The Ouroboros Dilemma II

Obligatory Disclaimer : I do not own anything (except maybe OC characters) all characters, places, worlds, universes…etc mentioned here belong to their respective owners and/or companies. 

This is purely a work of fiction. Not meant to offend or incite, but to entertain and (maybe) inspire

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THE OUROBOROS DILEMMA II

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The Temple of Three.

Javan Rainforest.

The Aged Ghengis extended his arms above his head. His palms open in supplication, his words an unintelligible mess of magical spells and prayers. The golden brilliance of magical power that illuminated the cave swirled and twirled into a rotating vortex, sucking not only the immaterial forms of the Vishanti but the very magic into it. It was a power vacuum that targeted magical force.

In a normal setting with normal people, the vacuuming effect would have no noticeable effect. But within this temple were sorcerers, magic was their bread and butter. Watching it being forcefully sucked out of their bodies was a darkly pleasing sight.

Weaknesses long forgotten resurfaced. Those who used their magic to make themselves younger turned into limping old witches in that instant, those who used it to make themselves have an imposing build turned to lame old men no different from walking twigs. The suction continued, it was obvious that this was the first test—learning to defend your magical reserves.

I wasn't left out, I had the little god-force I'd gathered since death's slap halved, the magical enchanted mask defended me on the outside by acting as a dampener, and my heart kept my energy rotating within me, refusing the effects of the vacuum. 

The god force is a mystical power that grants the ability to achieve the impossible at certain levels. It made sense that it would share some characteristics with magic, even though it wasn't strictly magic itself. 

Meaning my earlier conjecture must have been inaccurate. 

The vacuum not only targets magical force, but mystical ones as well.

The phenomenon was quite interesting I admit; I saw the immense potential it held for weaponization. It targeted a unique frequency and siphoned the energy of that frequency. I believe that this temple acts as an amplifier for the siphon, giving it an exaggerated influence in this enclosed space. 

'Computer, record energy siphon processes. Extrapolate its origin and target frequency. Scan the temple for any structures amplifying said frequencies.'

[Commencing record function….please specify parameters for extrapolation and scanning priorities.]

Eve would've known exactly what I wanted. 

'Scan priority, Beta. Extrapolation, Alpha. Emphasis on exotic and foreign frequencies'

[Parameters accepted…priorities set.]

[Beginning extrapolation….]

I turned to glanced at the ancient one, wishing to see the years take their toll on her without a magical defense to bear the brunt of it. Yet the lady remained unchanged, in fact she was smiling. Of the few that were able to retain their powers, the lady in a black mistress bdsm wear was one of them, the other being a mature woman well into her 60's or so with a lasting genial smile drawn across her lips. 

I paid more attention, from the sense of familiarity I felt to her, she seemed like someone I had met before, and yet I had no recollection. I created a file on her—like I did for everyone else here.

The old lady felt my gaze on her and chose to meet it, her eyes turning even warmer. I would've paid more attention to her, but something else demanded it. 

The golden vortex transformed into a blinding flash of light, when the maddening glare faded all that remained was a solid luminescent crystalline structure made entirely of golden yellow light.

A tentative silence lingered in the air as all eyes focused on the gigantic crystal. 

"Amazing." The Ancient One praised. The Ancient One actually praised.

'Computer. Scan crystalline structure.'

[…Composition unknown…energy signature unknown…threat level approximation; Dragon]

Of fucking course.

HEAR ME. ONLY THE ONE WHO FREES THE AGED GHENGIS FROM OUR EMBRACE SHALL BE JUDGED THE SORCERER SUPREME!

All hell broke loose. And I primed my recorder.

"Lance of the night!" Shouted a man who rushed to the forefront eager to claim the title of Sorcerer Supreme that hung right before his eyes. Throwing a bolt of swirling darkness at the crystal.

Greed is good. But greed is only as good as the extent to which you control it. Something that seems lost to this one.

"Lightning arrow" And to this one too. A female who launched a literal electric arrow, right after the man. Refusing to let him get the prize. 

Idiots. 

