Vescrutia: Legacy

For an instant, the world around him faded from view; the coliseum nor Evant could be seen. As his vision returned, he found himself before , a giant serpent with eyes that emanated a fearsome crimson hue unlike his own.

"Your fury is sublime. I can feel your wrath, potent, like venom. Yet there is justice ebbing from you. This light in you blood, it whispers a familiar song..."

The snake's massive head rose. It was hissing as it did so.

" You cannot face him as Denkou; its soft-hearted nature has cost you dearly. Compassion will not quell the blood. In a battle of ideals, behind all one's fleeting words, power determines the way of life. The meaning of Order."

Dalazar's eyes narrowed in daggers. He knew now what needed to be done, what his father tried to warn him about continuously holding back. He kept trying to face his past without acknowledging his place in it. The same essence flowed through his body as Okina's and all those who once called him brother. In his eyes, the warrior was battling not Dalazar but the ideals that destroyed his way of life and his pride as a ninja.

"I must face Shi with Shi...So then you are."

The serpent's eyes narrowed.

"So I am...what is your choice?"

Images of his journey thus far flashed all around him. His foe claimed his bonds had no foundations. His legacy was nothing more than a fable constructed by his ancestors. Despite how painful it was to acknowledge, he would play blind to ignore what his father had already confirmed. Ain, the original Ka'ne, used his Profane Embodiment to manipulate memory, encouraged by the newly attained Emerald Soul, to change the fate of his people at the cost of another civilization. That could not be denied...but that's where Dalazar drew the line. For everything that happened after, the hard work and immense dedication went into cultivating their home. The arguments, the fights, and the many mistakes they had made. Those weren't fabrications... what his father sacrificed so that they may live. All that his people had given, all the horror they endured. That foundation was more than real, and it was beyond solid.

It was his shining light, his guiding star, and he would allow no one to besmirch its authenticity!

"I.."

He places his hands on the serpent's head as they are engulfed in red and green light. Once the lightning bolt and its blinding decades subside, Dalazar would be levitating, fully immersed in the sonorous nature of his Kingsblood. Intertwined with his brilliant emerald gleam were spurts of a robust crimson red. His retinas reflected the red aura's glare.

"Those eyes...."


The black one said as their gazes met—the intensity of that connection was like two waves pressing against one another.

"So that was your answer...I must say... I never saw that coming."

Dalazar said nothing as he drifted close to the ground, his scarf swaying majestically in the passing winds. He placed his hand on it, pulling his hand over it—the one gift his mother made especially for him. Every stitch knitted together with love and intention, her single wish was that her son survive his ordeal. He would allow nothing to keep him from returning to her, even if that meant he had to embrace his Denkoushi nature.

"Are you hurt, Evant?"

He looked over his shoulders; Evant, watching in amazement, felt his heart fill with joy and reverence.

"No, My Lo-"

...until he saw the look in his lord's eyes. They held nothing but searing intensity of wrath, like the eyes of a killer. Dalazar's look wavered for a bit but returned to its callous state. He would make no apologies for his choice. Turning his si

"I have not gazed into those eyes since I last saw Ain standing before me. Glorious...you still stand before me; you deserve my respect."

He said as he went into a sword-style one that, for some reason, was familiar to Dalazar.

"Royal Swordsmanship..."

The climax of this encounter had come. Who ideal would prove resolute?

"Okina Zoron Ri'ore Denkoushi, Otherwise known as the Demon Blade."

He says as his blade shines with naten levitating before him. He placed his left hand on its hilt.

"Dalazar Ain's Denkou; Fourth Heir of the Emerald Throne."


He began to unsheathe his sword. His resolve was solid on his face, his magic candescence smoldering. His eyes were like those of a serpent. As his sword was removed from its sheath, it burned solemnly with a scalding emerald fluoresce that hummed with power.

"In my weakness, I could not see you as anything other than human. My heart would not allow me to navigate past my sympathy for your being trapped here. But you have shown me the error of that thinking."

