Falconers and the Tomb of Aminus

by MadDonut

Chapter 14 Embers and Dark Flames

Joel wasn't a stranger to walking long distances. Mostly because he spent the last week of his life walking, hiking, -a little more walking- climbing down a mountain that one time, -even more walking- running from triggertrap water floods, falling into a pit, fighting Gekies and a ton of walking.

He could agree there was a lot of walking when it came to adventure and Joel began to find that he would much rather be walking than running. However as much as he would have preferred to find himself in a suitable environment where he could walk all day at his leisure there were bigger matters then his own discomfort and scorching heat of the condoon forested desert.

‘Anything for the leader with daddy issues,’ he told himself. ‘So long as as I don’t get on his bad side.’

He didn’t particularly hate Igneous but Joel just felt he got rubbed the wrong way by him... multiple times. Igneous had at one point or another showed his displeasure for the ridiculous stallion but if anything Joel knew Igneous simply tolerated him. The same could also be said for Kara although her displeasure was manifested in physical threats and mental degradation of his confidence and will to continue at least they had made amends after he accidently bound the stolen dark magic of Noriphmy.

True stealing someone else's found-stolen magic might not ideally provoke amending niche-friendless relationships it at least brought out the truth that she respected him for making this decision to become a falconer and that in the very least, she wouldn’t kill him for it.

However as much as Joel wanted to reminisce over that little moment of genuine sincerity his mind couldn’t help but be brought down from daydream-esque thoughts to physical reality that manifested itself within the very fibers of his muscles.

He hated running. The heat didn’t help, the weak wind that worked against them or the weight of his earthenearing equipment either. Without he could have gone on for miles, even out of the desert itself if he so pleased, but as it stood it was a necessity of circumstance so he was metaphorically bound to its protection and utility much to his panting, aching and physically stressed displeasure.

Joel could have at least been taking in the scenery of the odd landscape with full grown trees springing up out of the sand half buried with no water for miles but he was running.
He could have been practicing with his stolen dark magic figuring out how to gain basic control over its movements but he was running.

However as he was running a slight breeze ruffled him about and when he looked he found Kara gliding right next to him, matching her flying pace with his running. “Learning to control your magic?” she asked in a rather neutral tone of voice as if her worries needed to be suppressed by idle talk.

He answered with a strained voice, “I can’t focus right now Kara. Running is k-kinda taking it out of me.”

Her wings folded in favor and use of her legs and in one motion she was running along side Joel without a problem. “Learning to concentrate in a state where you can’t focus is a skill indeed.” She hardly lost any breath when spoken.

“Trust me Kara,” he coughed. “I would love to be unlocking the power and secrets of Stolen Dark magic and all but right now I'm trying not to die of a heat stroke.”

“Don’t worry,” she said. “The Condoon Dessert ends in just about ten miles.”

“Oh yea that's great. Just let me finish my ten kilometer warm up first,” he remarked.

With nothing left to be said as Joel clearly didn’t seem fit for conversation Kara’s wings spread open and with two thrust she was in the air and away from those that were earth bound as Joel lingered behind the pack.

Igneous however was having no trouble keeping his lead in front of the herd as he kept a healthy distance far ahead of the others. One could argue it was an unseen force that pushed him forward driving him to make haste unlike the others behind. One would also say it was determination, courage, will or worry that drove him forward too and although most were true his performance was mostly impart to the feeling of weightlessness he carried in absence of his armor and two lost swords.

He kept his vision low and to the horizon spying what disappeared behind the dunes hilltops that laid ahead. He saw himself as a wolf aimed for the prize that fed his survival and pack but unlike a wolf with a clear purpose and routine Igneous knew not his or what all this amounted to. Only that power in the wrong possession mixed with betrayal and deceit leads only to some unfavorable party’s demise.

However in his stupor of thought and emotions a shadow briefly overtook him and when he glanced northward he found Floritha matching his pace with a steady glide over the sand of the desert. He acknowledged her presents prompting her to speak.

“Dettetcheny would like to speak to you Igneous,” she said.

“Would you like me to fall behind?”

Returning an unpleasant look to an inherently stupid question she answered, “I’d be easer for all concerned if you did.”

“What is it he would like to talk about?”