Their attacks landed on the crystal, which hungrily absorbed it and spat yellowed versions of it right back at them the very next moment. 

It froze them into crystalline statues right where they stood. I wasn't about to make suggestions to them. Let the rest of them do as they please, the more people attacked the crystals the more I learned, plus it also thinned the competition. 

"We must gather and unleash our attacks together. That is the only way to break through the crystal" The lady in black suggested. She was persuasive, very.

"The Black queen is right. They acted alone and failed." One said.

"Yes, we must act in harmony. Only then can we pass this predicament"

"If you succeed. Then who claims the title of Sorcerer Supreme?" I asked.

"Trust in the Vishanti to decide" another replied.

The four of them lined up, three performed gestures that made glowing orbs of polychromatic light engulf their hands and sent it hurtling at the crystal. One created a shield—that one was the lady in black. 

She was smart. 

The attack they threw at the crystal was amplified a hundred fold and scattered back into the cave like bullets shot from above by a very drunk, gun tootling cupid. Their trajectories were so unscientific that predicting where they'd land was a miracle.

I ducked and dashed for the closest sorcerer. I held her by the neck and raised her, using her body as a shield and not a moment too late. A whistling yellow bolt slammed into her midsection with enough force to pry her right out of my grip.

The Ancient One had her Tao Mandala shields held in her hands using them to deflect whatever bolts came her way with amazing skill and fluidity. 

She looked at me. Justin, stop doing that. Her gaze said. 

I shrugged back. What do you expect me to do? Remember how you refused to teach me magic? I conveyed through my gesture. 

She shook her head. Do whatever you want.

I will. 

I moved around the battlefield, chronicling gestures and spells, dodging attacks I could and using others as shields when I couldn't. When the barrage of magical bolts finally ceased, apart from me and the Ancient One four more remained standing. The old woman. The lady in black. The well-built man with thick dreadlocks and a white V written on his forehead. And the Atlantean. 

The rest were frozen yellow sculptures.  This felt like the Harry Potter magical version of a Mexican standoff. I was about to give the Ancient One our agreed upon signal when I sensed a disturbance behind me. It was silent, barely perceptible, almost illusive. My rational side told me to ignore it, but then it realized that we were dealing with magic here, rationality couldn't be depended upon. 

I ducked. The yellow bolt of magic missed me and smashed into the chest of the guy with the locks. He fell, turned into a crystal statue and silently rose to his feet. 

All around us the crystallized came to life like puppets without strings. Their magical might multiplied by the power that possessed them. 

"Let's go"

She nodded. This was it then.

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"Let's go" he said, a deathly thrill in his voice. The queen in black had been watching the demi-demon since he stepped into the temple. She had instigated one of the others into provoking him earlier to gauge his reaction. 

She wasn't surprised by how level headed he remained, even when complying with a request he had no reason to. He wasn't compelled to do anything, he chose. He didn't act as though he was in control, it came naturally.

His oppressive aura enticed her.

She'd watched him observe other sorcerers as they cast their spells. Even as deadly bolts of magnified magic showered the temple, he never stopped watching, observing, like a predator stalking prey. A hunter watching his game, learning of its habits and characteristics all so he could conquer it.

He weaved around the bolts with as much grace as the Ancient One wielded her Tao Mandalas. For the bolts he didn't dodge he used the sorcerers as human shields. The Ancient One sent him a disapproving glare, he met her glare and shrugged playfully. The Ancient One just shook her head in exasperation. 

His eyes were intoxicating.

She laughed, it truly was refreshing to watch. He had yet to exhibit any magical attack of his own, he relied on physical might and reaction alone. Perhaps he wasn't as skilled as the others—and yet he was strong enough to immobilize sorcerers and have such a debilitating aura. No, it made more sense to say that he was confident in the might of his hands without having to use magic.

His physical might was unchallenged.

They stood in a loose circle, in the temple littered by the crystallized bodies of the unfortunate and unskilled. 

She felt his gaze alternate between each of them. When those eyes landed on her, she shuddered, goosebumps spread across every square inch of her smooth skin. Her heart raced, warmth radiated from her depths. Warmth that kept building up with each lasting second those eyes remained on her. Her heart raced faster. She bit so hard on the inside of her lips that she drew blood. 

