Chapter 2
War Of Five Worlds
"Zachariah Agrabath!!!"
Hearing my own name shouted out with so much malice almost made my skin crawl. My senses had long since shut themselves from everything outside the Fourth World. Anything that happened outside could be handled by Delissa- that is, my wife, with little to no trouble. I could trust her to keep South Landis stable, to maintain peace within our borders. That was her job. My job was to keep enemies outside our borders from ever attacking our city.
Even if said enemies happened to be former allies. I wiped the liquid off my eyes, it improved my sight somewhat but seeing anything other than red would be challenging for a while.
Red? I thought.
The liquid that leaked out my eyes weren't tears. It was blood. My blood. I was bleeding from my eyes more than usual. Perhaps it was a side effect of me over using my Deneran. Or was it a sign that I truly was going mad as Solar said. No. Thinking about such things wouldn't get me anywhere. I'd have to worry about my health later. At the moment there was a more pressing issue, a monstrous issue. Zarcon.
He let out a ferocious roar that cleared up every cloud that blanketed the sky revealing it's full crimson hue. Another reminder that I was in Hell. As if the blood filled lakes and the stench of demons wasn't already enough.
"Come, Agrabath," he growled. "Let's end this once and for all!!"
True.
"You're right, brother. This does have to end. Today. Right here. Right now."
I pointed my sword at him, it's edge fixed sorely on him. My hands trembled slightly. No surprise really, the amount of mana radiating from him was incredible. I never thought he'd get so strong. Let alone be stronger than me.
Within a fraction of a second he was already in front of me- swinging with all his might. I ducked down to dodge but the sheer force of his swing flung me like a helpless child. The ground wailed and shattered in response to Zarcon's attack.
He's fast! I thought.
Zarcon smirked at me then rushed me again. This time he left no room for me to dodge- only parry, and even that was getting more and more difficult with each swing. His fists, hardened and covered in dragon scales, clashed against my long sword.
"Come now, Zachariah. Is this the best you can do!?" he taunted.
His taunting irked me if ever so slightly. But I couldn't afford to let it show. If my emotions started slipping out of my sleeves it would be the end of me and that tiny crack- that split second miscalculation is exactly what Zarcon was praying for.
I jumped away from him to get some distance, landing a few meters away I pressed my hand to the ground.
"Burn Away," I chanted. "Heathen Hell Fyre!!!"
Pikes of flames emerged from the beneath the ground where I stood all the way to Zarcon. Each pike was covered in molten rock- hardened lava, some called it.
The flames tore through the ground towards him in a deafening roar, hissing violently as it surged forward.
Zarcon didn't move though. He stood in place, he smiled. He laughed.
He cackled hysterically as the flames engulfed the entirety of his silhouette- devouring him in a burning crimson haze. For a few moments I'd thought my attack worked. I prayed to the Primordial Gods that it worked but alas hope was a luxury I could no longer afford. Not when fighting an enemy like him.
With a single step he emerged from the embers. The smoke towering off his body as the fires slid off his dragon-scale skin.
"This is an honest surprise. I'd thought you'd know better by now, Agrabath," he snarled. "I'm a Kirekuro!! My clan was forged from fire!!" he roared.
"Tch," I scoffed. And after that- a blood filled cough erupted from the base of my throat. I began vomiting blood as my lungs began colliding in on themselves. I hadn't realized it, let alone saw it happen, but somewhere between Zarcon's proud declaration and my scoff, Zarcon's fist had connected with my chest.
I found myself flung a good distance, barely managing to land on my feet with a single knee to the ground. I fought to keep my grip on my sword but letting it go would mean death. Zarcon wasn't finished with his onslaught. He appeared on my right side and swung again at full force. I barely managed to block, miraculously though, I did block. The ground raptured at our collision. Stone tore to pieces, the wind blew violently.
"That it?" I taunted, blood pooling from my lips.
"Still got plenty more!!" a small ball of fire emerged from Zarcon's hand. "Racial Art; Purgatory!!" he chanted.
A huge gust of smoke emerged from where Zarcon fired his spell, a gust of smoke I'd barely managed to escape.
My turn.
I focused my mana from my heart to my lungs, essentially replacing it with the air I was breathing. Then-
"Wanna play games with fire!? I'll burn you into submission!! Zarcon."
All the harnessed mana erupted from my lungs to my mouth. I released it all towards Zarcon in a smoldering blaze. The fire roared towards Zarcon, scorching everything in sight. Zarcon emerged from his cloud of smoke, his chest puffed as he heaved in a large volume of air. He released a blaze equal, no, stronger, than my own to counter my attack. Fire met against fire in a great dance of heat and ash, evaporating the ground beneath us as well as any stray puddles or lakes that were nearby, regardless of what they were made of- water or blood. All of it evolved into gas.
