Thunder and Lightning

Nikolai flashed over the battlefield, the sound of his passage sending the 'Scurries', as one of Kazimierz' previous persona's had dubbed them, reeling. The pressure of his arrival tore a rift through their lines, hundreds of unlucky Scurries bursting into flame in the wake of the energy he unleashed. He saw tribesman chanting and screaming in delight as his passing devastated the enemy lines. Nikolai couldn't help releasing a few pulses of Magic to encourage his people. Excitement ran through his veins at freedom after so many days restrained, whatever Kazimierz may have claimed to the contrary.

Nikolai cast spells to observe his body even as he streaked across the sky, trying to get a grip on the changes he was experiencing. The will of the True Imperial was locked away in a cocoon, slowly melding with the ancient powers which streamed through his veins. He'd hoped the will would vanish, but it seemed to be undergoing some form of transformation instead and only time would tell what it would become. He twisted his body, spinning with arms outstretched, revelling in the power he now wielded. Passers-by would only see a shooting star lighting up the horizon with terrifying speed and Nikolai stifled the desire to crow with delight as Magic pulsed around his body.

He'd missed the sensation.

In the blink of an eye he closed in on the familiar forms of Kazimierz and his companions. The Vilinian Master Mage hovered with his eyes closed and a dark cloud swirling behind him. Nikolai screeched to a halt at a distance, spinning Nezgrom and creating all sorts of barriers in preparation. The Animas sensed his arrival and formed a semi circle facing him and blocking his path to Kazimierz.

"You won't get in his way." Zebreski raised her palms, glittering smoke spinning around her wrists and arms. She mumbled a few spells and Nikolai watched barriers spring up around her. The other Animas summoned weapons and Magic, ready to strike at a moments notice.

"Whatever he's doing looks… ominous." Nikolai waved at the dark cloud. "I thought you hated Nostrum? That definitely looks like one of his spells." While a black cloud didn't necessarily indicate Dark Magic, the twisting energy was giving Nikolai chills just by being this close. Nezgrom slowly lit up, activation runes spiralling around the powerful War-Staff, ready to hurl deadly energy of all forms at his enemies.

"Told you we should have killed him when we had the chance. It hasn't even been an hour, and he's causing us trouble." Lucas swung his Greatsword in emphasis, but showed no sign of moving, glaring sullenly at Nikolai instead.

"Leave now Morales. Kazimierz already let you go once." Zebreski growled, ignoring her companion and summoning a crystal wand engraved with powerful illusory spells. Nikolai felt his mind warping every time he looked in her direction, the power emanating from the wand at the limit of transcending to a Master Mage's level. The Animas didn't seem to be interested in fighting as long as Kazimierz remained undisturbed and Nikolai was content to wait for a little longer to ensure his spells were ready. Most Magic combat started with the creation of defences, since most Mages would carry talismans capable of deflecting the small attacks their opponent could create at a moments notice, which meant larger and longer spells had to be utilised to determine a victor. It was always a strange situation, both sides building even greater defences while they spent some effort to prepare their attacks, and once someone felt confident, destruction followed.

"I can't let him do what he wants to my people." Nikolai raised his War-Staff, and the Animas moved, arrows shooting from summoned bows and Aura blades tearing through the air towards him. He grunted as the arrows exploded against his outermost shields and he flashed to the side as they bore down on him. With a flick of his wrist and a spoken keyword, Nezgrom vibrated and unleashed five crimson flashes, shrieking as they poured down on the archers in the distance. To a Mage, archers were terrifying opponents, their long range attacks easily capable of disrupting any Mages concentration. It was difficult to chant calmly when a bolt of steel was about to punch through your eye after all. The archers hadn't even sensed the attack, and the crimson bolts slammed into them with terrifying force, bursting on impact and creating a ring of destruction that crashed against the powerful shield surrounding Kazimierz.