He turned and she exhaled, letting out a steamy breath that originated from deep within her. He was the most dangerous being she had ever laid eyes on. 

I found the one. She thought. It was the one she'd been searching for. The missing piece to the puzzle, the ying to the yang. 

"Lance of the night!" The sudden blast knocked the Atlantean down, surprise and shock written on her numb face. 

He is rigid. She noticed. This is the first time he's casting that spell. She remembered the one to cast it before him. Things clicked into place, she understood that this demi-demon had actually been able to replicate a spell gesture and cast it for a magic he'd seen for the first time. 

That was a prodigious degree of talent, something so rare that even amongst Sorcerer Supremes of history very few had such an ability.

"Shield of the Seraphim" He called, creating a flickering translucent crimson dome. The shield collapsed, his gestures were perfect, he just lacked the experience and certain nuances. "Shield of the Seraphim!" He casted it again with just the right passion, this time the construct was impeccable. She admitted. Although it could be better.

A bolt of yellow light slammed into the red shield and knocked it back. The black queen watched, expecting him to dispel the shield so he might be able to cast another spell. But nay, what he did, was as entertaining as it was unexpected.

He charged like an enraged bull, bashing through the crystallized and sending their bodies flying all so he get to the old witch. She understood why the old witch had trouble reacting, for a being of his stature the demi-demon was ridiculously agile, his momentum had the tendency to freeze those in his path. 

The nearest thing she could equate it to would be standing in the track of an approaching bullet train. The very act itself made you pause, paralyzed in fear and terror. 

But the witch was experienced, this wasn't the first time she'd been in such a situation. She roused herself from her stupor and prepared her spell, one that needed the man to get closer to her. There's a reason magicians had prevailed over warriors in a majority of combat situations. She was going to prove just why that was.

It was unfortunate that she was dealing with a man who was very skilled in misdirecting his opponents. The crimson construct that was the shield of the seraphim faded away as Justin leapt meters in the air, his momentum carrying forward through the air as though he were flying.

The witch watched his fingers, she recognized that gesture for she had seen it not long ago. "Lightning arrow!" The crackling projectile was as swift as the name it held. As soon as it had appeared it had already dashed to her side. 

She feared not the element it carried for she had certain immunities to it, but the force at which it was thrown at her by the merciless bastard. 

Magic is enhanced by the physique of its wielder, for most it was a negligible enhancement but for those with great physical might, it truly was a sight to behold. You can ask the god of thunder himself. 

With the witch being embedded into the far side of the temple wall and temporarily incapacitated. Justin Hammer abandoned her to be swarmed by the crystallized sorcerers, turning his attention to the black queen.

"How about you run?" He said. Alternating between magical attacks to push back the crystallized army. 

The black queen levelled a glare at him. She would not make her intentions clear to him, not so soon. And neither would her pride allow her to acquiesce to someone she had yet to test herself and acknowledge with her own hands. Yes, she admitted that he was extraordinary. But once upon a time she had judged another so only to be utterly disappointed. She refused to repeat that mistake. 

"Shield of the Seraphim" She casted the construct as it was meant to be. A blood red impenetrable dome of solid magic.  

"The hard way it is then" said the man in the silver mask who launched himself at her. She assumed he was going to throw a spell at her shield at close range to maximize its effective damage. Justin might have done such, if all the spells he'd been wantonly throwing earlier hadn't begun taking their toll on his already strained reserves. 

She felt it now, that overbearing, oppressing aura that radiated from him as he stood right before her defensive shield. She crossed her arms and similarly observed him, behind the translucent barrier. 

Justin's heart pounded to a rhythm that seemed to be all he heard, he channeled the power he obtained from the heart of the ancient dragon, a power powered by his very own life force. A fiery glow that made the air shimmer enveloped his fist. 

From within the protective shield, the black queen was well aware of the danger. Whatever that energy was, it would lead to devastating consequences should she tackle it head on. 

—BAM!