Floritha responded, “I'm not a messenger Igneous. Ask him.” Ascending into the air she returned to scouting the skies for any signs of monsters, beasts or avians, but if fortunate enough; Kohligan or even Hilliph.

To Dettetchenys delight Igneous did slow his pace almost to a trot until he cought up. Then he matched Dettetcheny’s and continued on. “You wanted to speak to me?” he asked with his gaze still aimed for the horizon.

“So how does it feel not having to bear the weight of all that armor Igneous?” he happily asked, his full bodied cloak waving in the breeze.

“Please don’t waist my time Hunter.”

Dettetcheny shook his head in agreement and said, “I was requesting you send the celestials to scout ahead and look for Kohligan.”

“It's too dangerous.”

“Kohligan has a mighty lead on us and from what I know you don't want to lose him. If Kara and Floritha find him they can trail behind him and one another.”

Igneous took his time to think it over but no matter how much he would have liked to concur there was almost no risk in it if they don’t make direct contact with Kohligan. This was especially true if Hilliph was also near. A celestial, even an armored one, has no place in a battle between two smiths. Not unless they savor the thought of finding themselves dead.

However Igneous came to his decision and he answered, “If we get delayed, then I’ll give the order.”

Before Dettetcheny could concur with how illogical his decision was, not too far ahead did a mound of sand uplift before exploding outward bringing the party to a halt altogether. What stood amidst the setting sand was nothing more than a scorpion if at all it could be called that by when its size goes foregone.

This one in particular was monstrously huge in comparison to any natural scorpion but about four times the size of the falconers themselves. Its claws and tail were sized well and intimidating to those wary many how looked to these frightful beasts with dread, but not Igneous and especially not Dettetcheny who only saw these deadly tools as salvage for a new weapon.

“I guess this will do?” Dettetcheny said is he began admiring the utility it possessed.

“Hardly,” he muttered.

Joel caught up and coming to a halt behind the pare with Mace. “Finally a monster!” he happily announced through gasps of execution. Deploying his crossbows he chided with a demeanor that would rival the agitation of the scorpion beast, “I’ve been waiting for this all week.”

A good monster fight would probably clear his head from all the recent killings and family mater drama. All that cotic running, traps, fighting, shouts, death and bloody masses echoed all about in his mind threatening to consume the very fiber of his being condemning his mind to imprisonment in that bloody, bloody moment for years to come, but if anything this surely would clear his head up and put a smile on his face for sure

Summoning up his stolen dark magic by putting it in his forethoughts Joel hyped himself up in anticipation. Pointing his hoof he shouted to the magic saying, “Attack!!!” But where he expected it to suddenly spring into action and somehow mystically and methodically dice the beast it didn’t. Instead it sat there reminiscent to a pup staring confused at his master and the order given if at all a black floating orb could be pictured as such.

“I'm afraid that's not how it works Joel,” Kara said only after Joel swatted it out of frustration only to again have it inadvertently retaliate by hitting him in the face during its natured return.

“Well it would be nice if you could give me a little bit more insight,” he said as he rubbed his forehead. “I guess I’ll just be doing this the old fashion way then.”

Putting the dark magic's presents out of his mind it vanished when he did. However just as he poised himself for battle with his crossbows at the ready Igneous stepped forward to him and said, “then it's a true shame Dettetcheny’s team will be taking care of this beast then Joel.”

“What?” Joel asked in a mixture of confusion and unpleasant surprise.

The scorpion meanwhile was just standing there, even as they talked, waiting for the first move. With a swift motion of its claws it would snap a tree down as if daring them to make the first move. It was outnumbered so its massive primitive mind focused down to the strategy of patients. A strategy that allowed it to survive all these years in the desert. Who knew how long it rested in the sand for with its dome like head spying all around. It could have been weeks, months, years even but the falconers carried not.

“Igneous,” Joel began. “I don't think you understand how much I need this right now.” He pointed with his hoof and added, “there is a giant scorpion right in front of me and your saying I can’t kill it?”

“Exactly.”

“Bu-but… giant scorpion monster.”