Nikolai spun out of the way of a massive Aura Blade and hurled a few more bolts at Kazimierz' shield, hoping to break his concentration but the Anima had planned his defences exquisitely, Nikolai's attack breaking against his shield in a cascade of chaotic energy. Zebreski's chanting finished, summoning a huge cloud that swept across the sky and Nikolai was forced to dodge. A ripple passed through the air and Nikolai found himself floating in a dark void, his senses slipping away. Fear gripped his heart, and Nikolai twisted but it felt like he was strapped in place. Cold tendrils appeared from the darkness, silhouetting a terrifying eye that gazed upon him in disdain. He opened his mouth to scream, but the tendrils shot into his body, digging deep into his soul.

His blood rebelled at the invasion, rushing through his body to hurl the streams back with Divine essence and peel away the darkness which enveloped him. Blinking furiously, Nikolai retreated as the illusion shattered. The cloud of illusory Magic was still forming around Zebreski, which meant mere moments had passed since the illusion struck him. He shuddered to think of what could have happened if he hadn't absorbed the vial of refined Imperial Blood. Whatever spell she'd engraved in that wand was terrifying, able to bypass his defences so easily.

Six Animas burst from the cloud, weapons drawn and shooting towards Nikolai at inhuman speeds. Still disoriented from the illusion he'd fallen prey to, Nikolai spread his wings wide open and reinforced his barriers with the help of Nezgrom. The charging Animas crashed into his defences and he grimaced as half his barriers shattered at the impact. His wings exploded with power and a hail of lightning descended on his attackers, turning them into a hissing mess of smoke. Only one of the Animas survived, his mangled arms trailing smoke as he spun to the earth and Nikolai sped after him, two massive runes flaring to life in his hands. He thrust a palm down, igniting one of the runes to generate a huge wave of fire which rolled over the unfortunate Anima in waves, deconstructing his body further. The swirling smoke left behind tried to escape to its companions but Nikolai triggered the sealing rune in his other hand.

The rune exploded in size, wrapping the Anima in streams of light. He struggled to escape, the Magic bulging precariously as he battered the seal with all his power and Nikolai clenched his fist in anxiety as he turned to face even more Animas descending after him. Nikolai weaved his way through a series of Magical blasts and illusory clouds, grinning in triumph as the seal held, freezing the Anima in place. Satisfied that his plan worked Nikolai let the frozen smoke fall, knowing his seal would only hold the Anima in place for a short time. This was the same technique he'd used against the Warp-Lich over Konstanz, binding the passage through which it entered his world. Unfortunately Animas seemed to have a greater presence in this plane of existence and the same technique would only act as a deterrent.

But it was enough.

This was the best means he could come up with to deal with the Animas on such short notice and now it was proven to work. Armed with the knowledge, Nikolai exploded with power, using the Azokarri focus' connection to the veins of energy around Galicia to draw huge amounts of energy. Nezgrom thrummed under the strain, hurling devastating War Magic at the Animas. A cascade of lightning and fire cut through Zebreski's spells to home in on the Illusionist, battering her defences until she was hurled from the sky. Iridescent bolts of Magic slammed into the Animas, bursting on impact and creating rings of apocalyptic devastation. Fuelled by the energy of the land itself, Nikolai turned everything within a mile into a zone of death.

Even as the raging energy cleared, Nikolai was streaking towards the ragged trails of smoke and sealing them in place. The land was broken, seared by the horrific Magic he'd unleashed. Ash and lava were all that remained when a War Mage acted unrestrained. Breathing heavily under the strain of channelling so much power, Nikolai caught a glimpse of a furious Kazimierz waving his arms to suspend whatever Dark Magic he was casting, his powerful shield cracking under the waves of Magic Nikolai had bombarded it with. Ignoring the Anima, he flashed towards Zebreski, bolts of lightning tearing through the recovering Mage until she turned to crimson smoke. Slamming the seal onto her broken form, Nikolai grasped her soul form tightly, sending pulses of lightning to disrupt her struggles. Based on the Magic she used, Zebreski was close to becoming a Master herself and uninhibited she might be able to break the seal. Nikolai wasn't going to take any chances.

"Release her Morales!" Kazimierz roared, the dark cloud revolving above him like a hungry beast, streams of mist squirming across it like a writhing tentacled mass.

"Stop your spell!" Nikolai shouted back, gauging the spells still tied to Nezgrom. He'd unleashed almost everything at his disposal, falling back into his habits as a War Mage where there would be a company of guards to sweep him away once he was spent. Still, now he was faced with a single adversary.

