See-Through

Ingen watches with wide eyes as Kyro is sent tumbling through the air. He crashes through the arch of stone over the gate, the impact dampening his momentum. Stone and metal spikes that sat atop the arch crumble and fall, and Kyro disappears over the gate.

Ingen snaps his eyes to Ludan, and the Epoch does the same. This man, something is unnatural about him, Ingen thinks. Every movement made by Ludan defies the ways of the world. That lanky body should not be able to send Kyro flying like that. He ignores acceleration, his body just snaps into motion, instantly reaching whatever speed he desires.

What is Ingen meant to do against something like this?

Not caring a bit for Ingen's views on how things work, Ludan indeed snaps into motion. His body blurs and he arrives in front of Ingen before a breath can be taken. Ingen's body vibrates with shock, and he brings his warhammer around in a wide arc, an instinctual reaction.

Ludan slaps the side of the warhammer before it can reach his ribs, and the hunk of metal crashes into the grass, nearly taking Ingen with it. Then, Ingen feels a hand on his shoulder, and his body fails him. He falls to his knees, and his warhammer slips from his hands.

This is different from Cage's paralyzing touch, which left Ingen with no feeling in his hand and leg, as if they weren't there at all. Right now, Ingen can feel his limbs. He can feel the grass against his knees, the cold wind swiping across his hands and bald head. They just won't listen to him, no matter how much his brain screams at them to move.

Ingen looks up at Ludan—his neck is listening to him, at least—and those silver eyes stare back. From the corner of his eye, Ingen can see one of the bracelets glowing on the arm that holds him, "Where did you get these powers?" Ingen asks, eyes gliding over and meeting Ludan's again.

Ludan hums, looking toward the tower, at the two statues on either side of the door. Tiren and Betor, "I made a sacrifice and was rewarded," the Epoch says solemnly.

"You gave up your own son for power?" Ingen says with an incredulous expression. I sound like Cage, he thinks, asking all these questions.

Ludan looks at Ingen, silent for a moment. He glances at the damaged gate of the surrounding wall, then sniffs, "And what about you?" the Epoch asks, eyes returning to Ingen with a disdainful glint to them, "Do you have any wants? Any dreams? Or is that why you follow Kyro around? Are you that scared of walking your own path?"

Ingen chuckles, "Jealous? I don't blame you. Not many are blessed with a brotherhood like ours," he says, "And I have a dream, but I don't see the point in telling you."

Ludan pauses. Then, that unnaturally wide grin stretches his crimson cheeks. He leans down until their noses are nearly touching, "You want to find daddy, don't you?" he says, "The deserter. I believe his name was... Bari? Yes, that's it."

Ingen clenches his jaw.

"Ah... That look says it all," Ludan says, a cold chuckle escaping his lips as he straightens his back, "A shame your search won't even have the chance to begin. My heart breaks." With the last mocking words leaving his mouth, Ludan raises his free hand and flattens it. He rears it back like a snake waiting to strike and looks at Ingen's throat.

Ingen stares at the hand, breaths coming quickly through his nostrils. Something squeezes his heart and threatens to pop it. Fear. An emotion he does not often experience.

Ingen takes a deep breath and squeezes his eyes shut, "Kyro!" His voice cracks with the force of the yell.

The name bounces off the tower, the wall, and the ceiling of the cave. Then, the puncturing of metal overtakes it. A familiar blade flashes across the courtyard at a speed too fast for a normal eye. Ludan releases Ingen and takes a casual step back, brows furrowed as he watches with eyes far from normal as the mist-covered blade stretches between them.

Ludan looks to the side and sees where the blade comes from. A hole in the gate, a bit of blue skin visible on the other side. He raises a hand toward the gate, then looks at his fingers and grunts annoyedly.

Ludan feels something pierce his stomach.

Like a branch on a tree, another blade has grown from the original. It slowly sinks farther into Ludan's stomach, just below his ribs. But that's not the only thing the Epoch must worry about. A guttural battle cry echos and Ingen brings his warhammer down as he stands on the other side of the long blade, face twisted with effort, muscles bulging under his violet skin.

Ludan frowns, his hand blurring as it zips up. He catches the warhammer by its face, the spikes piercing his palm. Ingen grits his teeth and pushes down with all his strength, but the weapon doesn't budge in the slightest. Suddenly, the ear-grating sound of grinding metal overtakes all others.

The massive iron gate twists and mangles, covered in a familiar white mist. It shrinks, then elongates into something like a spear, one much too large to be used. Kyro grunts as he lifts the giant iron spear, his teeth pressed together so hard he feels they may shatter in his mouth.

Holding his sword forward in one hand, Kyro moves slowly as he pulls the spear back into a throwing position in the other hand. He takes a deep breath and holds it, his grey eyes meeting Ludan's. With silence hanging over the cave, Kyro blows out hard, digging his feet into the stone so hard that cracks form around him. He launches the spear with every bit of strength he can muster.

Ludan watches the spear fly directly toward his head with raised brows. Time slows for the Epoch, and everything around him, the blade still sliding through him, Ingen's rippling muscles, and the spear all takes on the speed of a snail. Even the few snowflakes that make their way to the courtyard freeze in the air.

Ludan stares at the spear for a moment, humming, "Perhaps I'll have a mural of Sali carved on the new gate. He'll appreciate that," he says calmly, eyes trailing to Kyro, who stands frozen, pulling his arm back from the throw, "You could have replaced him."

