Chapter 2. Morpheus the Omnipotent

The Planet of New Atlantis...

Deep inside the Continent of Asphodel...

The Isle of the Damned...

25th of July 2017...




Once upon a time, the Hand of Critias had been an honourable, militant force, sworn to protect the freedoms, laws and customs of all things New Atlantean. That was history now.

With the arrival of New Atlantis' newest President, whose virtues were ones of supposed peace, the Hand had been disbanded and had fallen from grace. They had gone to ground, an organised legion of mercenaries, of bounty hunters and assassins for the highest bidder.

Soon, they'd become dubbed by the general public as the Dark Horde.

The Dark Horde's services commanded top dollar and were available only on the black market. Money was their religion and their legacy.

Now, however, one of their very own had risen up to challenge their Lord and Master. Morpheus, the Horde's most ruthless and cold-hearted, had risen to challenge the clan leader Iapetus the Impaler for control of the Horde.

Morpheus had realised from a young age that New Atlantis was a place where only evil flourished, born of the Magic that they all claimed could be a force for good. True, he was a conduit of that same force, but his life and soul were forfeit. His mission in life, his great calling was to bring peace and prosperity. And he planned to do it the only way he knew how.

They would think he was evil. They would never understand how much Morpheus was sacrificing to do what he knew to be right.



The last thirteen years had been leading up to this moment. The moment that he defeated his mentor and leader Iapetus in open combat. The moment that he achieved what no man, woman or child had in the last half century.

Morpheus would have to kill the second most dangerous man on the planet - the legendary Iapetus the Impaler. Of course he was the second most dangerous. That honor of first place belonged to Morpheus and to him alone.

The Dark Horde may have fallen to the slums, but a little of their honor remained. Their Creed, the set of laws and rules by which they operated, stated that the Dark Horde's commander was subject to a challenge by any one of his six most trusted and dangerous operatives. His Disciples or Apprentices.

And Morpheus had fought and trained for thirteen long years to count himself among them. Just for the right to challenge Iapetus for control of the clan. And the winner of this next battle would claim the loser's life and also, in Morpheus' case, ascend to the mantle of Supreme Leader.

Over a decade of blood, sweat, tears and pain to give him the skills and the experience to beat Iapetus, and Morpheus was not about to give all that up now. He had not come all this way just to lose. There was too much riding on his victory.


The Isle of the Damned had been the home of the Dark Horde for the last hundred years. An island in the middle of the Odysseun Ocean and shrouded by the magical Mists of Black Endeavour, their battleground awaited. Both men, Iapetus and Morpheus, stood at opposite ends of a rope bridge suspended between two mountain paths, thousands of feet in the air.

At these altitudes, the air was thinner, making it harder to breathe. Not to mention the bitter cold.


Morpheus wore his usual combat gear. No armor, just a black martial arts outfit with a dark green sash and leather boots plated with metallic greaves. His hair had been cut short and his beard was not too meticulously shaven, but at the same time not wild and overgrown.

He kept it well hidden, but Morpheus' Positive Energy Level, the unit of measurement used to assess a sorcerer's power, was much greater than that of his peers. He had honed his ability to focus for years until the point where his combat was flawless.

To challenge Morpheus could have ramifications which could prove quite detrimental indeed.


Iapetus wore similar clothing, but was at least thirty years Morpheus' senior. The large age gap, however, did not exactly give Morpheus an advantage as the latter knew very well. Iapetus was incredibly dangerous, especially for his age.

His hair and light stubble were both grey, but he was a broad and muscular man, with tree-trunk thighs, biceps and meaty palms. Despite this body type, he was not at all slow in battle and his focus was just as sharp as Morpheus'. If Morpheus had not been vastly stronger than Iapetus in terms of Magical power, he would have had cause to worry.

As the silence lingered, Morpheus looked up. Ten feet above them, Iapetus' Disciples watched the scene below, hovering patiently. Iapetus' right hand, Circe, was there. Only the Disciples were gifted with names, and as the sixth and most junior member, Morpheus was in optimum position to challenge Iapetus for control.



"Defender!" Circe cried from above. "Iapetus, the Impaler!! Challenger! Morpheus the Blade!"

Her voice had been magically amplified so that it rung across the isle, making the hairs on Morpheus' arms stand up.


"I now grant you, Morpheus, one final chance to withdraw this challenge!" Circe shouted, as was the custom.
Morpheus cleared his throat. "I, Morpheus, do hereby challenge Iapetus the Impaler to single combat on this day! How do you respond, my lord?"

