Peculiar Friend

Desmond immersed himself with the new power he felt inside his body. As he took a moment to look around the room Desmond saw the color from everything he looked at fade away.

"Gray, all I see is black and gray it's similar to how I see magic particles in the air, but this new sence is completely different from it". Desmond said as he shifted his eyes to his flaming had.

"This fire is the only thing that's color won't fade while even my arms have turned grey. Why is that?".

[From what you are describing you have awakened a natural ability that ever spirit entity has called specter's gaze. It allows you to see a person's soul even thew walls it's just as useful as a spirit's magic sight. Typically most humans can't see magic until they reach rank 1 nor can they see a person's soul unless they use some kind of spell or tool to aid them in forcibly inspect someone's body.

Since soul fire is comprised of spirit power you are able to see it clearly. Soul fire can not only burn both hot and cold it can directly damage a person's soul. It can purity, be used in creating mystic items and heal the undead, but I must warn you few people possess a soul fire.

While it is commonly seen amongst undead living people can not naturally weald it unless it has been reforged by a master who specializes in creating things like artificers or if find the special kind naturally created in the wild. That Makes it a treasure people will think they can simply steal from you when the actual chance of that is low since your soul fire isn't an item, but a symbol of your life].

Desmond felt a bit down after gaining the ability to create soul fire because Desmond hated fire related spells it stemmed from his hatred of fire elemental mages. While Desmond believed fire elemental mages were powerful and deserved every bit of recognition that they earned.

Desmond also felt that they were so common that he couldn't respect them anymore. That's why Desmond never once considered walking down the path of an elementalist. It had no relation to him almost blowing himself up and setting himself on fire every time he tried to cast fire spells.

"Is my transformation done yet?" Desmond asked because he didn't want to be kept in a box for hours.

[Yes you are stable now so you can go. I have already informed Seraphine of your condition. She wants you to get cleaned up and join them for dinner].

"it's finally time for me to find out why seraphine keeps saving my life" Desmond said to himself as he remembered the day he was almost killed by Zane and nearly shit himself at the same time only to be saved by seraphine.

"Uhh, I just hope Zane isn't there"

...

The dining room was circular and had a glass dome for a ceiling. In its center was the ruined form of Theotera. The hall's massive size was enough to fit in over 1000 people, but that space was taken up by the skeletons of 6 gigantic giants that lived during the era of the fallen. On their bodies was the same once immaculate now tethered armor they died in. Their forms still gave off a strong intimating presence as they stood arms raise towards Theotera.

The light in the room danced on the giant's armor which reflected the polished obsidian floor and the figures of two figures arguing. Their near endless bickering filled the room if anyone was eating the large spread of food on the table they would have had their meal spoiled.

Ragnar and Zane were always at each other's throats this fight of theirs was no different. They both had a foot firmly planted on top of the table as they attempted to strangle each other. Ragnar had partly transformed into a werewolf his claws dug deep into Zane's neck latching hold of whatever Zane kept hidden under his cloak. While Zane had two meaty gorilla paws around Ragnar's neck.

Both of them were strong enough to tear apart a tank from earth like it was toilet paper, but both of them struggled with breaking the thin layer of skin the other had on them.

"You hack of a mage your nothing, but a phony. Your not a real mage and never will be". Ragnar said as he struggled to speak.

Zane laughed at Ragnar's statement his voice was clear unimpeded Ragnar's hold on his neck or whatever Zane kept hidden under his cloak, "that shows what you know a mage studies the arcane in a bid to unravel the mystery of the universe and come to the pinnacle of truth regardless of who or what you may be so long as you walk down a path in pursuit of truth you are a mage.

"You still suck. Why am I even friends with you, every time I see you I want to kill you?".

"Its because you know you need me you wouldn't be alive today if not for me".

Ragnar's veins bulged on his neck he visibly became even madder after what Zane said to him "You've attempted to kill me more times than you tried to save me and it was for dumb things too. I remember when you left me for dead in the middle of nowhere because I snored too loudly ounce while I was still injured and couldn't regenerate, but not before you attracted every beast you could to me".

"That was one time you can't still blame me for that it doesn't mean I'm actively trying to kill you".

"One time my ass what about the time when we fought that djinn. You prioritized killing its slaves, destroying everything it owned, and stealing every piece of valuable loot in front of it just to piss it off while me and Seraphine had to take care of it by ourselves. Djinns are powerful we almost died that time because of you". Ragnar shouted at Zane with enough force to almost blow the hat off the top of his head.

"What you're mentioning is nothing more than isolated incidences. They each only happened one time completely independent from the other it proves nothing. Your false accusations hurt me deep all I have ever been was helpful and supportive I think you owe me an apology". Zane said as he plew smoke up Ragnar's nose just to piss him off more.

"How about I throw you out into space instead of ripping whatever it is you call ahead off. Will you accept that as an apology you fake mage".

"Your people skills really are shit it's why you have so few friends luckily you will always have me I'm nothing like Seraphine she's always faking it in bed with you what we have is real". Zane laughed as Ragnar's claws dug deeper inside him.

"Hay Ragnar guess what?" Zane said before a human baby's arm stretched out of the darkness where his face was supposed to be and slapped Ragnar's wolf nose.

Ragnar was so made at Zane for all that he had done to him he wouldn't have been surprised if he 'accidentally' killed him.