Ludan looks at that black bubble standing on the grass to the side, "But instead I'm stuck with this disappointment," he says. Suddenly, the Epoch's eyes widen in shock. He looks toward the opening of the cave, searching for a presence that has always been there, "Sali."

The branch of a second blade rips through Ludan's side as he steps from it, eyes focused on that presence.

Time returns.

That giant spear whistles past Ludan's head, ruffling his long black hair. Ingen's warhammer slams into the second blood-covered blade of Kyro's sword. The spear narrowly misses the warhammer and zips past, crashing into the tower and ripping the door from its place. Part of the black stone wall falls and piles high, blocking the entrance.

Kyro ignores the vibration in his hand from Ingen's missed strike. Instead, he watches Ludan with parted lips. The Epoch's head seemed to vibrate for a split second, then he walked from the blade stabbing him through as if it was nothing. Dark blood pours from the deadly gash on Ludan's side, but he doesn't even seem to notice. Really, he doesn't seem to notice anything.

Ludan stops not far from where he was before, looking out into the city. Kyro's blade shrinks, his eyes never leaving the Epoch, even as the man raises an open palm before him. The air in front of Ludan's palm takes on a familiar shimmer. The Spider-Eyed Wolf appears in a puff of energy there.

Kyro freezes. He glances at Ingen, who stares at the giant wolf with a slack jaw. The Spider-Eyed Wolf sits on its haunches, head lowered to allow Ludan's hand to touch it. Are Kyro's eyes failing him, or is the beast smaller? To add to it, it's transluscent body once glowed with vibrance, like a massive lantern that shines light upon everything around it. It's dimmer now, much dimmer.

But if the Wolf is here, then Cage... No, Kyro thinks, the bubble is still there. Cage is alive. Kyro feels relieved to know that, but the confusion still lingers within him. If Cage is not dead, then why is that beast here? After all that talk about exterminating evil, Kyro can't imagine that Ludan would allow Cage to be left alive.

Kyro then remembers something. It was hard to see under the flat bravado, but the Epoch seemed almost worried before summoning the Wolf here. Now, Ludan seems solemn as he pats the Wolf's head, whispering inaudibly to the beast like a father telling his injured son to not cry because of a little scrape.

That's it. Cage must have hurt the Spider-Eyed Wolf somehow. Permenantly too, because the puny state of the beast isn't changing, no matter how many pats and whispers Ludan gives.

Kyro grins.

If he found a way to hurt the Wolf, then maybe Cage can also hurt Ludan. That's their only hope, Kyro and Ingen's attacks are useless against this man. Even now, the would-be fatal gash stretching halfway through the Epoch's torso is closing up.

Kyro can only assume that Cage is on his way here now. Any other possibility can only lead to death, so there's no point in thinking about them. For now, all Kyro and Ingen can do is keep their heads attached to their necks until help arrives.

Kyro steps forward, smirking as he stares at Ludan, "Love is a weakness, huh?" he says with a chuckle, earning the Epoch's attention, "Looks like you're just as weak as the rest of us then."

Ludan's usual flat expression is replaced by a scowl, "How did that creature do this?" he hisses, eyes piercing through Kyro.

Kyro shrugs casually, trying his best to ignore the fear that look induces, "Your guess is as good as mine," he responds.

"If I may say, it looks like the little pup is hurt," Ingen says, stepping up beside Kyro. Their grins are almost identical, save for the dark hole of a missing tooth in Ingen's.

The Spider-Eyed Wolf looks at Ingen and Growls. Even with the shrinkage of its body, the beast still towers over every other living thing.

Ludan grits his teeth, "He drained my powers through Sali," he says, "He is meant to take, but his powers shouldn't be so precise. What do you two know of this?"

"Cage barely understands them himself, what makes you think I know anything?" Kyro says innocently. He celebrates on the inside.

"You could ask him yourself," Ingen says, hands resting on the pommel of his warhammer, "I'm sure he's on his way as we speak."

So he realized the same thing. Ingen may seem ignorant and apathetic to others, but Kyro knows that is far from the truth. Kyro smiles. They can—no, they will get through this alive. The only death that Kyro will see today is that of the man before him.

Ludan steps in front of his Anima summon, looking back and forth between Kyro and Ingen, "I'll wait for him, but not before ridding myself of you two," he says, voice returning to that same foreboding tone, "I want to see if a monster has the ability to mourn."

Silence. Kyro stares at Ludan. He stares back. Kyro raises his sword, but before he can swing, he once again feels a fist slam into his stomach. His feet are ripped out from under him and he flies back, a crater forming in the wall as he crashes into it. Kyro falls to the grass on his backside, groaning. He leans over and pukes yellow-green liquid onto the ground, panting.

"There he is," Kyro hears a voice through the ringing in his ears. Ludan.

He looks up, sighing in relief as he sees Cage standing where that massive gate used to be. Kyro furrows his brows. For some reason, the man seems shocked at something. Cage stands frozen, black eyes wide, mouth hanging open. Kyro follows Cage's eyes. What could make him look so shocked-

Kyro's breath catches in his throat. His heart drops to his aching stomach. The low whistle of the wind, the plipping of dripping blood, all sound merges with the ringing in his ears, "No... No, no, no," Kyro mutters, his lips barely moving.

Ingen stands still in the same place as Kyro remembers. But it's different. A red-skinned arm juts out from his lower back, blood stains his leotard. The arm disappears, leaving behind a hole the size of a large stone. Kyro looks at the hole for a long moment, he can see Ludan's arm dripping with blood on the other side.

Kyro doesn't hear the thud that follows, only the ringing in his ears.