4 To the Edge

 

4 To the Edge

 

            “Brother!” I unsheathed the sword with a blinding and fierce wave of the wrist. Sparking with the same intense heat of a brothel in mid-day, Aiden swung and missed. He still could not make out what the man looked like, but still he was enemy and must be destroyed. The man jumped into the air at least fifteen feet to evade Aidens blow; a superhuman event.

            He landed with his back facing. “I know the sword of Obtineo all too well. One slice and my dancing days are over” he chuckled as he nodded his head to my direction, back still facing.

            He stood still long enough to make out his leathered fancy armor. A pale light blue, almost like glass, it conformed to his skin. “So you like my armor?” he asked, “it was made by the object you seek.”

            It was no surprise to me that it was. He was just in my way anyways.

            “Tell me Son of Scott, why you seek it.”

            “I seek if for the people of City. To protect them, and their honor; that is my duty”

            “You will abandon that oath and many others. You will disband your friends, and City. You must, for your own survival!”

            “Mockery is what you steep me in Knave! You will not put dark blessing to befoul my heart, my very soul. Your blood shall be my bathing water this hour.” I pressed towards him with my words, swinging the Katana of Obtineo as I went. “I shall slice-.”

            “-Unless the dance floor breaks” the man dropped down and with both hands, pierced the earth. “Crumble! BREAK!” the earth shattered underfoot. I leaped at him with intent to kill. The breaking rock beneath was falling up at me as if attracted. I landed randomly and jumped off them, and evaded each bullet. The rocks stopped in air, and floated as I landed on one and I too, stopped. We both stood respective to each other, with what it looked like 50 feet in the air.

            “Warrior-magic and an advanced one no less; is this truly the power of Life?”

            “Yes, under the training of Master.”

            I stabbed my weapon into the rock platform I stood on. I proclaimed my prayer for strength from the gods; from the City. The platform broke to dirt, and I fell with it. The dust contorted and twisted around me, and it made what I asked it to; a tentacle. It transformed like a dragon; the First god. “RIDE” I proclaimed and ride I did.

            “Ah, City’s First god. Elementary taught, but capitalized upon the warrior. You actually made it physical. Surprising, but it will not be enough.” He could have said anything, and it wouldn’t have mattered; I couldn’t hear it, I was moving way too fast. I seen his lips move again, and he raised his blue arm to me, and floating debris came flying at me. I sliced through each with ease. The hilt of my blade was the base of where I fed it power. An orb there collected. “Fire!” I had yelled, and with more intensity I now melted the rock that came at me. I twisted in and out of the stone bullets, making them burn as I went. The flame-blade I held, I thrust into my dragon. “BLAZE” an incantation of my Father. I succeeded in making the phoenix, City’s Second god. Its forlorn flame lit the skies, melting rock shards more then twenty feet away. “I AM CREATOR. AND YOU, YOU ARE OVER.” Obtineo rose high, I could see the morality that now lingered in his eyes. I flew faster then I had ever gone before. I wondered for a second…why he feared Obtineo so much, as he lowered his eyes and head. Did he know of it?

            I was closing the gap. I seen the details of his face; I could count the pores of it. I heard the snarl of his lung. He clawed the air and within a millisecond he looked up. Hands clasped and than clawed on opposite side; right to the heart, left to the right. Outstretching each at me once, back to the original, the suit he wore began to brighten. I could tell even with the intense light of the Second. “To vapor, shall it be” made by a velvet voice, echoing over all action, and the land. It seemed pure; too pure. From his suit erupted a beam directed to the Second. It struck, and the god from its glory returned to dust. But I, thus leaped from the monster at the precise moment. His eyes round, I attacked the attacker. A carefully placed slice went right through body. Each half fell back to earth along with the army of stones and I too…fell. Only mere moments to scramble for an idea to save and it struck to me; I pointed the tip of Sword and said one inscription upon the blade. Three arches of beam light surrounded; I floated, suspended in the encasement. Who was that, and why did he attack? I had questions. But I held only one answer. Someone had the Artifact of Life.