A Master like him.

"My promise to release you is void Morales!" The cloud above Kazimierz seemed to feed off his rage, billowing in time with his words. Streams of fire spun below Kazimierz' feet until he stood upon a swirling disc of flame, the roaring heat so powerful it clawed at Nikolai across a thousand feet.

This was the strength of a Master Mage.

The domain of Laws.

A Mage channelled energy and used carefully crafted chants to bend the world to their will, but a Master understood the underlying structure to some extent, grasping an aspect of energy to the point a thought could summon that aspect at will.

That was a Law.

No Mage would give up their versatility to wield energy clumsily though, however freely they could handle it, and as such it simply increased a Mages ability to handle spells aligned with their Law. But when it came to raw power, a Law made all the difference.

Nikolai stared at the Law of fire forming around Kazimierz, studying its capabilities through his Sight. The fire flickered with instability, proof Kazimierz had formed his Law recently and there were hints of soul essence woven throughout the flames. A by-product of his nature as an Anima Nikolai assumed, calming his mind to call on his own powers.

"You're far too inexperienced to deal with me." Nikolai boomed, a sea of lightning and wind spurting from his wings. Wisps of thunder burst from his fingertips, coiling dragons of lightning sweeping across the sky in defiance.

Kazimierz thrust his palms out, hurling streams of fire as he began to chant and Nikolai responded in kind, blades of wind creating a hurricane which devastated Kazimierz' attack. Innumerable spells were cast by both Mages, their sonorous voices overlapping and hands weaving to create runes in a horrifying melody of destruction. Seconds passed by as lightning and fire weaved a deadly dance through the sky, but this was only a prelude.

As if on cue, blinding waves of power surged from them, spells complete.

Flaming meteors fell from the sky, the very earth trembling at their passage and massive storms spread in a ring across their battlefield. Lightning and flames of devastating might blanketed the sky, fiery tornadoes and howling hurricanes gouging the land. Barriers flickered into existence for an instant, incapable of deflecting more than a fraction of the Magical power they were hurling at each other.

Spears of lightning slashed from the heavens to be met with a howling vortex of fire that devoured everything in its path before exploding in a chaotic storm of power. Nikolai clapped his hands together and released a tornado that tore through the explosion, eyes tracing another wave of meteors howling towards him. He punched through a thin disc of fire, choosing to evade the meteors instead of blocking this time. He'd taken measure of Kazimierz' abilities and marked the flaws in the Anima's Law. Unable to consolidate his understanding, their fight was wearing away at Kazimierz' spell casting.

Nikolai wiped ash from his face. Burnt hair and clothing coated his body, the heat from Kazimierz' spells enough to set them alight. His throat was parched and his fingers shook with each spell that was cast. The initial euphoria and power from his metamorphosis was wearing off but Nikolai grinned as one of his delayed spells triggered and hurled a radiant bolt of lightning that shredded the Anima from the waist down. Screaming in rage, Kazimierz retreated, amorphous legs reforming under him. The only reason he'd been able to withstand Nikolai's abilities for so long was his nature as an Anima, tireless and possessing unfathomable reserves of energy.

"Time to end this." Nikolai's Magically enhanced voice boomed across the battlefield. He hurled the sealed Zebreski in Kazimierz' general direction, hoping the words and sight of his companion were enough to break the Anima's concentration.

It was.

Features contorted in anger and confusion, the disc of fire at Kazimierz' feet vibrated uncontrollably. A shell of unstable fire shot from his body and he shot towards Zebreski.

Nikolai chanted in triumph, gathering all the power in his body. His blood thundered in his ears and a stream of Divine power joined the swirl of runes cupped in his hands. Calling to the focus, Nikolai drew on its abilities to create a small formation containing many of the features of the Soul Rend. Linking all the powers together, a ball of turbulent energy hovered before him but he struggled to control it. The different powers pushed at each other and the hastily constructed spell holding them together was on the verge of collapse.

Nikolai slashed down with his arm like he was wielding a sword, the ball turning into a beam of light that cut across the sky.

Kazimierz had caught his companion and was already stabilising his flames to hurl sheets of twisting fire at Nikolai.