He gave her no chance to reconsider. 

Crrack

Fine cracks spread upon the surface of her shield. Terror gripped her heart. She recognized the terror for what it was—the shadow of death. 

—BAM!!

She poured as much magic as her reserves held into holding the shield stable against the demi-demon's attacks. Cold sweat trailed down her smooth, sleek skin, her eyes wide open, her breath ragged and irregular. Her heart thumped in her chest like a jet engine. Sending warmth through her body, her entire body. 

—BAM!! KRACK!

The dome shattered into a thousand pieces, the splintered constructs fell like razor edged rose petals. One even drew blood from brushing against her cheek. She was flushed and soaked, not only in sweat but nectar as well. The aura that continued to bear down on her was pushing her past her limits. 

She rubbed her finger against the thin trail of blood, bringing to her lips to sensually lick it off, all the while maintaining eye contact with him. He truly was the one she searched for.

"Of course, you'd be the insane one." He said, turning away from her.

"I want you." She said. 

"I'm not in the market for a Harlequin" He laughed, a joke she did not recognize but understood as a rejection. 

The black queen would not accept that for an answer. She had found him, and he would be hers. 

"I will have you."

"Maybe I should kill you to save myself the trouble you'll bring." His fingernails turned into metallic razor claws. He approached her as she sat on the floor, exhausted. Claws inches away from her neck.

"Go ahead. I want you to hurt me." She said with an eager tinge in her voice. "Hurt me my king."

"…Nope" Justin suspected that the black queen's disregard for death might have stemmed from her confidence to escape it. These were sorcerers, there was still much he had yet to learn of them. 

Or maybe she's just crazy. He reasoned, nevertheless, Justin Hammer was not one to comply with the wishes of others. "What you need is therapy" Advised one psychologically imbalanced individual to another. 

Getting back to his feet the man in the mask approached the last remaining sorcerer. 

"Fuck off" He muttered, sending a crystallized Brother Voodoo among others careening though the temple. Their relentless attacks were nothing but annoying at this point.

"And then there was one." He gazed at the Ancient One who had been fighting off the crystallized earlier, and upon witnessing Hammer's success with disabling the competitors decided to go through with the final part of their plan — trusting him.

The Ancient One sat cross legged before the gleaming crystal structure, attuning her senses to its glaring signature. Where everyone thought to use force, she settled on using a gentle and fine approach. The Ancient One's astral form rose from the confines of her body, which curiously remained seated. 

Justin Hammer watched her spirit ascend into the crystal and he thought of how this was a perfect opportunity to kill her, but discarded that line of reasoning. He knew not what magical defenses she had in place. Neither was he ready to bear the responsibilities that came with the role of Sorcerer Supreme. For now, he was her ally and had much to acquire from their alliance as per their deal. 

Using chi clad fists, Justin Hammer fought off the relentless army of crystallized sorcerers. With each one he struck down another came up to take its place. They swarmed him with magic, and rushed with their teeth. Yet not once did he take a step back.

Magical attacks struck his skin and burned through his flesh, projectiles of light and darkness pierced deep into his flesh and drew blood, yet he remained fighting. His wounds closed as fast as his fists moved. 

He struck them hard enough that they shattered into pieces, only for those pieces to converge and remerge into a whole again. 

"Flames of the Faltine!" The black queen casted against the crystallized. Choosing to aid the one she had accepted was hers, even if he did not acknowledge it yet. She sustained the flames for as long as she could before she too fell into the hands of the unrelenting army. Becoming one of them.

"Magical zombies. Like regular zombies but with that extra terror factor." The man joked to himself, a means of keeping perspective. "If only Eve was here." He missed his partner more than he cared to admit. 

His attention was drawn to what sounded like the screech of a thousand sparrows.

Massive yellow currents snaked over the surface of the quaking crystalline structure. The temple rumbled in response to the disturbance of the crystal structure. The Ancient One bore through the agony of having her astral body and soul buffeted by magical currents, to reach and latch onto the Aged Ghengis who remained suspended in the nucleus of the crystal structure.