"That's it" Ragnar uttered as he pulled out his right claws from Zane's body and struck down in with all his strength. Ragnar's attack split the air and left deep gashes on the floor. Zane had dodge Ragnar's strike by making his body soft and limp. It allowed him to coil around Ragnar's arm and slip behind him.

As soon as Zane arrived behind Ragnar a massive jagged horn like a rhino's slipped out of Zane's coat ready to impale Ragnar's back. Ragnar twisted his body around so fast a phantom image was left were he once was. Using the added speed from twisting his body Ragnar was able to overwhelm Zane when the two collided.

Ragnar uppercuted Zane's horn with enough force to snap it in two and send Zane flying towards one of the 6 giant warrior skeleton's skull. Zane landed on the giant's skull like a bullet, but the skull didn't break Zane's landing only rattled the bones.

On top of the skull, Zane shot out over 100 different beasts towards Ragnar. It was a relentless stream of creatures that's only goal was to tear a piece off of Ragnar. Ragnar didn't fret over such a sight he had seen how Zane fought hundreds of times. As the creatures, Zane released charged at Ragnar he picked up the tip of the horn he broke off and threw it at them.

The horn ripped most of the creatures apart turning them to a meat paste. As the horn came in front of Zane he slapped it away shattering it as a result. Loving the battle they were having Zane jumped into the air and breathed out a humongous plum of smoke filling the room. The smoke blinded Ragnar, but Ragnar never needed his eyes to fight he still had all his other senses to rely on and when those fail there was still pure animal instinct.

With his strong legs Ragnar jumped straight towards Zane, Ragnar could tell exactly where he was even in all the smoke. In the smoke Ragnar was met with obstacles first it was a shark then a snake which was followed by a gigantic foot and a tone other things. Ragnar cleaved his way threw ripping whatever came his way apart. His bestial roar overshadowed all the other monsters in the room as an alpha predator should.

Ragnar and Zane's clash was defending the sound of roaring thunder would have been suppressed by them. Desmond who had been teleported into the room moments before those two started fighting found it hard to breathe and stand. He started to sweat profusely and was on the verge of passing out.

The walls in the room kept him from being blown away by the shock waves lettering him have a good view enough of the two monsters in front of him. Smoke obscured Desmond's vision, but flashes of light let Desmond see glimpses. It was like watching a shadow puppet show while it was interesting and cool Desmond mostly just felt terror. He knew someone like him shouldn't be there or see anything like he was yet.

As Ragnar and Zane continued to fight they started to insult each other again.

"Mangy pup"

"Narcissistic asshole"

"Fleabag"

Zane and Ragnar kept shouting insults at each other until Ragnar took out the big guns.

"Zobow" When Ragnar said that ward the intense battle that the two had stopped. Ragnar had a triumphant devilish grin on his face while something else was going on with Zane. His body twitched as the cloths he used to conceal himself became heavily worn out and wrinkled. Iron spikes grew out of his body and extended into the floor. Zane's new form made him look like an old leather coat and hat flopping in the wind, but it was so much more terrifying than that.

When Zane finished transforming he released an unholy roar that blew away all the smoke he released. Even when Ragnar saw Zane's strange transformation he didn't relent he still called him the single word Zane hated most in the world, Zobow.

Zane overcome with rage whipped one of the rods protruding out of his back into the ground towards Ragnar. Ragnar was flung towards the table hard completely breaking it. All the fresh and expensive food that was on the table was flung into the air. As the food came up Zane's attacks came raining down he stabbed Ragnar hundreds of times. He was unrelenting hearts, eyes brain Zane didn't care what it was he just kept stabbing.

Ragnar's body was full of holes and had dozens of rods embed inside him he was enjoying himself to the fullest. All the blood that splattered out of him and any bits of his flesh came rushing back towards him. His body was repaired in seconds and he was itching to fight. Lethal injuries were nothing to Ragnar werewolfs had one of the best regeneration abilities in the world like vampires.

Ragnar's eyes became wide and yellow as he switched to his full werewolf form. His fur was glorious and smooth, his muscles bulged while his feet turned into hind legs like a wolf's. Ragnar was three to four times as his previous size he was just as deadly as he looked and even more.

While on the ground Ragnar released a powerful howl that broke every spike Zane had inside of him and slammed Zane at the top of the dome. Faster than it takes a person to blink. Ragnar forced every foreign fragment outside of his body as he used his massive hind legs to shoot himself directly at Zane to deliver a powerful punch that shook the room they were in but didn't break the glass became it was magically protected.

The punch produced another strong shock wave that sent even more feed and debris. As that was going on Seraphine walked into the room from another door. She held a small bowl in her hand that glowed with a soft light. As those two fought Seraphine's figure disappeared while at the same time Ragnar and Zane came crashing down.

They both had to take the time to dig themselves out of the hole seraphine buried them in while she yelled at them.

"That's enough look at the mess you two battle maniacs caused". Seraphine said clearly angry at both of them.

When Zane pulled himself out of the ground he screeched into the air then looked around. Catching his eye was Desmond's pathetic figure barely holding on from the battle he was in close proximity to. Seeing Desmond and still filled with anger Zane ran towards him. Zane looked like a black streak as he appeared behind Desmond. Desmond had an other worldy sense of danger it felt like it was a higher level of perception. While he knew it was coming Desmond was to slow and weak to stop Zane from ripping out his spine.

Large chunks of flesh was still on the spine as Zane began showering in Desmond's blood.