Our flames raged and danced like warring God's, ashing whatever semblance of life still dared to cling to the desolate land. Then suddenly there was silence. The flames sputtered out revealing a hollow patch of ground between me and Zarcon – a molten grave to be more accurate. Ash rained gently from above, and with it a loud clang of metallic boots reverberated.
Zarcon was still alive. Of course he was still alive. A sly grin plastered on his face, his eyes glowing with new purpose. Almost as if he'd just got his second wind. Meanwhile, I was struggling to even breathe.
"Enough of this." He spat, his voice laced with poisonous venom.
On that front, he and I agreed. My breath hitched, my mana reserves were low and I couldn't bear standing anymore. From his current distance, ending our battle would be easier for me. All I needed was one strike, and five seconds.
"….. goodbye, Zarcon." I whispered, blood flowing from my eyes. I could feel the crimson in my eyes grow brighter and brighter, my mana seethed from my body to all my surroundings.
Everything within twenty meters of me, be it living or dead, was immediately recognized by my mana. I could feel the atoms in the air, the ash that still rained to the ground, the small patches of ember that still persisted. I could feel it all, I could feel time allowing it to flow freely. That is until I commanded time to stop. And stop it did.
The falling ashes, the embers, the air itself. All of it froze in place almost as if time itself had commanded it to. Time had commanded it all to stop, and I commanded time. With a single leap my face was merely inches away from Zarcon's- he too was stopped by time. I could see my reflection from his eyes, his pupils were still transfixed on my previous location. Were.
My heart slowed when his pupils turned from where I stood to where I was currently standing. We locked eyes. He smirked. He cackled.
How!? I screamed internally.
How was he able to defy time? I stopped time and time stopped him. It didn't make sense that he was still able to move, unless my mana was already drained dry. Impossible. My reserves were low, not empty, and I still had three seconds before I ran out. My brain scrambled within itself for an answer but found nothing. Rather, before it could find anything, Zarcon spoke.
"The Deneran.... Zachariah. Where exactly did you get those cursed eyes?."
I swallowed hard without answering him.
"Go on….. answer me, Primordial. Oh right…. You're not the Primordial.. you're the Mad King."
***
"Argh!!!!!" I yelled as I jumped out of whatever nightmare I was having. My wife jolted right beside me. Her night gown hung lazily over her, revealing her bare shoulders.
"My love? What's the matter!?" she asked. Her voice shaking.
I'd told her several times not to call me that, and I told her several more not to sneak into my bed.
You have more pressing matters, Mad King. My mind- the voice of my mind said.
Right. The nightmare I had felt real, like I'd lived through it several times before despite the fact that I'd never been to the Fourth World let alone met anyone named Zarcon.
"Was it another vision?" Delissa whispered.
"What?" I squeaked, my voice hoarse.
"Your eyes….. they're glowing again….." her palm rested on my cheek as she wiped away my tear- no, the blood that leaked from my eyes.
My Deneran was active it seemed. Even in my sleep my eyes refused to give me any sort of peace or a chance to rest. A curse that persisted eternally, a plague that would haunt me for all my years, one that may very well be passed onto my descendants. A curse called the Deneran.
"Love?" Delissa called.
"I'm fine," I spat. "You should sleep in your own room. It'd be better for both of us. Who knows what'll happen the next time I have a 'vision'."
"I had to make sure you actually got to sleep this time. Today is that day, remember?"
What day??
As I looked at the window I noticed how the night sky was slowly getting brighter. The sun was already climbing it's way up to the sky. Brightening the horizon as it did. It was already that day. The day where I would officially be crowned king.
"Right." I whispered.
The door to my bedroom creaked slowly, and an elderly man emerged from it. His robes were as white as snow, so was his hair for that matter. He wasn't wearing any shoes, he never did. He just strolled along the castle in his bare feet. His hair was a mess and his eyes were just as withered as mine were. Only he had a valid excuse- he was old. He was allowed to have tired eyes.
"Good morning Merlin." I greeted.
"Young Grace. A great morning indeed."
Merlin. The elder had been with me ever since I was a child. He taught everything I know about kingship, swordsmanship, magic and of course-
"Good morning, master Merlin."
"Ah yes. Lady Kaiyuri." Merlin bowed. "I'm glad to see you've already taken measures to fulfill your role as the Young Grace's wife."
He was the one who facilitated my marriage to Delissa.
"I told you over and over that the marriage was only a means to an end. Once I've united our country men you'll be free to marry whoever you want. Those were the terms of our deal right??"
"Right." Delissa agreed.
Her face was downcast and her expression was almost unreadable. As I turned my attention away from her and towards Merlin, I steeled myself for the day that lie ahead of me. It'd been two years since I banished my brother, married Delissa and carried my father's mantle in the War Of Five Worlds. I'd been acting carefully as per Merlin's advice, always avoiding direct confrontations with the other races. Including the races in my own homeland. But after today I wouldn't have to hold back anymore.
I could finally, finally, put an end to this war. I could finally have….. peace.