Morpheus purposefully spoke the last two words with a voice dripping with mockery and scorn.


Iapetus scowled harder. "I, Lord Iapetus the Impaler, do hereby accept this challenge! And may the Fates be with you! Believe me...you'll need them!"

Circe gave a nod of recognition, high above the valley. "Then with the power vested in me, I urge battle to commence! Begin!"



The very air was electrifying. Morpheus' usual style was to hang back initially, yet Iapetus showed no signs of surprise when Morpheus struck hard and fast like lightning. Morpheus launched himself along the bridge with deadly and unrelenting swiftness.

Even as he did, Iapetus didn't move a muscle. He stood exactly where he was, arms folded defiantly. For one shining moment, Morpheus foolishly thought that the fight was his for the taking, but as he struck with a fury of punches and palm strikes, he realized that he'd made a near fatal error.

He had underestimated his adversary.


Iapetus dodged, ducked and weaved with impossible quickness. Without even moving his feet or unfolding his arms, he dodged every single attack that Morpheus launched. Grunting with anger at being mocked, Morpheus brought his hands down to chop Iapetus' shoulders.

Too late.

Iapetus' forehead, the space between his eyebrows and his hairline, blazed deep red as a crimson Symbol, like two letter 'F's, back-to-back, seared itself into Iapetus' very skin. This was the mark of the Hex, the standard form of attack during combat.

There was a sharp bang, not a split second after, and Morpheus felt deep pain flare in his solar plexus, coupled with the familiar glare of the 'Shots Fired' Hex - it caused a sharp burst of intense pain in the upper torso and could knock a man backward as far as twenty paces.


Morpheus was slammed backward sharply, but his mind raced. He knew that Iapetus would press advantage, not waiting for Morpheus to recover.

Morpheus roared as he cast Magic of his own. He felt the backs of his hands burn intensely, just below his knuckles, and knew from experience that they were glowing with the light of a mauve Symbol, like the Omega symbol, but with a vertical line through the centre. This was the Symbol of an Enchantment being cast, yet another form of Magic.


This was the Momentum Drain Enchantment, a spell that sucked all of the kinetic energy from a moving person and brought them to an abrupt halt. Morpheus collapsed to the bridge, but then immediately scrambled to his feet. Again, Iapetus was on him.

There was a blaze of green as Iapetus Warped, another term for teleporting, and Morpheus wheeled about as his leader appeared behind him.


Quick as a flash, Iapetus launched an explosive punch.  

Morpheus knew this move �" it was the reason that Iapetus was known as the Impaler. His punches were so quick and powerful that he could physically puncture skin, flesh and bone, eliminating his foes with a single strike.


Morpheus was quick enough to parry. He used the flat of his palm to strike Iapetus' forearm, knocking his first to the side so that it merely glanced Morpheus' upper arm. Iapetus was for the briefest of seconds, slightly wrong-footed.

It was all Morpheus needed.


He pulled both arms backward slightly and Iapetus found himself jerked forward by a burst of telekinetic energy, and then rose his kneecap to smash straight into Iapetus' face, knocking the man backward.


A blaze of light later, Morpheus had followed up with the 'Rapid Fire' Hex, a spell that utilized at least a dozen small bursts of kinetic energy to pummel the enemy backward. Iapetus' torso was riddled with energy blasts and he had to move faster than ever to block, absorb and deflect them all.


As soon as Iapetus had swiped away the last bolt, Morpheus was already on him, aiming a Paralysis Hex in his direction. A sphere of blue light burst from Morpheus' palm and hurtled at high speed toward Iapetus. Had he struck his target, Iapetus would've found himself unable to move a finger, let alone his whole body.

However, the Impaler dodged the hex with ease as he moved backward along the bridge.
 

Morpheus roared in anger and fired again. And again. And again. All of his attempts were avoided, Iapetus laughing as he did so.


Morpheus cranked his assault up a notch. Solid, white shockwaves burst from his hands, held akimbo now, and raced along the bridge, threatening to blow Iapetus to smithereens. However, the Impaler launched himself into the air with agility that belied his years and soared straight upward to avoid the assault.


'He wants to take this to the skies?' Morpheus thought. 'Fine by me.'


A Bewitchment was what Morpheus needed - they were the branch of spells used to transport organic matter from one place to another. Flight was just one way of doing this.


It took hardly any effort at all before Morpheus felt the wind rushing past him as he chased Iapetus higher into the sky. Iapetus abruptly stopped, hoping to let Morpheus soar past and reverse the flow of the fight, but Morpheus used Momentum Drain again, and stopped instantly.