As Joel pouted to Igneous Dettetcheny strode past the two with a summoned war hammer perched and rested against his shoulder. He also held a shield in his magical grip as it materialized as well. “Looks like we will be having the fun this time.” Looking the monster up and down with delight he added, “I can’t wait to harvest its armor.” He leaned his head back to get Oxinums opinion. “I’m thinking of a nice plated shield to add to my weapons collection. That tail will do nicely too so let’s focus on the midsection.”

Oxinum knocked Joel over the head with his hoof in a friendly matter as he walked by. “You can get the next on on our way back,” he assured. Then pushing his chest button the crossbows at his side sprang up ready for use. He then added with a smirk, “if there is one that is.”

“Can I borrow your Celestial?” Igneous asked as Dettetcheny easily advanced on the scorpion.

Standing directly before the scorpion within reach of both claws and tail he casually answered, “oh yea sure.” Taking his eyes off the beast in favor of looking to Igneous he added with a grin, “it was my idea anyway.”

Oxinum poised himself and asked, “Would you like explosives or normal bolts?”

“Normal,” he answered. “I would rather not damage the armor.”

Igneous turned his attention to the celestials that stood behind him and said, “You have my permission to fly ahead and scout for Kohligan. Do not, and I repeat do not, make contact with him. Report his last position and trail behind one another so that we may be able to see.”

They both nodded and with two beats of their wings took off.

Mace then briefly took the lead only to say, “lead the way Igneous.”

And so he did running a wide arc around the arachnid and the last thing Joel saw of the confrontation before set his sights ahead of himself was Dettetcheny insuing combat with a downward swing of his dark summoned hamer.

***

Meanwhile Kara and Floritha flew much further ahead keeping to their orders and making putting a great lead in between them and the earthbounds that followed far behind. It wasn’t long into their flight that both Kara and Floritha began to naturally diverge from each other creating a wide gap between on and the other. This was common and was meant to cover more ground and scout greater distances while remaining within one another's view. This was also helped by the fact that the day was absolutely clear with no clouds to be seen but then again it could work against them revealing them to those who would rather go unseen.

It had been nearly half an hour into their flight, nothing significant had happened, they’d lost clear sight of their team not too long ago and the desert gave way to forested areas like she had seen from above awhile ago. No doubt soon the others would also reach the deserts end and be running through the forest intent on catching up.

Kara did another scan of the area and on her end found nothing but more trees, green fields and the occasional buck or deer running through the forest. However when she looked to Floritha to get a perspective she didn’t find her hovering in the immediate airspace. Instead when she adjusted her gaze slightly downwards she found Floritha quickly descending through the sky. Kara may not have known why she’d disobeyed so suddenly but she knew that if anything she’d just found Kohligan and was not trying to speak some sense into him.

Following fastly behind it wasn’t long before she found it was indeed Kohligan running through the forest with indignation written upon and all over his face as he put his hoof to dirt and proceeded forward armor swords and all.

As she neared weaving through trees and low branches she could hear Floritha pleeding to the stallion saying, “Kohligan you don’t have to do this alone. Just stop running and we can all join you together.”

“I can’t Celestial.”

“Stop abandoning us! Don't call me Celestial,” she shouted. “You’ve been apart of your team for the past week, you led us!”

“You’re not thinking right Kohligan,” Kara exclaimed as she brought herself up on his right side as he ran through the forest with Floritha on his left. “Please Kohligan just stop!”

He only shook his head. “He tried to kill my team Kara,” he said not looking to either of the celestials. “Do you understand?”

In an instant Kohligan found himself straddled and troubling through the dirt as Kara mercilessly tackled him to the ground falling along with. When they finally came to a halt it was Kara who stood up on all fours before Kohligan could pick himself up sore and hurt from the impact she gave him.

“What Are You Doing Kara!?” Kohligan shouted as he dragged himself up onto all fours.

“Your Think Your The Only One Who Got Hurt By Hilliph’s Actions!” she shouted with anger and emotion boiling up.

“Kara Listen To Me!” He ordered.

But she didn’t. Instead her wing unfolded and with a single beat of her hooves Kohligan soon found himself pinned to the trunk of a tree with Kara’s bladed feathers brushing up against his neck. “Nimbus Was My Sister Kohligan!” She shouted with tears becoming visible to the Kohligan the ignorant. “And Even Though You Told me She Might Never Fly Again I Still Came To My senses And Pushed One With The Others Kohligan.” Her wing pulsed threatening to cut him as she stared into him with anger, sadness and annoyance in his actions. “My Team Kohligan!”