His blade held to his side, radiating might.

"Let our blade cross until there is but one standing and the other dead!"

With that, he set off with a blister of speed, accosting Okina in an instant; with a defensive strike of his own, his blade clashed with Dalazar's, a collision of such force that the ground cracked beneath them.

"Come on then, Emerald King, be scorched by my flame!"

He dragged his black blade along the sleek emerald katana, parrying the blow just enough to create an opening for his counter assault flashing to the right of Dalazar with a powerful midsection strike to which he effortlessly responded by blocking it. They then exchanged a brief flash of blade strikes. The place where his arm formerly was would manifest a serpent, a python of magic that would lash out, sinking its fangs into Okina's stomach and crashing into him with enough force to send him barreling through a pillar.

"I know something of cursed flames, Okina, and I must say..."

The snake retracted back to him. It's hiss like that of a crackle of lightning.

"You pale in comparison!"

Azar was a incarnation of primordial flam. His fury burned from a place more profound than the surface ambitions of Okina's resentments. He would carry the vengeful wails and regrets of the Azeri tribe as their soul flames became a pyre of loss. Dalazar felt the blaze of those flames, their hatred as if it were his own. The sting from Okina's malice was nothing compared to it, and thus, it would prove ineffective. Enraged by his opponent's words, a deep black and crimson manifested around him.

"Very well..."

A mist began to seep into the area.

"Allow me to show you the depth of my flames...remember this sight, Emerald King."

A deep sea of black flooded the area, completely obstructing Okina from view.

" For it should be the last thing you ever see..."

The voice echoed in the reaches of his mind, bouncing off the corners of his consciousness. He started to tire of the mental games and playing hide-and-seek with Okina. He craved confrontation and was ready to feel his blade sever the black one from this plane. In every encounter thus far, he had been led astray by the whispers of others. He was allowing their words to highlight his insecurities, his bleeding heart, a perfect blueprint for making him crumble.

"..."

"Do you not find it hypocritical? To come here preaching about the courage of Ain's choices only to fall back on the very bloodline he forsook? How shifting this pedestal of yours...Dalazar."


Okina's presence had faded; no, it would be a more accurate observation to say it had more or less blended into the black around him. It was his suppression arbiter. The only indication of his presence would be fading duplicates of his fearsome leer. Just waiting for the chance to pounce. Though Dalazar could not feel him, he could quite vividly remember how it felt, the fear that sank into his heart right before his arm was taken, his life nearly with it. One thing Dalazar observed from studying his opponent was the nature of using his arbiters thus far. He used impression to remove himself, using probative tactics to unnerve his enemies and cause them to panic; now that he thought about it a bit more clearly, he was sure it was the nature of his mystic presence alone that created this effect of being near him. Though suppressed, his speed is impressive, but his attacks are not particularly powerful.

"I could feel it the moment your Shi blood awakened. How does it feel? The invigoration of the hunt? Maybe if you manage to pull a win out of your ass, I'll tell you all about the Shi mystic arts...but what better teacher is there..."

His other skill, however, was compression, which was different. Instead of masking his presence, it gelled and contained it. It astronomically increased his abilities. Using it to claim Dalazar's arm, he preferred quick, decisive battles, which suggested to Emerald heir that he lacked the stamina for drawn-out battles. He now knew how to shift the tides of this battle in his favor. Okina might've thought that because of his softhearted nature, Dalazar was just another snot-nosed brat pawing at being king. That the Denkou have allowed their blades to rust and their resolve to wither. As if they have spent the last 10,000 years merely twiddling their thumbs! This assumption would prove fatal in the endgame, as Dalazar was one of the most prominent minds in Denkou's history. He had chosen to use his superior intellect for the good of his people; now, its sharp wit was pointed at a target.

"Than personal Experience! Shi Ninjustu Mystic art!"

