(Erlend Mudd, Battleground)
Watching one of the most influential men in this world scream incoherently as everything collapsed right in front of him made for quite the sight.
Erlend took satisfaction in it all, uncaring for the chaos around them.
Snarling, "You…" Antaryon pointed at him.
"Yes, me." He said blandly to the hysterical fellow.
"And you…" Whirling towards Visenya with a snarl, practically frothing with rage. "Won't get away with this, my allies will deal with you."
The last part was said so confidently that Erlend had to lean in with interest. Basso had been supremely confident that the Sealord was unaware of his ally's true nature, thinking that the man stubbornly believed he could control the unnatural anomaly.
"The Khal. Yes, the Khal will deal with you, his strength is beyond your mortal comprehension." Antaryon said triumphantly, grasping at his last straw and declaring it to everyone around him.
An attempt to scare them, weak as it was.
"You do not realize just how out of depth you truly are, Mudd. This being is not your everyday warrior, he is a monster in human form. Nothing you do can prepare you for when he comes after you."
Never mind the fact that all his retainers around them were already dead, their throats slit by his shadows as soon as the scorpions had launched their attack. Or the fact that Erlend had been able to fool the man with an illusion that suggested a magical nature.
Knowing the man he'd likely assumed that Erlend had used some concoction rather than that he had magical capabilities.
"Huh, so you do know something and here I thought you could only dance to my strings." He japed, pausing a bit to let the Sealord understand his true situation. "Of course, it's all worthless in the end but I'll give you an A for effort."
If looks could kill, then Erlend had no doubt he'd drop dead right then. Visenya's hearty laughter did not help calm the Sealord any better.
"Where is this savage Khal anyway? You'd think he'd personally be present to deal with you." Visenya pointed out, not paying any more attention to the now incoherent Braavosi.
"Hmm, he'll show soon. I feel that he is just waiting for something to happen. An opportunity that we are unaware of, most likely" Erlend said vaguely.
If it wasn't the fall of his draconian children that his enemy was awaiting, what was?
Needing no prompt, his shadows swiftly rushed the impotent Sealord and brought him down to his knees. The unwillingness in his eyes was interesting enough, but not Erlend's focus.
Instead letting his aura expand beyond the battlegrounds and searching for the unique signature he sought.
Frowning, he felt nothing. As if the surroundings were empty and uninhabited, which shouldn't be the case as land this far off should have some form of wildlife to it.
Turning towards his wife, "Love, when was the last time any of your commanders sighted the Khal?" He asked.
"Just before we left to join up, Gorys witnessed the man slay another challenger. He even reported that the Khal was smiling, an oddity considering the savage chief had never shown any emotion previously." She responded with a raised eyebrow.
Erlend contemplated what to do next. It was odd for a being like that to leave things to chance, if he was in his enemy's shoes then he would personally ensure that someone like him truly fell.
Nothing should be left to chance since that always made things worse than they already were. Turning towards the battlefield once more, Erlend observed the slaughter happening. There was no ring or rhyme to it all, just sheer death.
There was a hint of something happening, though. Looking closely, he realized that every time one of the savages fell, their expression was one of triumph and acceptance. Contrasting with the hatred and unwillingness that could be found on the face of the Braavosi traitors.
Curious indeed.
He was missing something, the lack of surprise by the blood riders and the unfeeling acceptance of their situation was not normal in any way. Dothraki were an emotional people, this distinct lack of it was not only eerie but also telling.
"They never expected to win." He muttered to himself.
Visenya glanced at him, her uncaring expression shifting to that of genuine concern. "Darling? Have you found him yet?"
"Not yet, he's here. Yet at the same time not, it's quite jarring." His instincts insisted that his foe was present, yet his aura could not make head or tails of the Khal's location.
Again he was reminded of the failed assassination.
"Make sure some of the schemers are left alive, they'll be useful in finishing this farce up cleanly," Erlend said to his beloved, giving a quick peck before floating up into the air, not bothering to hide his powers anymore.
Antaryon stared at his worst enemy in horror, unable to understand what was happening. Those two were lovers? Wasn't this just a temporary alliance? Why could he fly without his dragons?
