Monstrous actions.

In the vaccumm I had mindlessly created, the vengeful fire of muspell, as if sentient and aware of my intrusion rushed at me mercilessly.

Despite only barely being conscious, my instincts commanded me to shield myself with my arms, though it was an earnest wish of mine the flames would incinerate my pitiful existence.

Oddly enough, the excruciating pain of death never arrived.

The flame battered my chocolate skin harmlessly. Surprise glittered in my eyes as I finally noticed the faint golden sheen rising above my skin.

'She protects me!' I realised, a truth that would normally fill my heart with joy, was now met with bottomless indifference.

My will touched the gilden imprint that I had dared not stare at before and a flood of memories overtook my mind.

I stood in place. Silently assimilating all the foreign memories within my mind.

I silently appraised my surroundings, and then I could tell that by the density of flame, that I now trekked through the south of Muspell. Unfortunately, no matter how much I searched I could not find any trace of the "The red cross" within the memories she had left me.

Nor was I in a hurry to find it, after all my will to live was a dying flame, barely supported by the oath I made to my mother.

As i felt Kei'eshi's curse eat at my bones I found myself actually pining for the blissful realease my death would provide me.

Nevertheless I still had to move.

I restricted my goals to searching for any sentient life.

Muspell was large. About seven times the size of earth's landmass.

Within the region I explored was supposed to be a settlement of Sunfire Elves. Lessor divine spirits that existed in extremely hot biomes.

They were a fascinating existence. Sadly due to their excellent forging capabilities they had been subdued, stripped of their freedom, and hunted.

Fortunately, small pockets of their civilization were littered across the realm, hidden by the fire of Muspell by their oppressors: The Chaos Phenexes.

There were several shura clans who reigned over the realm. The largest clan were the flame giants. Their power unmatched by all other clans except one.

The chaos phoenixes, known as the most powerful shura clan in existence.

The current phoenix emperor was said to have no living equal in strength. Remarkably though, he was not the most dazzling talent in the realm.

That halo belonged to his daughter.

She had a fourth of his age and experience but very nearly eclipsed him in power. Stunning every soul in the realm.

Yet that was not even half the reason for her fame. She was acknowledged as the single most beautiful woman in Muspell.

Her visage entrapped countless noble scions in a dream they had never been able to escape from. She was dubbed the goddess. But her true name was Esther Phenex.

I lifelessly perused the final bits of information Theia had left in my mind

The truth of having a scant few days to live and the cruel betrayal I had suffered cast an eternal shadow on my figure.

With the subtle emerald golden glow of Theia's power shielding me from the inferno, I began my exodus.. 

After having journeyed several hundred miles south, the black linen clothes I wore that apparently didn't share my immunity to the flame had become singed rags in a matter of minutes. 

"Hehyreb". I whispered a spell that popped onto my mind. I felt the divinity in my blood circulate as a strange force drew itself out of my body and pooled around my being.

Immediately a new set of identical clothes draped themselves around me.

As one with divine blood flowing through my veins magic was my birthright. Since I was young to my new abilities, theia had probably only included the simplest form of magic in the imprint: Divine words; the ability to speak words into reality.

As I progressed, I would perhaps one day be able to solidify my thoughts into reality.

Unfortunately, simple divine magic could only take one so far, but it was still certainly useful.

There were spells for cleansing, and conjuring. Deeper in the imprint, more complex spells would allow me to create breaches into other locations and perform other morderately powerful feats.

The spells within the imprint numbered in the thousands, each performing its own intrinsic duty.

"Basic divine spells" I quoted Theia's words a with a sad laugh.

As I journeyed a strange sight presented itself before me. From the cloud of inferno jutted several Brown triangular peaks, reminiscent of the red Indian houses of the mortal realm.

'A sunfire elf settlement.' I thought in awe. Unfortunately as grew closer, the sound of inhuman growls and innocent screams grew dominant in the air. I frowned as I cast a veiling spell over my body, shrouding myself in order to observe passively. Immediately my figure became more and more transparent, soon turning completely invisible. 

"How dare you behave so insolently. Your master toils endlessly for the sake of your protection. Yet all you have to offer is your insincere gratitude?." A voice boomed. It was deep, gravelly and shrill, sounding like the most primal of evils.