This time, his voice rang out into the arena. The shifting phantom glares would suddenly stop as the dark mist began to twist into seven spirals that ignited in a blistering black blaze. Dalazar, blade in hand, was about to prepare a countermeasure; it seemed like Okina was going to use his potential trump card, perhaps his ultimate technique, some grand explosion of power like that which almost slayed him earlier. But much to his surprise

"Shadow Style; Seven Deadly Demon's Dance!"

However, that was not the case. As his Mystic art was invoked, the pillars of Dasdarley flames morphed instead into seven duplicates of Okina, all with blades carrying the smoldering blaze of his Imperious Demon Blade. This, he had not expected.

"How...exhilarating"

He said as he felt his adrenaline pumping through him, his heart rate climbing by the second. Once again, he felt the exhilaration of a battle with the highest stake, one's life on the line. Okina was all he had learned about the Denkoushi and more. His opponent was relentless, willing to do whatever it took, exploit even the slightest weakness to gain the upper hand no matter how low he had to go to find it. After all that observation of Dalazar, he deemed outnumbering him with a parade of equally powerful enemies as the way to defeat him. How odd that he should take pleasure in watching his foe surprise the best way to handle him, not knowing the vast chasm between them. Could it be? That Okina could not sense Dalazar's magical pressure even without him using suppression? NOw that was intresting.

"Heh, Okina, I gotta say, I imagined how you might compensate for your little problem. Attempting to jump me though, why that's low, even for you."

His naten began to ripple softly, creating minor waves of force that whispery swept the dust beneath him. Okina's band smirked at him confidently. A slight tick in their brows, irritability no less from the shady remarks. Dalzar had learned his personality type, which can dish it out, but can he handle what was dished back?

"But considering what you're up against, I can't say I blame you If I was in your shoes."

That whisper grew steadily into murmurs of force casually building, Okina slightly distracted by Dalazar's words.

"I would jump me to. But there could be an army of you, but only I would be left standing!"

These words caused Okina's nostrils to flare. The flame of his mandatory blades burned menacingly with darkness. They drew back the sword arms in perfect sync and rhythmic form, striking a powerful stance.

You will rue those words! Mystic Art: Cascading Shadow Flame!

They struck in perfect unison, and their speed made them appear as black lasers, aiming to pierce him through with a vicious wave of assault. His provocation inspired this hailstorm of piercing attacks.

"Let me show you the difference between a pond and an ocean."

He said this as the rune on his chest shone vigorously while dropping his sword. The steady whispers of dust would coruscate an extravagant array of magical prominence as his emerald soul burst in full bloom. The mighty rune magic of the grizzly house of Urso sprung to life, manifesting a crystal-like viel of hardened lightning to manifest on his body, supporting magic that increased one's resiliency relative to the magic power of the one invoking it. In his hands, this shear consistency was like a reinforced diamond. Before his blade could hit the ground and just as the first of Okina's rampage touched his body, the tail of his scarf sprung to life, grabbing the hilt of his sword, parrying that strike by unleashing a vicious counter attack that would arc around him releasing a devastating electrified whirlwind slash that would force the band back.

"!!!"

Okina was astonished that he was forced to relent. Dalazar himself took advantage of the brief reprieve as lightning he signed a single ava, causing the lightning from his shoulder to stretch downward, creating a phantom limb of magic to solidify as an arm.

"You get it now, Okina? Cut off as many of my limbs as you like. Stab me, pierce me, gouge my eye out if it suits you. Struggle in vain, frolic in its futility."

Witnessing this, Evant gasped, his nails practically digging into the stone in anxiousness. His heart was heavy as he listened to the prince's words. His power had grown immensely, but his nature had grown callous. The bite of his words, the venom of his strikes, he couldn't believe that this was Dalazar; it was like watching two made wolves try to tear each other apart. Was there truly no other way? Embracing the Denkoushi spirit within him...was eroding the king he had come to know and love. But powerless as Evant was, what could he do to stop him?

"Shut your fucking mouth, Denkou shit stain, AND FACE ME HEAD ON!"