Erlend didn't need to even read the Sealord's mind to know what he was thinking. Of course, he still checked, just in case the Braavosi knew anything he might have missed.
Unfortunately, there was nothing, the man knew very little about the Khal, only that he was inhumanely powerful and was not someone any normal person, no matter their prowess, could deal with.
The defeated Braavosi was banking on the idea that Erlend would get killed by the monster in human skin, a naive yet admirable thought.
Still, this was going to be troublesome, his gut practically screamed at him.
…
Many of those fighting stared in shock as they witnessed Erlend just flying atop the battlefield some of his enemies tried to shoot him down with their bows, thinking they had an unprecedented opportunity in their hands.
His magic subconsciously reacted to these attacks with a protego maxima and shielded him not only from their attacks but also hid him from their sight.
His forces took advantage of the momentary shock to cut down their distracted foes, despite also being taken aback by the unexpected abilities of their leader.
Good thing Dragons were useful in preparing people for even more outrageous actions done by him.
Putting his focus on the more important matter, Erlend firmly understood that just using aura was not enough, especially when recalling the botched assassination attempt during the tourney a few years ago.
It would be reasonable to assume that the Khal was using a far more powerful version of the cloaking, so Erlend needed to use a more varied method in finding the hidden beast, whether he liked it or not, leaving a variable like that alive and getting stronger by the day was too risky.
So he chose to extend his senses beyond what was normal to him, merging his mind with it even further and expanding to a more in-depth sight.
Touching upon the elements that dominated his divinity, Erlend felt the earth around him, the particles in the air, and the soft-spoken breeze. More importantly, he observed the falling souls that dominated the battlefield, watching strings fall and their souls freed from their physical constraints.
Those that perished from the Company and the Banners acted as most souls tended to, flying high or sinking into the ground, be it to the skies or to the underworld and whatever their equivalent was.
Contrasting to this, the souls of the horse lords did neither, instead their souls all moved unwillingly and in unison towards a singular path.
This made the Conqueror frown, understanding immediately the true intent of his true enemy within the East. Shielding himself, much the same way his foe did, Erlend silently followed behind the growing congregation.
Throughout this all, thousands of lives were reaped from both sides, be it his allies, the traitors, or the Dothraki, no one was safe in this game of death.
Erlend kept an eye on the other souls, who while did appear to be attracted to the congregation, still embraced their end as all souls do.
His enemy did not influence them and if he did, then it was minimal at best.
Finally, reaching the end of the congregation, Erlend found nothing. There was no one there, only the souls alarmingly vanishing as soon as they reached a single location.
Yet, his connection to the world and the elements that formed its basic building block said otherwise, a vague imprint on the ground where the souls disappeared to could be felt.
It was an impressive work, had his divinity been on anything else, his foe might have eluded him, hell if he wasn't a divine and his connection to the elements was not as strong, he would have been fooled.
Unfortunately for his foe, reality demanded otherwise.
Reaching out inwardly, Erlend gently pushed his aura towards the souls of the Dothraki, locking them in place and halting their movements as they felt his full might press them to the ground.
Not daring to make a singular move that would see them squashed like bugs. Completely cut off from the power that once attracted them.
At first, there was no reaction from the hidden area, despite feeling amiss. Everything remained silent and nothing could be seen.
Erlend waited patiently, anticipating the reaction of his enemy, and prepared to strike the moment they made their move.
Gingerly, a faint smoke escaped the seemingly nondescript empty plain, searching for a reason why its constant supply of fallen Dothraki souls had stopped.
Unfortunately, this gave Erlend everything he needed to act. His full power released immediately and struck at the smoke. As soon as this happened, an unholy shriek of agony was released.
The alarmed smoke swiftly retreated into the hidden location, not daring to come out as its senses screamed danger.
If Erlend had to compare it to something, then it felt like he had cut off a finger, painful, but in no way near enough to bring his enemy out into the open.
This went on for hours, this game of cat and mouse, every time the smoke tested the waters so to speak, Erlend was there and ready to strike, there was no mercy to be had for this dangerous foe.