"Lord Tonraq's tax has been paid in full. Surely you are aware of this." The responding voice was smooth but fearful, almost human even.

As I drew closer I encroached a cluster of the sunfire elf dwellings I had spotted from afar.

Soon the cause of the commotion was revealed to me.

Most of the figures were thin and of human height, so they were clearly not shuras. They're skin mirrored mine, A deep rich brown.

Their eyes however, were a brilliant golden, accentuated by their rust-colored hair. Each of them had donned a beautiful flowing golden armor.

"Sunfire elves." I thought.

Their community seemed far more chaotic and sorrowful today. When my eyes sunk into the realm of fear a deep gray mist surrounded them, denser than I had ever seen it.

Dozens of them, the apparent entire population of the settlement, had distressed expressions etched onto their faces.

They arced around a nine-foot-tall rust skinned creature. Barbaric articles of leather were tied around its waist, and large spiked club rested on its shoulder.

On its cruel and horrendous face, a single eye rested. No, it wasn't an eye but a ball of fire in place of an eye.

In his big meaty arm dangled a helpless child.

Besides its pointed ears, russet hair and golden eyes, it would have seemed like a normal cute grade 5 pupil.

Now it's face were unnaturally pallid, and the vines in the white of its eyes bulged painfully. It was obviously presently suffocating... yet within the monsters arms it was unable to even scream in pain. 

Pleading for the child's life was a sole sunfire elf who stood separate from among the crowd.

He had the an air confidence, as someone who had scene several heroic figures in Mars Mireau I could tell. He was a leader, even though now desperation and helplessness mired his voice as he pleaded. "Please. We have given our lord everything we had this past month. We have nothing l-"

Unfortunately the monster rudely interrupted him. "Your pathetic circumstances induced my pity so I have been patient thus far. But it seems you do not appreciate even that. Oh well I guess you don't love your daughter after all. I haven't eaten sun fire elf in a long while any way." His large hand began to squeeze. Within his eyes an excitement and evil gleam appeared.

"Stop!!!" The Leader elf's eyes grew bloodshot as he wailed.

I too had seen enough, I had not wanted to concern myself with the matters of this realm, however this display had long since trespassed my bottom line.

"AAAAAAARRGGHH".A thunderous wail shook the earth and immediately a cloud of dust erupted around the colony of elves.

However it wasn't from the direction everyone expected. The cyclops's heavy body suddenly rammed into a nearby boulder, creating a massive wreckage.

When the dust cleared a newcomer had appeared on the scene holding an unconscious child: Me!

The dismembered arm of the cyclops lay on the ground nest to me, bleeding profusely as it flopped about on the ground. Surprised gasps resonated through the aidiencebofbsunfire elves as they appraised me.

As i approached cautiously thay similarly shuffled back with intense fear on their faces. They had after all been oppresed so violently thay the all saw the worlds cruelty now.

I gently walked up to the leader and placed the child in my arms into his after sealing a bit of primordial energy into its body, only leaving its side when i watched its complexion improve.

His dilated eyes appraised me, feeling a greater terror from me than the monster that had terrorised them.

[Grrrr]

Incensed growls warned me of the monster lifting 

itself through the rubble. Its sole fiery eye smouldered as it focused on me.

It was now an extremely sorry state as i had pulled out the sword Marcel gave me out of my spatial ring and lodged it imbetween its shoulder blades.

was lodged in its shoulder.

However the blade of the sword which had been lodged into its flesh had been eroded 

by a strange sizzling crimson liquid the monster oozed from its body. I fell into deep shock as I rrcognized the substance before, for it was purr unadulterated demonic blood.

The same demonic blood that ran through my veins.

'But how can thus be?' I thought at the same time. 'All the dark shura were annihilated!'

"Demon!" The elves exclaimed fearfully.

As for the monster in question. After releasing a painful roar its large hand reaxhed across it back and pulled out the blade in a nightmarish display of it sizzling reed blood. "Haha" it laughed cruelly after taking a calming breath.

"Sadly now that you are aware of my true nature I will have to bury you all here. As for the runt who chopped of my arm." As he spoke a deep lightless mist surrounded his shoulder and he exploded in a furious roar.

