buildings crash around him, rumbling the rest of the city. A collection of screams filled the air in response to the sudden chaos. 'I'm not dead...'
The asphalt in the air stung his nose and wounds, especially the one on his left eye. 'But... If I live then...' Ajal coughed up a mouthful of blood, it splattered against the ground. He huffed as he looked at the puddle of it. 'I hate to say it... You were the same weren't you Anor... Clinging to life even after it rejected you... Heh...' Ajal looked up, the force of the explosion pushed much of the smog away. He paused as he saw the moon shine brightly beyond the tips of the massive skyscrapers, it's beauty was mesmerizing.
Ajal walked through the smoke and over debris as he gazed up at the moon. His uniform had been burned off. Blood continued to spill out of his wounds. He struggled to walk, but eventually noticed a large shadow in the smoke. As he got closer he saw the white letters against a blue surface. '#78-MC Imperial Dragoon.'
'The dropship?!' Ajal didn't think twice and limped through the open hatch, hitting a lever on his way in and closing the hatch. He quickly made his way through the cramped corridor, however, he fell onto his knees in the middle of the hallway. He felt his throat fill as he coughed up even more blood. 'Huh...' Ajal looked at his stomach and saw a steady stream of it drip out.
His hand pressed against the cold yet smooth floor warmed by blood, he tried to get up again but he slipped and fell back down. 'I'm almost... Almost in the clear, come on!' Ajal used all his strength to reach the cockpit, he dragged his body onto the seat. Grabbed onto the edge of the table, flipped the power switch, and activated the engine. He pushed a knob forward and the ship started to rise quickly. Ajal flicked a switch which activated the ships autopilot. 'I just... Have to get to someplace safe... Some place I can lay low...'
"Autopilot initiated," a mechanical voice spoke.
"Autopilot, set course... Anywhere away from Imperial settlements... Off planet if you have to... The nearest pla- Ack!"
Even more blood flooded Ajal's mouth, and his vision became too blurry to see. The thrusters started to rumble. Ajal's head swung groggily. He fell and knocked the already fallen wine glass off the table. His hand slammed into the chair as he tried to stop himself. Ajal held on to the seat, but his fingers went cold. 'What am I going do... When I wake up... If I even-' Ajal's strength gave out, and he slammed face-first onto the floor. The dropship soared into the air at a high speed and turned upwards. Ajal closed his eyes, he felt his conscious sink comfortably into the cold metal floor.
"Affirmative. Setting course to the nearest planet," the mechanical voice on the ship replied.