He knew that they would eventually lose patience, it was only a matter of time. Trapped as it was, there was nowhere it could escape.
Erlend had all the time in the world to do what was needed.
A quick look into the battlefield showed that his forces would soon crush the last vestige of his gathered enemies, the Banner's expertly bringing down the Braavosi traitors, whilst working in tandem with the company to wipe out what remained of the Dothraki.
Visenya taking charge had momentarily stunned his men, but the unexpected revelation of the Company's true allegiance and the 'sudden' treachery of their supposed allies kept anyone from dissenting his appointment of her.
Erlend was glad that things were wrapping up quite nicely, now if only this bastard would stop hiding within his shell, then everything would be great.
…
He felt, rather than saw his foe's actions.
The constant back and forth between the two agitated it beyond measure and wore down whatever patience it had. Thus, when his instincts screamed at him to do so, he did not hesitate to raise his arms, just in time to block a strike aimed right at his heart.
There was no time to think, as the air around him cracked with a loud bang. His opponent retreated to the ground the minute they failed.
A bemused smile spread across his face, a being that represented a culture known for its brutality and straightforwardness deciding to go for a sneak attack of all things.
Tsk... How blasphemous.
Keeping his eye on the now visible foe, Erlend reached towards his trusted blade. He might mainly be a mage, but no one said anything about sticking strictly to one's class.
The now visible foe was none other than the elusive Khal himself. Finally coming out of hiding!
Smashing its fists into the ground and causing the environment around them to shake, the Khal pointed at him with a mix of confusion and hatred. "You. Not Weak. Impossible!"
Hmm, so this was why the god was so proactive lately, to the point of seizing the body of its follower to deal with him.
"I don't know why you lot keep underestimating me. One would assume you'd learn." Erlend mused, shaking his head at the bullheadedness of this lot. "Tell me, Horse God, how many sacrifices did it take to maintain your power within this body, Hmm."
It would explain why the souls of the Dothraki kept heading this way, the divine entity was using them as batteries to maintain its presence in this world.
Ah, the callousness of God's towards mortal lives, and to his followers no less.
Instead of answering him politely, the divine in the human body grabbed at the ground, ripping the earth apart and sending it straight toward the Monarch.
Unsurprisingly, it did diddly squat.
Frowning at the insult he'd received, Erlend pointed right back at the fucker, lightning dancing around his sword in preparation. The lighting once sufficiently powered, made a beeline right for the Khal, sending him crashing into the ground behind him and creating a new crater.
All that came out of the possessed savage was a grunt of pain this beast was built differently. Understandable considering the amount of souls absorbed to wield the divine strength of his god.
Getting up, the Khal approached Erlend once more, his footsteps being particularly loud as he weighed heavily on the earth beneath him, creating footprints wherever he stepped.
His body was marred by the lightning that still crackled around his body. One would call him fat, if not for the sheer amount of muscles that bulged all over him. This was a figure that would make a bodybuilder look down in shame. His golden eyes glowed with anger and impotent fury.
The injuries were healing at a visible rate, only taking seconds to disappear every time the lightning left a mark.
Another perk of absorbing souls. How quaint.
Erlend, not one to let his enemy have an easy time, raised his blade once more, this time the air around them began to feel heavy and damp, making the Khal below visibly frown, his body tense as a bowstring, preparing himself for whatever Erlend intended.
Drops began to form around them, whilst the air pressed onto their skins, making it difficult for any normal human to move.
Being gods and all, this didn't affect them, the god snorted, unimpressed by Erlend's actions. Wisely, the Horse God retreated despite his contempt, sensing that the nature god above him was not done yet.
Erlend did not let up, as more and more waterdrops began to form. It got to a point that right above the Khal's head, a lake's worth of water floated above.
It did not stop there.
Putting away his contempt, the Khal took one look at Erlend, staring at him grimly and getting into position.
The air around them could only be described as heavy, damp, and sticky. A rarity in Essos and one that caught the attention of those still fighting in the battle adjacent to the two deities.
Neither god paid the terrified mortals any heed, as they gazed at each other warily.
