Chapter 6- Tsunami (Volume finale)

Chapter 6- Tsunami

A soft, peaceful song starts to play.

Once upon a time, there was a prince with crimson eyes, and a slave girl. The prince despised the lower crust yet fell in love with a duke's slave; her eyes glowed with a fiery passion brighter than the searing heat that followed her while she was hauled through the streets with chains on her hands and neck. The prince's sparrows followed the slave wherever she went, and watched her from the shadows of the alleys and streets. Weeks pass by and by pure coincidence, the prince and the slave met. Their eyes locked in the middle of the streets; his blood boiled as his company rambled on in the cramped streets of the market. The girl could've sworn the prince's eyes glowed a terrifying crimson as he tried desperately to be composed, but not even a moment passed before the malice in his eyes turned to warmth when his terrifying gaze stumbled upon hers, and not a moment after, his patience cracked

Leaving his company's side, he barreled towards the slave driver holding her chains and asked for a price. 10 gold coins. That was all the woman was worth, and yet the prince looked at her as if she was priceless, even with the dirt that covered her, the stench that followed her, the haggard look she presented herself with, and the status she carried that if anyone else would make the prince gag. His contempt filled eyes glowed like rubies as soon as the words left his mouth and his gaze shifted towards her. He appointed the slave his servant and for years they stood by each other. The prince grew warmer towards the woman's kind as he spent more time with her, his love grew deeper with every second he got to see her, yet he kept his distance. Even the prince was chained by the shackles of tradition, even when he becomes king; their judging eyes would never stop watching him.

One day the prince had left with the woman to visit a baron far from his kingdom. The open field that spanned for hours was peaceful beyond all means as the wind blew through the golden fields of wheat and grain. Yet the serene winds were soon disturbed. His company's heads were reaped like the golden grain that surrounded them as those who slaughtered them laughed and talked in a strange tongue. The prince's crimson eyes desperately tried not to tremble as his legs ached trying to defend his most cherished person. His sword was tied to his arm from cloth ripped from his vassal's grave, and his blood cried from the tears in his clothes. Mercilessly he was pinned and forced to watch as his beloved was torn to pieces by strange blades swung by people who wore cloaks that were printed with nebulas. And when the prince got out from their grasp and ran towards the slave's corpse, his crimson red eyes drained into his tears that flew like rivers, gradually turning black as he could only hold on to the slave's cold, mangled, corpse.

Suddenly, the winds blew with a harsh sigh and the murderers disappeared. Looking up the prince saw a woman who wore a veiled hat with a grim expression. The woman raised her hand out to the prince and offered him something. After that day, neither the prince, nor the slave were found again.

The soft music turns into a dreary and heavy tune.

"Stay behind me no matter what." Horus says to Danica as Osial's figure stands atop the volcano over the flattened field that was covered by thousands over thousands of undead and monsters that reeked of methane and sulfur.

"Don't you dare use any of your magic!" Horus yells to the five, his sharp fangs showing as his eyes filled with a distinct weight.

The five begin to run in formation as the music begins to pick up, bodies fall and get destroyed with each beat of the layered melody that accompanied the clanging of steel and ripping of bullets through flesh. The five begin to sweat shortly after half the enemy forces had been decimated yet more keep erupting from the ground. Slowly they get surrounded even as bodies turn into mists of blood and gore around them. They begin to pant as the music reaches its low point, they begin to slow down and get overwhelmed by monsters in all sides, their swordsmanship and aim begin to falter and Quinton's orders start to become more desperate. Osial begins to cast a giant ball of magic similar to the one he used to destroy Aramus' port but bigger. His smile grew wide in pleasure as he watched the five struggle and Horus' expression grow more anxious. Hinderfin's shield had broken and his Warhammer was shattered by a half-deteriorated orc. This was the end.

The music turns silent after the final violin ends its final sustain. The sky turns dark as Osial throws down the giant ball of magic he had casted. His smile spanned from ear to ear and his pleasured laugh was deafening as he looked at the unmoving Horus atop his small ship at the edge of the beach. Osial's eyes grew sadistic as he observed Horus' visage grow more and more infuriated.