There was a split second of silence as the two looked each other in the eye, and then their airborne combat began. Tossing punches, kicks and hexes of all kind.


Morpheus tried to get in close, hoping to end it quickly with a kill move, but Iapetus saw it coming. He knocked Morpheus' arms out of the way and blasted his chest with the 'Shots Fired' Hex again, knocking him out of the air sharply.  


Morpheus rotated in mid-air as he dropped at a phenomenal rate and saw Iapetus diving in mid-air, firing hexes indiscriminately.



Morpheus swerved to avoid and flipped over again in mid-air, slowing his descent with Magic as he touched back down on the bridge. Several feet away, Iapetus touched down also, grinning broadly.


"What's so funny?" Morpheus growled irritably.


"You move like a Champion," Iapetus said. "Yet your fighting style is...far too relaxed. Not enough aggression. You fight like someone who has a lot more power than you do. Defeating you is going to be even easier than I thought, Morpheus."


Morpheus smiled. And then he chuckled. And then he threw his head back and roared with laughter.


"What's the joke?" Iapetus asked stiffly, trying and failing to regain control of the psychological warfare.



"You are the joke, my lord," Morpheus said, using his sarcastic tone again. "You're so wrong, it's funny. I've already surpassed you, Iapetus. Over the past thirteen years, I've trained harder than you could imagine. I've gone where no man has ever dared go during the years that I served you as nothing more than your glorified pawn.

"I've pushed Magic itself to its limits and beyond and, as a result, I've become more powerful than the likes of you will ever be."


Morpheus grinned malevolently, showing pointed teeth. "Don't get me wrong, you've been a good mentor. I wouldn't be where I am if not for you, and I regret that you must die for the greater good, but I don't control destiny. I simply serve it."


"Talk is cheap, Morpheus," Iapetus wagged his finger. "I see nothing that suggests you even have a fraction of the power you claim."
"Maybe it's time we cut the chit-chat, then," Morpheus said forcefully. "And finally got this party started. I know you thought you were controlling this fight, but I've been playing around with you.

"I'll admit, it's fun for a predator to let his prey think they've got the upper hand. That's you, by the way."


Iapetus spread his arms. "What are you waiting for then, Morpheus? Smite me down with your so-called power."
Morpheus couldn't resist laughing out loud. "Consider yourself smote. But I promise you, Iapetus, you won't live to regret those words."


Iapetus shivered suddenly as the air turned cold. Iapetus had been sensing Morpheus' strength level thus far, and it hadn't budged from Positive 100. As they all knew, the closer to one the number, the stronger the sorcerer. Now, however, Morpheus' energy level was dropping like a plane without an engine.

Eighty, sixty, forty-five...it kept descending at a prodigious rate.


Morpheus' body began to glow as he began to puff and pant, as if he were out of breath. Almost as thought Morpheus had taught himself how to draw the energy from the world around him and use it to power himself up. Of course, the technique was simple enough to learn, but Iapetus doubted that Morpheus' body could take the strain.


"Don't try it, Morpheus!" Iapetus roared. "You'll kill yourself!!"

"Will...I?" Morpheus' voice faltered as his power level kept dropping. He was now gasping for breath, the gold outline around his body now more prominent than ever.


Iapetus recoiled a few paces. Morpheus' power level was just pushing Positive 20. He couldn't take much more of this. If Morpheus was lucky, he would detonate and kill everything on the isle. If he was unlucky, he would just kill himself. There was no way that he could survive this.


"Don't be a fool, my Disciple!!" Iapetus roared. "You would risk destroying all that we are? All that we've worked to achieve?"
Morpheus laughed maniacally as he glowed brighter. He spread his legs slightly in a power stance and balled his fists, clenching them tightly. "What does it matter? If you are destroyed now or in a hundred years' time? Everything has its time. Everything must come to dust!"

"But it's not this day!" Iapetus shouted. "I will not let you destroy my legacy in the name of victory!!"
Iapetus' burst of energy hit Morpheus squarely in the chest, but ricocheted away harmlessly.


Morpheus laughed, his voice echoing strangely. "I cannot be stopped, Iapetus!!"


Iapetus knew in his heart that Morpheus was right. His former protege was reading at Positive 5. It would only take but a few moments before-


BOOM! GROOOOOCCCCCCKKKK!


The planet shook as Morpheus exploded spectacularly. Iapetus' eyes widened as he witnessed his student erupt in a fiery blaze, but then the raging flames froze. And then reversed, collapsing in on themselves instead.