The band all signed a flurry of signs as their index fingers grew bright with a malefic aura. They swiftly inscribed their blades.

"Ephemeral art: Shadow Style; Dance of the Fleeting Demon Lord!"

In a flurry of speed, the seven shadow clones accosted Dalazar, yet they did not step in to strike at first; instead, their movements became erratic, attempting to confuse him with their seemingly whimsical steps. Dalazar's palms became endowed with lightning magic as he crouched into a low posture, the naten around his hands shaping into snake fangs. Okina sneered; he meant to fact him bare-handed? What arrogance. Dalazar smirked casually; Okina, in his blind thrust for vengeance, remained ignorant of the world beyond this stone monument. He has not heard the changes in the winds or the shift of the tides in so many eons that he has become dull to the progression of man. Mages of his time might have been proverbial glass cannon. Many of them are immersed more so in times than physical battles. The Fourth Emerald King was no such mage. Though born with little magical power, the youngest Denkou son would not let himself fall behind, knowing his birthright would bloom one day. So he trained his body rigorously many times beyond the point of breaking to ensure that his vessel could serve as the proper bastion it needed to be to wield the wellspring of his inheritance.

It was the main reason he took up swordsmanship; he was a doubtfulless progeny. But he was afforded a rare opportunity as Okina's flame burned brightest before it would eventually flare out. He would have to hold nothing back to test his mantle against a natural-born slayer. Despite the speed at which the clones moved in, Dalazar's cold, calculating gaze scrutinized their every moment. Suppression made it impossible for him to determine which clone was Okina, and defeating them in a grand blowout was uneventful in his eyes. No, he needed to crush Okina's fighting spirit completely; only then would the opportunity to strike present itself...and when it did, he would waste it in the slightest.

"So fast..."

But

"No, fast enough."

His eyes, like red laser pointers, pinpointed the various movements of the band, his blade held by his scarf ready to defend him should one grow brave enough to strike before he took off in a flash of speed appearing to the right of the clones the farthest away. His blade, poised to strike, prompted a defensive response from the clone, a trick of his own.

"Shit, A feint!"

"Orochi Mage Style..."

His personally crafted fighting style meets magic and might be in the middle. A bustling force of lightning magic roaring in his hand was sent through into the side of the Okina clone.

"Fang Of Eminence!"

A plume of magic erupted from his palms, sending through the clone a piercing strike of condensed magic force barreling through, leaving nothing but a massive hole in its wake it's coming like that of quaking thunder.

Okina's eyes burned with rage as the thunderous boom of his strike reverberated in shockwaves of force. Despite the power, Dalazar continued assaulting the black band and did not let up. The time for recoil had ended, and he must now take advantage of every second that remained his. The clone began to dissipate, but not even before it could barely begin its degradation, a blade came through its side; the moment it connected, the lingering flame of its creation enveloped the blade, furthering its cleave as it beheaded what was left of the clone trying to rend the Emerald one's head from his shoulders. Simultaneously, the other six attacked in 2 waves of 3. The First wave took to the skies, hopping pillar to pillar, just waiting for an opening; the second wave's blades began emitting vibrant black glare before they appeared in flashes of speed, sounding him with about 4 meters of space between each other and their target, and, in unison, sent a flurry of flaming slashes of burning black naten scoring towards him, aiming to envelop him in a blazing trap.

The assault was deadly, and any other foe would have succumbed to the unrelenting nature of his attacks. Dalazar, however, was far from being a mere warrior. No matter how grave the stakes were, his response time afforded him chances where there would be none. As the blade neared his neck, he fell into a split while gripping the covered hilt of his sword. As he reached the ground, he unleashed a brutal sword strike that would see its way through the legs of the clone that attacked him. The flames, though, could not be avoided and thus gave him a furious display of blazing indignation. Like sequence hawks, they talon dived, occupying him with an accosting array of blade strikes so fast and furious they seemed to be a black pocket plane separate from this one.

"Even you'll find it hard to evade them all!"