Then, Horus cracked a small smile and suddenly an explosion of black feathers came from the center of the deck, making the masts and poles disappear in an instant. Then, a blonde conductress whose complexion glowed like the moon appeared, leading a choir of men and women in suits on the deck. Calmly, she raised her stick and began to conduct a piece in conjunction with Horus signaling something to the five. Their intense and heavenly singing was louder than the strident explosion of the spell contacting the ground which rapidly expanded into a blinding light for miles, almost being visible from Aramus and Holdborn. But when the light dissipated, Osial's shock could not have been any more satisfying to see as he saw Horus, his ship, and the five completely untouched.

The orchestra began to mix with the Choir above.

Osial's devastated expression was euphoric to see even only for the few seconds that he presented it. There he stood defeated and desperate for a single moment before running towards to try and kill the five at the center of the dilapidated environment. Hinderfin stood in front of him, his usual energetic demeanor was replaced with a serious, straightforward expression as he dueled Osial with only his hands and without any support magic from Frieda. Hinderfin dodged and attacked Osial with surgical precision before he could even get out his weapon. He made sure to attack where it mattered, getting the deity to the point where even Danica could follow his movements

Then, Horus peered at the fighting for a moment before stepping forward and ordering Danica to follow him before he attempts to walk off the ship.

"What do you mean follow you?! You're going to get yourself killed! And if not you then I would!" Danica grabbing Horus' wrist, trying to make him explain himself

"If I wanted to kill you, I would have done so before we even left the port. If you actually wanted to live, you would follow me. Any normal person who stood in that bastard's presence would wither before they could even blink." Horus replied, still looking towards the five.

"Then why aren't any of you dead yet?" Danica asked before hesitantly letting go.

"We're the farthest thing from normal. Now follow me." Horus ended before jumping down the ship with Danica hastily trying to follow him.

Calmly, Horus walked towards the five with Danica behind his back. A thick layer of black miasma encircles the two as they get closer to the five. Then when the two were close enough, Horus held Danica's head and casted a spell on her. A layer of a glowing gold liquid surrounded Danica and absorbed into her skin.

"What was that?" Danica asked, surprised.

"You'll be fighting as well. That spell puts you on even odds with him." Horus explains calmly

"You want me to fight a god!?" Danica expressed angrily

"If you defeat him, I will reward you something beyond grand. And if you lose, I'll make sure you survive, but I'll make it my personal goal to make your life a living hell." Horus states before putting his hand into his pouch.

"Use this." Horus hands Danica a dagger with an absurdly sharp edge and a seemingly weightless build.

Its blade was straight and was longer than Danica's arm, however when she held it, it felt perfect for her. And almost confidently she walked towards the two fighting a short distance away from her.

Osial spots the child walking towards them and he comes back to his senses. He snaps out of his blind rage and realizes his position. He blows back Hinderfin with a guizer of water from the ground before stepping back and drawing his true arms. First appeared a tooth shaped blade that disassembled into thousands of droplets of water, shifting and spiraling into a two-handed blade made out of royal blue stained steel. The handle was made out of a durable material that was able to survive Osial's crushing grip, the guard was forked towards the blade, its design was crude but functional and its blade stood out the most. Its dark blue hue glowed a terrifying depth contrasted by the grey steel that looked like cracks that ran up the straight blade. compared to the dagger Horus gave Danica, Osial's blade trumped hers in sharpness and durability upon a glance.

Osial lowers his head for a moment and takes a breath, he shifts his glance up and his eyes were calm and steady. He takes a step forward and raises his blade that whistles through the wind and rings even while he stood with his eyes lowered.

Hinderfin steps forward as Osial points to him, but then Osial shifts his blade and points to Danica. "Come at me child. I dare you."

The glow in Danica's eyes grew brilliantly as she raised her blade to her chest and started to walk forward, her slow pace gradually turning into a full sprint towards him.