“Kara,” Floritha urged in an attempt to calm her down.

Kara simply ignored her. “A Falconer Never Abandons The Team No Matter The Odds, Danger or Outcome!” She looked him straight in the eyes and said, “Igneous knew better than anyone. I would hold you to it as well.”

Lifting his hooves up Kohligan was able to lever himself free pushing Kara to the ground as he fell too. “Kara,” he muttered. “You don't understand. This isn’t a mission anymore. This is personal.”

Kara shook her head looking to Floritha for assurance and/or support. However the mare only shook her head about as unsure what to do or how to convince Kohligan as she was. She shook her head and again looked to Kohligan who sat there looking to the ground.

“You know,” she calmly began. “You and Igneous aren't so different after all.” At her words Kara saw Kohligan’s ears flick up in interest in what she had to say. “You're both stubborn, strong willed, endearing and loyal to your team. Even if its not Dettetcheny’s team you were still loyal to yours.” She swallowed before finishing, “And Hilliph was loyal to you Kohligan.”

She then looked up to Kohligan only to see his body tense in anger. As she watched she noticed his eyes darkening in anger and before long a fire erupted over the grass from nowhere scaring both her and Floritha causing them to jump back in fright.

Kohligan then pounded the ash as the fire subsided and his eyes returned to normal. He then stood up disregarding the two Celestials and said, “I’m done with your company Kara. Go back and report my last position. I won’t be here for long.”

“You’re a Taffing Yewl!” Kara shouted in frustration. “You’re a Taffing ignorant Yewl Kohligan!” Kohligan didn’t respawn and looking to Floritha one last time for support she only found unsurity as Kohligan continually trotted away. “Fine!” She called to the stallion.

Kohligan expected her to fly away but as he continued on his way he instead found Kara trotting alongside him. He stopped in his tracks. “What are you doing Kara?”

“If you won’t listen I might as well not either.”

“Kara it's too dangerous.”

However as he said that there was a familiar voice that backed him up saying, “I would listen to Kohligan Kara.” Slowly all three looked in the direction of where the voice originated from. Standing there in the middle of a small clearing was the armored traitor with on sword hanging along it side. “After all Kara,” he spoke solemnly. “I wouldn’t want to hurt you again.”

By then Floritha was the one to speek up in a whisper saying to Kara, “we need to go Kara, now.”

“No, we can’t.” she said objecting.

Setting his magical grip on the hilt of his own blades Kohligan spoke to the mare. “Kara, please. Go and tell the others.” He then leaned in and whispered, “it's not my intention to kill him. I’ll stall him. You please, just go get the others. Please Kara.” He then looked back to Hilliph and his sword shuttered within its scabbard. Both a mixture of anger and betrayal.

Kara wanted to disagree, to argue like she had been just moments ago but she knew that in a time like this and with high tensions, if worse did indeed come to worse then she wouldn’t want to be in the way when two smiths clashed.

Silently she nodded, then gesturing to Floritha to follow. Turned away and with Floritha close by the flew off in no more than two wing beats leaving Kohligan to Hilliph and Hilliph to Kohligan.

Knowing the other teams were miles and little time to stall it was already apparent that diplomacy was not an option. “I’m sorry.” A phrase he whispered allowed not to himself but to his team and his son’s team he abandoned but most of all to Hilliph himself.

This he said and his magical grip around the hilt of his blade tightened even more.

“How long,” he muttered as Hilliph stood facing west and a side bag with a noticeable luminescence irradiating from the darkness within the folds of its pockets. “How Long!” He repeated clear and loud enough for Hilliph to hear. His jaw clenched.

From the distance he was at Kohligan could hear the answer as quiet and soft as it was. “Years,” was Hilliph’s answer. “It's been years.” He then said, “it wasn’t easy Kohligan, living in such a foreign land for all these years just clinging to a promise forged through a covenant made long ago.” He shook his head. “With each passing day and every whisper and urge that hit it became harder. I doubted myself and I began to lose track and become forget with faith alone hardly withstanding. Destiny and foresight becoming more and more of a myth with each passing day, passing week, months and years.”