BANG!!


Iapetus was forced to launch into the air as the bridge was decimated. He soared upward, intending to get out of range, but his head struck something solid and impenetrable. It took Iapetus a few seconds to realize. "We're sealed in!"


It was true - a giant, transparent force field surrounded the battlefield, cutting off Morpheus and Iapetus from the five other Disciples.


A booming laugh echoed around the dome, a laugh that shook Iapetus to his core. "Why try to leave so soon, Iapetus?" a terrifying voice said, amused. "This just got interesting."


Iapetus looked down. The dust cloud was clearing and he could see something shimmering at its heart. Something...big. Iapetus gasped as it hit him. "It's...it's Morpheus!!"



He was right. Morpheus stood at the heart of the inferno...but changed. He was bigger, more muscular and wider too. The upper torso of his outfit had seared away, leaving him bare-chested, but thick, dark brown fur had sprouted all over his chest, only stopping at his throat and just below his elbows.

His eyes had changed from dark brown to malevolent yellow and a thick, dark tail had sprouted from his lower back and now grew to full extent, swishing behind him.



Morpheus examined his new body, laughing triumphantly. "Now, Iapetus...gaze upon my new form."
"Impossible!!" Iapetus cried.

"Correct!" Morpheus roared. "I AM the impossible!!"


Morpheus moved faster than Iapetus could even see. In a heartbeat, he had moved at least a hundred yards through the air before smashing a kick into Iapetus' abdomen that knocked all the air from his lungs, as well was sending him sailing backward at several miles per hour, smashing into the force field.

Iapetus didn't even have the chance to drop. Morpheus pumped his arms back and forward, blasting him with dozens of bolts of the 'Decimator Cannon' hex. Iapetus had just enough time to conjure a force field of his own before Morpheus' savage attack triggered a colossal explosion that would have torn a hole straight through the mountainside, if not for the force field shielding it.


Morpheus' new form was clearly more powerful than his last - he was suspended in the air with the greatest of ease and had all but defeated Iapetus without even breaking a sweat.


Suddenly, Morpheus' senses went on alert. There was a bang and a flash of green, and then Iapetus was behind him, hands raised akimbo. Morpheus pivoted in mid-air and smashed him in the side with a roundhouse kick. Next, he effortlessly Warped, putting himself into Iapetus' path.

Morpheus used both fists to smash Iapetus' body, sending him plummeting to the ground.



Iapetus fell over twenty-thousand feet in a matter of seconds, plunging straight into the jungle below. Another burst of green, and Morpheus was in the forest beside him, standing erect and with his back straight.

"Do you believe now?" Morpheus goaded. "Do you accept my dominance over you, and the entire clan?"
Iapetus couldn't even find the strength to clamber to his feet. "I...I...will...never submit...to the...likes of...you..."


Morpheus gave him a swift kick to the thorax and sending him straight through a tree trunk, snapping it apart. "Admit defeat, Iapetus. Your time is over. Face your death with some honor, at least."

Iapetus spat on the ground, his life faltering and fading from him. "I...curse you, M...Morpheus...curse you..."   


Morpheus laughed and crouched down next to Iapetus' broken form, yellow eyes glinting malevolently. "You know something, Iapetus? If you'd just submitted to me, I could've spared you. Of course, nothing will truly save you from me in the end, but you could have delayed your own demise for a bit. In return for faithful service, I would've given you extra years to live your life."


"To what end?" Iapetus croaked. "To bow and scrape? To serve you?"


"Yes," Morpheus nodded. "To serve me. The new Supreme Leader of the Dark Horde. To aid me in the prosperous future that I will build. It comes at the cost of much, even my own life. But I will be remembered among my people as a hero for generations to come."

Iapetus gave a feeble attempt at a laugh. "You think the people of New Atlantis will ever call your name, short of in vain?"


Morpheus grinned even wider. "I said my people. I never said anything about New Atlantis. But I wouldn't worry about that. You've been defeated. I claim the title of Omnipotent, along with your rank as Supreme Leader. And henceforth, I will begin to put my grand scheme into action. It's a pity, Iapetus, that you'll be too dead to see it."

"No," Iapetus said weakly. "Wait-"
"But fear not," Morpheus chuckled. "You can watch from the Afterlife. Through the eyes of your rotting corpse."



"What do you plan to do with my body?" Iapetus groaned.

"Not your body, no," Morpheus shook his head no. "Just your head."

Morpheus flicked his wrist expertly, and just like that, Iapetus the Impaler breathed no more.