"Aged Ghengis, I pray you come forth. Let this challenge be done" She spoke through her pain, pain that could drive even gods mad, refusing to let it slur her words.

SO BE IT. 

A mighty, blinding light washed over the entire temple. The crystal structure dissolved into specks of light that floated upwards to form the visages of the Vishanti. 

All who had been crystallized were restored, and all who were injured made whole again. 

"It's over? But we'd just begun." Said one who'd been amongst the first to be crystallized. 

"Are you mad? We'd been conjuring for days."

"Well, that explains a lot." "We all know who won." "She did it again? Amazing!"

YOU HAVE ALL BORNE WITNESS. IT IS TO YOUR BENEFIT THAT YOU UNDERSTAND. The mother of magic spoke.

A CALM MIND, A WISE HEART AND CAUTION ARE AS MUCH A PART OF GREATNESS. The first of all Sorcerer Supremes continued.

AS…RAW…POWER…AND…HASTE. The one of many souls finished.

All could feel the gaze of the Vishanti turn to the Ancient One who was drenched in sweat. Although the damage to her astral form was healed, she still recalled the impossible amount of pain she'd gone through. 

YOU HAVE ENDURED GREAT TRIALS. YOU HAVE OVERCOME A FORCES BEYOND MORTAL COMPREHENSION. 

YOUR LIGHT CONTINUES TO SHINE BRIGHT ANCIENT ONE. 

YOU HAVE ONCE AGAIN PROVEN YOURSELF MORE THAN WORTHY OF YOUR POSITION. GREAT ARE YOUR SKILLS AND GREATER STILL YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES.

ACCEPT YOUR ROLE AND KNOW THAT THE VISHANTI SMILE UPON YOU.

"Thank you" She replied. Accepting her purpose. 

The light of the Vishanti faded into the darkness, leaving the temple as in its earlier inconspicuous state. 

Earth's mightiest sorcerers knew it was time to return to their lives. Some would cherish this day, some would rue it, but it would remain in the memories of all. 

"Need a ride out of here?" Offered Justin to the Ancient One, exiting through the doorway. 

"I'm afraid I'll have to decline Mr. Hammer…you may visit the Kamar Taj whenever you are ready to learn."

"Oh I'm coming there alright. I can't wait to wear those robes of yours and take advantage of your free wifi."

"I see."

"Hey, it's not all old guys there right? The last time I visited I noticed they weren't any other females apart from you"

"…"

"You should know now, that I am fatally attracted to women with shaved heads." He smiled at her. Hammer knew just how much it exasperated her to see him act like this, like a talkative with no filter, he got a kick out of it. It also served to throw her off his true intentions. 

He seemed to be stalling for something, her instincts told her. Although it did not make any sense, she trusted her guts.

The Ancient One was about to create a portal to her abode when the Aged Ghengis approached.

"Ancient One, there remains a matter that needs settling."

"You have my attention Ghengis."

"You have been judged sorcerer supreme and now a boon is to be granted" 

Not to me. She realized this was an exceptionally rare challenge in which another mystic who wasn't awarded the title of Sorcerer Supreme, had managed to perform excellently. 

"In this challenge the Sorcerer Supreme must grant a boon to one mystic who qualifies. And none qualify more than this one; step forth Hammer Von Doom"

I do wish for people to stop butchering my name but. Wow, well, well, well.

"Impossible! Do you not know what this man is capable of!?"

"It matters not. As Sorcerer Supreme you are duty bound to fulfil his wish to the very best of your abilities."

"I will not."

"You will for it is the way of the Vishanti." The Ghengis concluded, floating away on a conjured cloud faster than the Ancient One could make further protests. 

She turned to him, and knew that beneath that stupid silver mask was an equally stupid smile. One that would darken her day.

He had remained eerily silent, and that was very unnerving. 

"Guess I'll be seeing you soon after all." He said with unmasked glee, waving as he left to board his jet.

The Ancient One nursed a headache as she walked through her conjured portal.

Some distance away, the black queen caressed her silky raven black hair, considering if she perhaps should consider restyling it shorter or doing away with it all together.

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