Kohligan drew one long sword and said, “all I see is a traitor. After so long Hilliph you just stab us all in the back. Do You Have Any Idea What You Did To Nimbus!? To Mace’s Father!? You went back on everything we stood for, you! -stood for. All this for some alliance you made long ago.”

Suddenly Hilliph became enraged at Kohligan’s statement and as a result withdrew his sword so fast he ran the tip across the trunk of a tree nearly splitting it in two as he pointed it at Kohligan. He then shouted, “You Think It Was Easy!? Shameless!? It Was My Decision Alone However Hard It Was And I Was The One Who Followed Through! I Made My Decision Kohligan, and besides,” his voice lowered from a shout to a stern hiss. “It's not like I’m the only one with a burden of guilt either.”

Hilliph then began to march towards Kohligan, each accusation accompanied with a slight thrust of his sword. “Don’t act like I don’t know what you and your team has been doing during your, ‘adventures’ out in the middle of Carridian. You’re the one who denied sanctuary to the ponies of Istudious. You’re the one who insisted on keeping the discovery of their survival after the days of Aminus a secret not letting any pony know of their existence but instead letting them forget all together.” He was nearing him now but Kohligan only slowly backed down with every step. “I never went with your team because I knew that your ‘diplomatic’ solution was to prevent war by boasting of your power scaring them like foals into resisting such an urge.”

Hilliph’s sword was just short of burying itself within Kohligans armor so slowly Kohligan raised his own blade easily moving it out of the way to keep him from getting impaled as Hilliph continued to push him back forming an X with their blades.

“We don’t have the resources Hilliph,” Kohligan argued. “A population influx of that magnitude would plunge Noriphmy into anarchy!”

“Fifty years,” he hissed in anger. “You’ve had fifty years and you have made no progress.” The blades hung in the air but Hilliph pressed his body against the broadside of them as he continued to advance on him but as slowly as his advance was Hilliph immediately pulled back freeing the blade from the clash sheathing it in one swift motion.

Kohligan fell to his knees from the sudden disengagement and Hilliph back away and turned his back on him.

“You’re not fit to rule Kohligan. Your blood stole the crown from the former two generations ago. You were born into the title yourself without trial or tribulation. Igneous is the one to be admired, he abandoned the life of ease in favor of the suffering while you loafed about doing nothing. He’s more fit to rule then you’ll ever be.”

“I was scared!” He shouted. “After what happened I didn’t want to see the same fate for Igneous. I was naive even more so then he was when he was a colt. It terrified me more then anything and when I found the one I loved.” He choked on his words. “Sh-she was there, lying in the snow, dead.”

“I care not for you anymore,” he said as he turned his back once again. “My true respect goes to him for trying to find his own path. A far better leader than you and at such a young age too. Be gone!” He commanded. “Or I won't hesitate to kill you.”

Hilliph began making his way and for a minute or two his travel was undisturbed but from beyond he heard his name, called by the stallion he left behind in the dirt. “Hilliph!” He turned to face him far as he was. “With the light magic of Aminus you’d think I’d just let you leave!” His sadness turned to anger and anger manifested itself in his blades drawn and ready. His body poised and ready for combat. “I won't let you bring to pass the destruction of my nation!”

“For so long I’ve allowed the destruction of mine!” He focused and slowly a longsword took shape before him solidifying into the weapon he lost. “Istudious will be raised again and will no longer wallow in the shadow and filth of your tyranny!”

The form of the bladed weapon began to warp and bend and as Kohligan watched the dark summoned blade to his surprise cracked and all together shattered to the grass where it lay and disperse. From the fragments of the shattered summon a flame, this one dark and black as the deepest caves sprang up and licked the air. Hilliph took it and craddled it in his magical grip feeding it his dark magic forcing it to grow and breath.

“I know your power,” Hilliph spoke as he applied the flame to his armor. “And I know armor in this instance won't be the determining factor.” As he watched Kohligan saw the armor begin to fade as it was eaten away by the darkflame all together like rust to metal leaving Hilliph completely unharmed as vapor escaped his lips.

Kohligan nodded and Hilliph watched the straps to his armor began to unbind themselves before it as a whole fell from Kohligan’s body and was tossed aside. “Last time you should not have restrained yourself,” Kohligan spoke as he stepped forward with both blades drawn. “Restraint is a weakness.”