Danica manifests a ball of fire in her one hand as her eyes focus on the enemy she's slowly closing in to. She throws the spell towards Osial before strafing to the side and turning her blade backwards before striking. Osial blocks her blade and they started their duel. Danica gets out of the clash and continues her offense, one strike after the other sparks flies as Osial's body shivers with every strike. He feels the damage he accrued fighting Hinderfin every time he tries to land a blow, making him shudder and giving Danica leeway to counter him. Though her movements weren't perfect, they were clean and focused. She was nimble and flexible, finding openings in the weakened deity's stance.

Fifteen seconds go by. Osial blows Danica back with a single strike and starts his own offensive, mixing magic with his blows and distorting Danica's view with every other strike. Yet Danica holds her ground slowly learning his movement patterns and strategies as he persists. One strike from him would kill her but she wasn't afraid. She was confident in her blade and she had no roots to look back on; it was too late to look back anyway. And after taking a breath in an opening in Osial's attacks, she launches a near perfect offensive of magic, thrusts, and slashes that overwhelm Osial before finally landing a blow to Osial's arm. 5 minutes had passed by before the first clash began, and just now did Danica landed the first blow.

Time stops and Danica's blade glows. A white hooded figure appears from a vail of mist; It was a woman with long white hair with rose red eyes, holding an elegant sword with both her hands.

"The unworthy who feed one the blood of a God shall be turned into beasts that can kill, but cannot be controlled. Yet ye who are worthy shall be given the power of eternity. Young child of innate talent in the arcane, one has deemed ye worthy."

Time starts again and Danica is transported back by Frieda while Quinn takes the lead in fighting Osial. The dagger absorbs into Danica's hand in the blink of an eye and Danica wretches in pain. Her breathing becomes heavy and her eyes tremble in pain and then, gently, Danica's curled hair starts to float and glow a white light as her eyes glow in kind. She sees a gateway made of quartz with pillars of gold and diamonds engraved in to the gate itself like Damascus. It shone with a brilliance that washed upon her astral body like rays of sunshine, with its gates wide open.

"These are the gates of the arcane; the route of all magic in every world. If ye choose to enter, one's magic shall be amplified and refined to the perfection of that which flows in front of you. And if one wishes to decline, the near infinite well spring of magic shall be granted to thine mortal being." The voice of the hooded figure said after appearing in front of the gates.

"Through the vixens and the bold, may your light be as told, burn the plight of the countless worlds in your blight. In immaculacy, your majesty, shower us with your gracious three." Horus said tapping Danica's shoulder before passing her. The hooded figure was shocked but remained composed, she hesitantly removed her white hood and showed her face.

Her white hair flowed with the winds of the arcane and her red eyes were steady and intimidating. The winds of the arcane greyed and dulled as she raised her blade to Horus.

"Ye who's mortal soul had earned a million crowns shall not be disregarded, another step and you shall join the endless departed."

Horus stopped. His eyes grew bored and darkened. The greyed winds turned pitch black as soon as it passed him.

"Shine through the mist your grace and mercy, and in kind, I shall bring back to thee a beloved memory"

The woman's visage grew annoyed but she dropped it in a breath. She lowered her sword and she grew finished. Her hair turned gold and her eyes turned blue, her sword disappeared with the golden winds that bellowed behind her. And the winds that blew past her shimmered gold

"You always annoy me, Horus. What in the world did you do to meet with the chosen one of all people? It's been millennia, and the first person who I meet is tied to YOU!" The figure said in an animated voice. She was more human in her reaction and movements and she was annoyed beyond compare.

Horus giggled a little and the pitch-black winds behind him turned into a rainbow of colors.

"Coy as always, weren't you? Alessia. It's been quite a while since we last met, I am saddened that this is how you treat me."