"YOU WILL REGRET THE DAY YOU WERE BORN!!!"

The mist dispersed to reveal a new uninjured arm identical to the one that lifelessly lay on the blood colored earth. The flame that substituted for an eye raged as he lunged at me, thrusting his fist at my body.

His attack was fiercely as it arced towards my core, boasting enough power to shatter a small mountain, however I had been enraged as well.

BANG!!!!!!!!!!!

My face betrayed no emotion as I expressionlessly caught his fist. The flame within a 100 meter radius was blown away by the maelstrom our clash created.

His muscles bulged as he roared. "I can sense it now." He roared voraciously. "You're a demigod.

A worthy foe you are! Still, I lose to no one!" As he spoke a ball of fire expanded from him. My war instinct resurfaced as I leaped more than 200 meters away from him in a single bound.

His figure exploded like a supernovaas a relentless torrent of flame expanded out ward.

 "yae'griv" I screamed, summoning the most powerful barrier spell in my arsenal.

A dome of blue light surrounded the elves just as the flame reached them. The entire region then became a sea of death. The homes, vegetation, structures and beast were all entirely obliterated into nothing.

When the fire eventually subsided. I gasped endlessly for air. I felt a deep draining fatigue from my core.

I had never drawn so deeply from my reserves to fuel a spell I barley understood. And it was also one on an extreme large scale.

Fortunately my effort bore fruit. The flame receded to reveal the elf colony intact without a soul missing. Lightless appeared in my left palm as I looked to the fires origin. 

"Hahahaha" The cyclops Cackled as it rose from the inferno. Its complexion was no longer russet brown but a deep black. Almost twice the muscle mass bulged underneath his skin. No longer concerning itself with the village it rushed at me.

In less than a second it had encroached my figure. Its large fist smashing towards me. I sent out a fist to meet it as well.

[BOOOOM]

This time a hurricane spiraled outwards from our clash. Razing everything in its path. I felt a deep pressure from it now. It was stronger than me. 

It swung its immense club at me with tyrannical force, and I reflexively leaped a height of several feet into the air and spun. As its club sailed under me I twisted unnaturally aerially and drove lightless into its heart.

[Clang]. A sound rang out, however it wasn't the sound of flesh being pierced but the grating sound of clashing metals.

Discouraged but undeterred I kicked of its chest and landed on my feet several meters away, my eyes tracing the inch deep wound on the cyclops chest. I immediately realized my folly at challeging it.

However, I thought back to the helpless child who very nearly perished in its merciless grasp and my eyes hardened. The cyclops frowned as if surprised at my will to fight. 

"Come" I challenged fiercelyas i brandished mu spear. "It laughed as it lumbered over with immense speed."

We clashed once more. Spear against club. The cyclops's energy seemed endless. each swing of its club was far more terrifying than the last.

I had no intent of yielding though. I moved like a ghost. Putting the battle instinct I had gained from the Mireau into use. I sidestepped and dodged. Feinting as I jabbed with the spear each time he completed an attacked; when he was the most vulnerable.

Dozens of wounds littered his body, yet they vanished like illusions each time.

My own bodies speed and strength far surpassed what it had been to the extent that even I grew fearful.

Sadly my stamina wasn't endless. Every attack carried less ferocity than the previous and with every feint my movements grew slower. 

Finally, the back of his large hand struck me, sending me spiraling several miles away. I crashed against the ground below me, digging a deep grove as i came to a painful stop.

My vision blurred and taste of blood filled my mouth. A deep stabbing pain arose from my ribs, and merely breathing itself became struggle.

The air i inhaled felt like needles thay had been st a flame, a sign that my broken ribs had punctured my lungs.

The heavy plodding footsteps of my foe warned me of the approaching danger.

"HAHAHAHA yove done well to play with me in this form for almost an hour, and to think you survived a blow of mine. There shouldn't be any one below shuras capable of doing that. You really are exceptional." He said as he slowly advanced.

When he spoke again he was right in front of me, the malice in his eyes was almost tangible. "You deserve a reward!" With a cruel pronouncement his obsidian claws sharpened as they drew an arc across my face.