“Restraint is the reason you and your son are still alive,-” His armor by now had completely disintegrated leaving nothing more but the flame itself and the smith who wielded it. “-however careless it was.”

Kohligan withdrew his second longsword. “This time I won’t hold back. I’ll destroy you, properly this time.” Kohligan’s catalyst then flickered and before long a flame erupted from its very point. “You will see no mercy from me.” He then took the fire, split it in two and drove them both into the ground causing a blaze amongst the grass.

“After so long,” he spoke as he stared into the black flame he held before him. “I... don't... Want It!” With one motion Hilliph applied the black flame to his chest letting it soak into his very being and coat his body in the fire.

Kohligan knew this Dark Magic technique. Unlike fire that burned with heat and fed on the living, black flames burned with much less heat, often times a cold and fed off of metal. The fire also protected the wearer of the dark flame coat from fire but fire prevented the dark flame from feasting upon metal.

“Alchemy may be a precious type of magic,” Hilliph spoke. “But even it has a weakness.”

Kohligan coated his swords in the fire that burned around him letting them flick and lick up the blades. He then took fire in his magical grip balled it up and all at once casted it forward as his opening attack.

Hilliph darted out of the way just as it struck the ground where he just stood. He then charged Kohligan rushing the falconer at breakneck speeds, much faster than Kohligan anticipated. Kohligan lept behind the cover of flames he set up before him but Hilliph bursted through without trouble and opened up with a downward strike.

Without the armor to weigh him down Kohligan had the speed to match as he lept out of the way letting Hilliph sail past too fast to slow down just in time as he slid across the grass on all four hooves. Kohligan capitalised on his lack of directional control, summoned a spear and threw it to where he projected Hilliph to be next.

His aim was true but Hilliph knocked it aside with his blade letting it vanish all together. With his stance regained he charged only to meet Kohligan’s torrent of fire he showered in his general direction. With the fire wall serving as the source to Kohligan’s power he traced Hilliph as he avoided it the fire shower running about in a wide arc until he found his opening.

Hilliph appeared to vanish in a moment when foliage clouded Kohligan’s vision but when Kohligan looked something flashed in his peripheral and in an instant a shield appeared only to block the dark fire burning blades from striking Kohligan in the face as Hilliph rushed by.

Kohligan then leapt back as Hilliph let loose with a series of slashes, one after another, with his sword driving Kohligan to retreat. He lept back darting from side to side very rapidly as Hilliph matched his paced with precision. With every leap and bound their blades would clash spewing both dark flames and fire to the earth, the flames of which continued to burn as it caught grass and bushes on fire and continued to spread. Although Kohligan may have had two long swords Hilliph only had to keep track of one allowing him to attack at a much faster pace with more power as he projected and accurately predicted every one of Kohligan’s attack and countered each and every advancement as a result..

Their blades clashed constantly as Kohligan bounded backwards left and right with Hilliph tracing him close behind. Kohligan ducked under a branch and rotated himself around the trunk of a tree attempting to distance himself from Hilliph’s onslaught but no tree would stop him for long.

With one swipe of his blade the trunk was cut clean and Hilliph lept forward only to catch Kohligan’s blade in a brief clash. “Where’s the power of the king of Noriphmy now old hunter!?” He shouted as he leapt back from one of Kohligan’s thrusts. If he even parried one attack that would leave Hilliph wide open to a repost from Kohligan’s second blade.

Kohligan then dashed around him and let loose with a series of swipes left and right but Hilliph was to swift as he parried each and every attack, not a single edge striking his hide or the hair of his mane.

Hilliph did his best to continue advancing on the falconer but with only one blade he had to carefully choose when to defend and when to attack. His dark flame was what allowed him to dash through the firewall and resist the torrent of fire but its limits were only as high as Hilliph’s ability to sustain such a flame.

Kohligan stepped back swiped left and right with one then the other blade. Hilliph dodged the first and reposted the second with a jab which struck Kohligan across his shoulder. It was a graze and an injury that could easily go ignored.

Kohligan then disengaged as his blade began to spin rapidly and very fast. Knowing what was to come Hilliph dodged out of the way just as Kohligan brought the pinning blade to a hard stop against his second sword causing fire to shoot out the tip showing the land in fire where it pointed.