Well, one side did at least.
A loud snarl escaped the Khal's lips, his face contorting and pressure beginning to emit from him, as his legs bent. Then and there, the horse god made a decision, deciding to stop Erlend from achieving his goal.
As the ground below the Khal exploded, Erlend idly wondered if this was the third or fourth one to date. Something intangible coiled tightly around the horse god, the air sparked and his eyes glowed with an indescribable light as he shot towards the floating King.
Instantly, Erlend's magic reacted, countering the inconceivable pressure that fell upon its owner's shoulders, as what could only be described as the weight of the world pressed down on the younger God, his eyes glowing a brilliant green that contrasted his foes' golden ones. Still focused on the spell, rather than his enemy.
"DIE. ANOMALY!" Roared the deity-given human form, appearing right above the flying Erlend, with nothing but pure speed and strength.
If one looked at the ground it used to then all they would see was a hole large enough to encompass a sizable town.
Erlend simply smirked up towards his enemy, whose fists greeted not Erlend's face as intended, but rather an overpowered protego maxima. Still, the horse gods' strike sent shockwaves around them, causing a familiar crack in the air.
The deity snarled furiously, enraged as Erlend blocked his attack once more.
He could feel his children's desire to come to his side, yet Erlend firmly denied them, ordering them to remain where they were. Contrary to how it appeared at first glance, these attacks by the Khal were strong enough to split mountains.
Baring his teeth, "You've had your fun, Horse God. Now it's mine." Erlend said.
In response to his words, the water particles around the two gathered and began to encircle them.
Adding to that, Erlend finally took action, taking advantage of the other gods' distraction. A loud bang was heard, as a huge force caused by the younger deity's legs sounded.
The Khal's eyes widened, not expecting the power behind his enemy's kick. Sweeping him away and sending him hurtling downwards.
The hole left by the God's impact was immense a loud groan could be heard coming from it as the Khal tried to get his bearings, around him the earth began to shift as multiple hands appeared and grabbed onto his limbs.
His strength finally became useful as the arms struggled to keep hold of him, for every arm that appeared another would break. Having had enough of this, the Khal's eyes glowed once again, letting out a shockwave that enveloped the area around him and created an empty space.
'Hmm, it would not be a terrible idea to release a colossal against him.' Just as the thought crossed Erlend's mind, the earth beneath shifted as a massive head rose from the ground.
The victorious look on his opponent's face quickly changed as faced a colossal titan made out of rock and earth, raising its foot right at the momentarily shocked Khal who crossed his arms just in time to prevent the titan from flattening him.
Erlend observed this with a keen eye, wanting to see how strong his titan was. Even limited by the mortal shell, the horse god made for a decent measuring tool, it would be rude not to make use of the given opportunity.
Disappointedly, with the shock wearing off. The Khal used his divine strength to gain the upper hand against the titan, whose form broke as it was forcefully pushed back. First to go were the legs, the rest of the body following suit shortly after.
Amusingly the deity had to deal with a not-so-insignificant amount of rocks and debris falling upon him, which was not helped by the onrush of never-ending water heading directly towards him.
Struggling as best as he could and despite the ridiculous strength he wielded, the horse lord could do very little to push back against the supernatural tide, one that was merged with a unique property specially made to constrain divine power.
What do you do when a brute meets a mage? You make sure he can never make use of his physical advantages against you.
Erlend was aware that unfortunately, killing his foe instantly wouldn't be possible, the amount of souls absorbed made it so that it would take a long time to permanently put an end to him. Those souls constantly healed all the Khal's injuries and kept him firmly tied to the mortal plane.
'Well. I suppose there's always the Uzumaki way of doing things.'
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Note: I hesitate to call this a true fight, seeing that from the beginning Erlend held the advantage. The horse god was limited by a mortal body that had at most a year or so to accommodate his power, misinformation and the inability to put his true strength to the test made it relatively easy for Erlend to counter. Sort of Disappointed how this turned out, its my first time writing a fighting scene and it feels like it's missing something, will probably come back to change it up once the fic is done and dusted with.