My right eye ruptured within my skull as his claws slashed against it.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH" My scream was easily the loudest and most brutal I had ever made in my life. As a mirror if my pain it once again devolved into the ghoulish scream of phobos as it left my lips.

[BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG]

The area thay surrounded me by a kilometer radius heavily caved into the earth as the force of my scream blew everything around me to dust.

"What's this!" The cyclops roared as it was also forced away.

Toward the end of my wail it had already began to sound sorrowful. The memories that glowed in my mind were the last days I spent with Theia.

In the mystic of vanaheim. We both stared at the lazy evening sun after one of our spars.

"How do you control the vines like that?" I had asked out of curiosity.

"i wouldn't call it conrtol." She had answered truthfully. "I am connected to them and they react to me. Its more of a sacred trust. As a lord of the elements even when you are out of nature, it still exist in you. All you have do is call it." She had said gently.

The soul of the dragon god stirred restlessly as the dragon gods blood which had been silent thus far circulated quickly within my body.

My remaining iris glowed crimson as the the endless flame above me actually began to dissipate.

Moisture and vapour condensed and collected in the sky above for miles to come, bringing with it the powerful scent of ozone!

[BOOM]

[CACKLE]

"Father what is that?" A young sunfire elf asked as she eyed the storm clouds that had suddenly condensed into existence around them.

In my head, one last voice sounded. It was that of the strange boy I had met in my soul realm.

"Yin long was the storm bringer!" He had said.

My fingers began to move, small flashes of lightning singing within them.

Then it happened, the air surged with electricity as I released an explosive yell.

A deep bolt of demonic blood red lighting surged out of the sky and crashed onto the retreating cyclops.

"GUARRGHH" It screamed as It was buried in the pure destructive forces, blasted deeply into the earth.

Unrelenting dark clouds formed in the usually flaming sky and from them a torrent of rain fell. The droplets of rain glowed crimson as they touched me. 

Immediately I could feel my wounds mending. My vison sharpened once more and the ache in my chest disappeared.

The cyclops crawled out of the abyss of rubble the giant bolt of ligthning had dug, where deep flashes of this crimson enrgy still surged around him, bringing him endless pain whenever a tendril lashed at his figure.

"How are you-" The monster began in novel fear. Unfortunately, his words thoughts were never fully transcribed into words.

A hurricane was brewing with him in its eye. It grew denser and denser with rain until he was trapped in a spiraling cylindrical sea that blanketed half a mile. He roared furiously within the churning waters. The ghastly green tongue of flame in place of his eyes detonated furiously in an explosion.

A torrential green flame expanded through the water which unstably churned as it threatened to burst.

I furiously gritted my teeth as my vision swayed, however I held on.

I willed the waters to circulate even faster as I spoke to my foe the last time. "This could have been yoir eternal prison. You would have lost your freedon, but wouldve still lived, but now...

My expression warped with great fury into something I myself could barely recognize. In my rage I summoned lightless, hurling it at the cyclops with every ounce of strength I could squeeze out of my body. It sailed through the waters straight and true into the cyclops's eye. 

"AAAAARRG". It let out a guttural scream as lightless sailed straight and true, imapling the beast in its sole eye.

The beast roared on despair as it striggled futiley, but with is core broken endless cracks spread over its body and an instable light surged out of these cracks.

It rared again and again without rest until its entrie body was enveloped in the light of its death. As lt neared the end, some clarity seemingly returned to its frenzied eyes.

Sudenly it laughed. "Perish i may but my master is not done with these wretched lands. A curse on all your houses. May you all suffer greatly for my death!" It roared ragefully!

Lightless flew back into my arm and disappeared. Just as the cyclops's entire being explided within the waters, a swirling mass of nuclear enegy within the spiralling sea. 

 Several figures approached me cautiously.

The deluge had caused the fires that garnished the air to recede. I could perceive their figures clearly. They were all sun fire elves. I observed them as they bowed silently. The tallest of them stood up an made his way towards me. He cupped his hands and began. "We owe you our lives."

But I could no longer hear them or receive their honour. My injuries took their toll as my remaining ey rolled up my head and my vision blacked out.

'Thud' I fell against the ground of muspell, it was wet with rain for the first time.