"Cut it Horus. I still can't forgive you for what you did the last time we met!" Alessia exclaimed

"How can you hold such a long grudge over some food?" Horus replied with a grind

"It was my finale! My final set piece. And for my last supper of all things!" Alessia grumbled

"I gave you a feast fit for a deity, and yet you grumble over a single slice of cake? There were hundreds of them." Horus smiles

"I favored that one!" Alessia yelled out

Looking at each other, they laugh for a moment before composing themselves once more. They look into each other's eyes with nostalgia, catching up with each other without saying a word. The gates grew silent with only the winds that howled being the only sound that could be heard.

"So, you want her to accept the third option, correct?" Alessia says as her smile fades with a sigh, turning into a serious expression

"Exactly so." Horus says without a second thought

Alessia sighs, "Such a young child led to suffer such a life, only to be met by you." Her expression saddens as she peers towards Danica's form, her eyes moving up and down as if she was reading a book.

Horus stays silent as Alessia wears her cloak and hood, removing a ring from one of her fingers

"Weary soul chosen by fate to move forward; I present to you another option. Wear this ring and your fate shall change. Your mortal soul shall be blessed and turned immortal, your form never to die, age, or be injured eternally. Your abilities elevated to the degree of those who rule over realities, and your life changed to unrecognition." Alessia raises her hand forward with the ring in it, the winds that blow through the gates grow rowdy and strong, creating torrents and rivers of magic that pass through this majestic hooded figure.

But for a moment, Alessia closes her hand

"The price to pay is grand, and the pain is immense. But to move forward here is your decision."

Horus stays silent and watches, the rivers of gold brush past him and turn into a brilliant array of colors as they permeate throughout the near endless sea of clouds.

Danica raises her hand and holds Alessia's. Her visage is still and determined, opening the palm of Alessia's hand without saying a breath. In kind Alessia lowers her head and holds onto Danica's hand, taking the ring and placing it onto her hand. Danica is mesmerized by Alessia's gentle hands snapping out of it when a gust of wind brushed past her face, compelling her to look up.

There she saw a woman with a warm smile whose blue eyes outshone the glorious winds that blew behind her. The white cloak that was rimmed in golden light, the beautiful golden patterns that permeated through her hood, and the expression Alessia showed to Danica before standing up and pulling her towards the clouds was something Danica could never forget. Stepping forward and waking up in Alessandra's and Frieda's arms; her hair dropping down and turning back to their usual color.

The orchestra begin the final rhapsody.

"Where's Horus?" Danica asks standing up with haste.

Frieda looks over he shoulder and points towards Horus. Horus looks at Danica with a serious expression and crimson eyes, the aura surrounding him was steady and intimidating.

Danica catches on quick and heads towards Osial who was still fighting Quinn, looking at the palm of her hand as she walks and thinks to herself. A fireball gets conjured in her hands stretching on both ends creating a poll, shaping and bellowing brighter till it turns blue and forms into the shape of a one-handed blade.

Danica grabs the blade as she waves her hand inward, making a quick explosion of blue fire, changing the color of her eyes to a bright blue and turning the blade made out of flames into a real blade which looks simple in nature but emits a terrifying aura. Quinn notices Danica and pushes Osial away and getting together with the rest by breaking a stone from his pocket.

The orchestra cries in hysteria as Danica makes her final step, waiting for Osial to charge forward towards her before clawing into his ribcage with her hand using some magic, holding on to it like a handle and fracturing his bones. Danica raises her blade to Osial's neck and tells him to drop his blade. Her eyes are steady and nonchalant as she tightens her grip on Osial's ribs, boiling his flesh and lungs.

Osial refuses and without waiting another second Danica breaks his ribs and cuts off his head, suturing it's opening and not even giving Osial a chance to scream. Danica grabs Osial's head before it hits the ground, shoving her fingers into his eye sockets, popping his eyeballs and coating her hands in blood which burns away in concentrated rivers of fire. Her eyes don't grow any colder as she lowers her hand with Osial's head firmly held, getting crushed little by little as she burns the miasma that surrounded the whole island in torrents of blue flames and the orchestra's rhapsody truly ends its final sequence.