Antemoi

"Nox? Where are you?"

Elysia found herself in a lavish garden. She walked through the polished cobblestone path as she looked around, admiring the scenery.

Stopping to stare at a bed of particularly vibrant flowers, she sensed something approach her.

An old man slowly trekked through the path. Carrying a golden watering can and covered in spots of brown soil, he made his way to the mage.

His voice seemed to be carried by the winds itself.

"It's been a while since I've seen a human Otherworlder."

The girl smiled.

"I know you. I've seen you in my dreams."

Smiling, the old man removed his large-brimmed hat, revealing his facial features. His skin was weathered throughout the years, but his dark-green eyes showed a sense of vitality.

"Child of Ardalan, is it?"

"You know my father?" 

Elysia seemed surprised. Her father was a busy man. 

Being apart of the council of Heros, he rarely had time for family matters. Aside from large celebrations and events, she rarely saw his face.

"Know him? I signed a contract with him many years ago."

She suddenly glared at him, her pupils shaking.

"You're Antemoi, Constellation of the verdant winds."

"That is what the Otherworlders usually call me."

The girl found a sudden rush of wind lifting her as Antemoi spoke.

"Come, let us have a little talk."

"No." She suddenly replied.

Antemoi widened his eyes as a torrent of green spears was unleashed upon him.

"Why didn't you do anything when our home was attacked?" The girl screamed. Her onyx-black hair fluttered as she harnessed the ambient energy around them.

Easily dispersing the projectiles, the old man shouted.

"You dare attack a Constellation, human?"

A cloak of energy suspended the mage in the air. Within the blink of an eye, Elysia was instantly subdued. The Constellation pondered a fitting punishment for the Otherworlder when the sky above them suddenly rumbled.

Glancing up, Antemoi gave a surprised look, one he hadn't had in thousands of years.

A massive blade of verdant energy appeared above him.

'This girl…'

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"Why did you let him go?"

A tiny blue-hued duck hovered in the air. Covered in sparks of azure electricity, it interrogated the figure in front of it.

"He seemed interesting, that was all."

Loki responded.

"Even though you knew he carried the legacy of Nix?" The duck slowly grew. It's beak enlarged and gleamed with razor-sharp intensity. Padded feet descended on the ground, causing tremors to reverberate through the earth.

The titan stared down at the masked figure. 

"I'll ask you again. Why did you let the murderer go?"

Loki seemed unfazed by the transformation, repeating once more.

"I told you, he seemed inter-

A foot slammed into the trickster, sending his frail body crashing into the side of a building. The gold walls collapsed as a grey mist scattered through the vicinity.

Loki slowly stood back up. Patting the dust off his clothes, the Constellation took off his wooden mask.

An unseen force radiated from the trickster's body as it shifted around through the mist. He raised a hand right as another kick hurtled through the air.

Shockwaves were sent through the immediate space as a resounding crack could be heard.

A small hand stopped the massive foot in its tracks. Pieces of broken wood littered on the ground as the mask was broken apart.

A shriek can be heard as the air around them trembles. The Duck of Yonder, now a chaotic mess of fangs and obsidian-like feathers, towered over the world.

The beast unleashed a headbutt, nailing Loki onto the ground. The floor beneath them crumbled apart as a titanic monster let off a roar.

The air around them thickened as an enormous limb held the trickster by the hem of his shirt, peering down at it with a massive bestial eye.

Loki opened his mouth, letting out a cough. Mist emerged from his lips as he fell apart, revealing a scarecrow in place of its body.

Appearing next to the fully-transformed Duck of Yonder, he sighed.

"Let's calm down, old friend."

A wisp of energy silently traveled through the air, landing on the beast. Within seconds, the Duck of Yonder fell back onto the ground, and transformed back into its initial duckling state.

It angrily squeaked, "You and your disgusting tricks…"

The young man held up a finger. "I propose a bet."

"I know you are planning on interfering with the Mythmakers challenge."

The Duck replied with a threatening look, "And?"

Loki revealed a blood-curdling smile, forcing the other constellation to momentarily freeze in place.

"If you kill him, I'll use my golden wish to recreate a perfect replica of Nix."

"But if you lose, you will give your Myth to the boy."

A bustling laughter emerged from the feathery Constellation, and the trickster promptly joined in.

"You better keep your side of the bargain, pest."

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The old man slowly patted the head of the sleeping girl, thinking about the recent events.

'Perfect potential…'

Out of the thousands of Otherworlders that had been measured with the Orb of Bestowel, the black-haired mage was the only one to ever receive that measurement.

If one looked around the garden, one would find that it had been utterly destroyed. Crushed-up rocks were littered around the fields, along with numerous piles of uprooted plants.

When he had heard of a potential contractor appearing today, he wasn't that surprised.

After all, Otherworlders often had abilities relating to the wind. He was more curious about the descendant of the Mythmaker.

However…

'She was able to harness my wind.'

An Otherworlder couldn't use the winds of another mage more powerful than themselves, that was the rule. Whoever had the greater affinity for wind would hold a massive advantage in a duel.

For the majority of the 'fight', if it even is considered one, the Constellation held the upper hand. Antemoi was mostly flying through the air, taunting Elysia as he easily dodged her flimsy attacks.

But for a split second, near the end of the fight, something odd happened.

Her green eyes betrayed a hue of purple as the Constellation felt the nearby winds move out of his control.

'This power? The old Mythmaker?'

Antemoi touched his cheek. On the corner of his wrinkled skin, there was a scratch so small that it was invisible to the naked eye.

"Maria, was it?"

The old man reached for the air and manifested a thin golden coin. Muttering something incomprehensible, the coin broke apart and drifted into the winds.

In the sea of souls, countless screams of agony and regret resounded. Among them was a woman with golden eyes. She felt a foreign force drag her soul away as she softly whispered, 

"Thank you, my lady…"