The hurricane of fire obscured Kohligan’s immediate vision but when the fire let up and his sustained attack weakened and the flames settled Kohligan looked and he was amazed. Standing before him in ash smoldering trees was Hilliph signed but not burnt. His blade glowed from the heat but the dark flame that protected him had extinguished leaving Hilliph with nothing but his hide for protection.

Hilliph took a moment to breath in the air, ash and smoke of the fire. He coughed and his body grew tired. “Is this it Kohligan?” he spoke allowed. “You're just going to kill me like a savage beast?” Kohligan didn’t speak only set his blades for the next engagement. Hilliph’s side back he preserved throughout the fight and and fire tore open and in the ashes fell the light magic of Aminus.

Hilliph looked to the light magic then collected it in his magical grip. He then observed the landscape and the forest fire that had begun and when he looked to Kohligan he found him standing there with eyes darkened and a gem hanging by chain that he now held in his magical grip. Hilliph knew it to be the ember stone, a magical rock said to control fire and bend it to the users will more so then he could without. Hilliph then knew it was either, ‘I or him,’ and he really didn’t have the fondest feelings for him.

“I will incinerate you!” Kohligan spoke eyes continuing to darken. The gem beginning to glow in excitement as fire all around began to extinguish and become absorbed by it storing the power for use.

“Aminus!” Hilliph spoke aloud as he held the light magic before him. There was no warning in Kohligan’s eyes only demise. “I partook of your covenant, grant me this power!”

“No!” Kohligan shouted before the gem let loose with a beam of fire that struck outward and collided with Hilliph.

There was a shrill cry, one that Kohligan could hear even over the roar of the gem and the fire it produced and shot towards him. Kohligan thought for sure Hilliph had died, this had to have been his end. The aim was true its projection sudden and its heat deadly but when Kohligan’s vision softened from the light he saw Hilliph stand with eyes burning with the white flame of the orb that was nowhere to be seen.

Watching in terror Hilliph held out his hoof and the power of white magic resonating from within the beam became deflected into the air creating a blinding beacon of light before the power within the gem dispersed and became spent. Only then did the beam cease from firing and one Kohligan looked, his breath had been held, he saw Hilliph glowing through his eyes and standing there with a boldness and in an instant Kohligan knew, with the magic Hilliph now reached the power of a Hexer.

Kohligan stood there, he backed one step away. His head lowered as he raised his blade and Hilliph spoke to him saying, “Let me show you true power.”

Before Kohligan could react charge or retreat he was hit twice from two different directions. Both of which sent him flying across the air. He hit the floor coughing up blood and struggling to move but before he could pick himself up he again was lifted into the air tossed against a tree then knocked skywards again.

When he reached the apex of his ascension Hilliph appeared before him with wings of pure white made from the light magic of Aminus. “Speak To Me!” Hilliph roared as he hooked him around the neck with his forelegs with eyes burning with the white flame of magic. “What Do You Have To Say For Yourself!?

Kohligan could hardly move but as they hovered there he raised his hoof setting it across Hilliph’s and sputtered, “G-good hunting.”

Hilliph then let rage drive him mad. He drove Kohligan down flying faster than any mortal celestial could plunging him through trees, stones and boulders before finally pulling him around and slamming him into the dirt where he lay in a crater of dirt and ash.

Hilliph gracefully landed on the rim of the crater. Just as he did he coughed up blood and when he saw this Hilliph cryed, “this magic,” He coughed again and this time more blood. “Remove this magic Aminus. Its poisons to me.”

At his request the magic retreated from him. His eyes that were afire with white flames returned to normal and his white wings disappeared. He resheathed his sword and held the magic close by. He found himself out of breath as the fight having taken up a large amount of his strength.

He looked over to the bodie of Kohligan and thought of his last two words. “Good hunting,” he repeated. “I didn’t know we were the monsters Kohligan. Hard fought the battle was, I’ll be seeing you elsewhere.” He then looked west, the direction he was traveling in and he whispered, “I’ll be returning to you shortly, Aminus.”

Author's Note:

I spent all morning editing this :>

Comments

[Bluecatcinema]

Wow, that was one epic battle. Well-fought, and well-won.