The beam arced across the heavens, shredding through Kazimierz' attacks and body in equal measure. The Anima exploded, his smoky form swirling in agitation as it struggled to coalesce. Sweat poured down Nikolai's cheeks, and he took a deep breath, raising Nezgrom with shaky arms in preparation for the sealing spell but the dark cloud which had somehow survived their battle split the sky. Nikolai shivered as an ancient gaze swept over him, unfathomable power breaking his control over his Law, the lightning surrounding him vanishing under the pressure. It seemed familiar, like one of the senses he'd felt when he absorbed the vial of blood earlier.

A stream of energy shot from the cloud and gathered the Animas before Nikolai could even react, pulling them into the void. Kazimierz was the last to be pulled through, his head reforming to gaze at Nikolai. Flashes of anger and helplessness raged deep within his eyes and he mouthed a few words before he disappeared along with the cloud.

"What does it take to make a God?"

Nikolai shuddered at the question. The will of the True Imperial raged within its cocoon at the mention of Gods and Nikolai clenched his fist, furious at his inability to stop their escape. Was Kazimierz trying to become a God? Or worse, was he trying to make something equivalent that he could control? There were too many questions he couldn't answer. How had Kazimierz known about the Soul Rend? Was freedom his only goal?

A wave exhaustion spread through his body and Nikolai shook his head to clear away his worries. Groaning in weariness, the Thunderform spell flickered and his wings burst with a blast of thunder. Nikolai cradled Nezgrom in his arms as he fell from the sky, relying on the series of protective spells he'd engraved for these sorts of emergencies. His flying spells had been broken so often, especially by his Master, that keeping a focus or device capable of slowing his descent became second nature. Without the protection of his Magic the chill wind bit into him, freezing his fingers and toes which were unfortunately bare.

"I should make some shoes which can withstand a direct hit." He mumbled as the levitation spells kicked in, generating a flow of air that cushioned him. With plenty of time before he reached the ground, Nikolai scratched his cheek and replayed the events of his fight. Even though Kazimierz was able to escape with the help of that strange being, he would be weakened for a long time. The final bursts of Magic Nikolai had cast were infused with the Divine essence of his changing blood and arcane Azokarri formulas. Far beyond the Laws of a Master Mage, Divine abilities were closer to the truth of the world and only someone with the same level of understanding like Natalia or with a similar power like an ancient Imperial would be able to counteract it. It was a level beyond that of an Archmage and anyone who attained that degree of power was termed a Demigod, treading on the domain of Heaven.

That was why ancient Imperials were so terrifying, casually wielding abilities second only to the Gods. Unfortunately, Nikolai had no idea how his powers would compare to his ancestors or even an actual Demigod, especially now that the initial burst of power was fading as his body assimilated the blood. The only Demigod Mage still alive was the mysterious founder of the Avarian Council who remained in seclusion in her Tower overlooking the Fractured Lands and Aura masters at that level hadn't been seen in centuries.

"There's no way I'm going to pick a fight with those Avarians." He thought. The Council was filled with Mages on a crusade to purge dark abilities. While his newfound Imperial nature would make them frown, they hated people powerful enough to contend with them, the Azokarri made them froth at the mouth. He summoned a drop of the melted focus to his fingertip and sighed as it purred in delight, humming an ancient tune. He would have to make a trip to the Eskrar Islands to meet with the Azokarri Sages. With nothing better to do on the way down he sang along with the focus, making up words randomly.

As he neared the ground, Nikolai prepared for the impact, flexing his legs and taking a few deep breaths. Even at his reduced speed the impact wouldn't be light. A blurry figure in the corner of his eye expanded rapidly and before he knew it, Nikolai was gripped in the familiar arms of his fiancée like a princess, drawing a long arc through the air.

"You didn't have to jump so far." Nikolai complained, disgruntled at the reversal of roles. "It will take us forever to get down."

"Nice view."

"Yes." Nikolai said after a moment, the blazing sun descending over the horizon, its rays flickering across the sea. "Yes it is."

"Caught you." Elya grinned, silver hair flowing in the wind.

Nikolai looked up at her, startled, before bursting into laughter.

It was a good day now that she was here.