"Heh, you're right."

Dalazar smirked just before his face sired an expression unlike any Evant would have ever seen. The murderous nature of his bloodline exploding,

"Mystic Art..."

Okina's eyes widened in surprise and intense disdain. This brat possessed Mystic arts?! The air reverberated thickly with the force of its mere invocation. A perilous naten of lighting coursed around him. The staggering nature of the blood lust he emitted was so powerful it felt like gravity was weighing them down. He would then command his magic to swirl around him, causing him to spin. The velocity of that maneuver picked up incredible winds, circumventing the coordinated strike. He held his sword in his left hand, leaving his magically constructed right-hand lightning-free. He releases a powerful burst from it, propelling him into the air,

The sheer velocity of his spin is too incredible for the clones to resist. Even the ones who released the burning projectiles were caught in its gripping orbit. In his mind, the image of his brother, Wind bearer Na'lumire, came up within the epicenter of the cataclysm maelstrom. The day he saw his brother, the winds devastated everything around him. That imagery that once crumbled his mind under grief had inspired him to remember this particular art; only Dalazar had his own spin to it.

"Forgive me, brother, you still live on in my heart; I know you'd hate for me to use this this way. I'll make sure to Guide my winds and steady my blade!"

"Severing Squall of the Mad Serpent!!"

Dalzar's blade Umina, the Denkou word for hope, was a marvelous weapon forged from the essence of the Emerald oasis deep within the bowels of the kingdom. A blade of otherworldly sharpness said to be able to cut flesh and spirit alike. The sweat and investment of his people as they worked hard to grant him a gift worthy of his nobility. It, being the enchanted blade it was, could shift the length and width of the blade. He released Umina for but a single instance, griping now instead of the tail end of his scarf, still wrapped on his now elongated blade. The lightning-infused blade offset a chain, and an almost liquidus array strikes. The vortex his art created engulfed the entirety of the coliseum, stopping barely where Evant was vaguely protecting him from the slashes as they eviscerated all within its domain. Still, the vacuum was powerful enough to draw him in nearly. Fortunately, he passed incredible strength and could fortify himself to withstand its tremendous pull.
"In...incredible!!"

Six of the clones were shredded almost immediately. Okina, hiding amongst the seven, could not help but be caught up in the tumultuous rapture of the Emerald King's Ephemeral Art, an arbor on a scale that immensely dwarfed his own. So this was the might that Ain's sacrificed his own family to obtain—the power of a King. His left arm and right leg were taken from him in the blink of an eye. Unable to get his bearing, he knew if he did not defend in some way, he would be reduced to nothing but scraps of flesh. He forced every last ounce of his black flame from him, turning himself into a living pyre. This only allowed him to push himself from the vortex as his flaming body crashed. It lay smoking on the ground, a charred corpse, but he was not dead, not yet.

The raging storm would subside, revealing Dalazar levitating in mid-air. He threw down his blade, stabbing mere centimeters from Okina's skull. In a flash of lightning, Dalzar was now sitting on Okina's singed chest, his only hand griping the scoundrel's neck with enough force to snap it.

"Go ahead...end my curse, take this wretched life of servitude from me. Kill me, as the dogma of our blood dictates."

"Oh no, Okina, be not so quick to die; I want to savor the taste of your despair."

Dazal's tongue flickered with a spark of lightning that stung Okina's face just enough to cause him to wince in pain. The hold of his blood on him was firm, too much for him to resist alone. He had to become what he hated most to protect what he cared for. The cycle repeats, and the viciousness would not end with him.

"Your soul, I wonder how it will taste."

At that moment, something happened that only Okina could recognize. The slits in Dalazar's eyes began to widen, becoming spiraling orbs of chaotic power.

"The Dankestu, Ain's curse he feld from.... our true anthem. Ha, you are Shi, after all."

The Dankestu, or the original anthem of the Denkou, was infamous for its ability to consume the souls of other beings, the cursed eyes of the Shi. As Dalazar crept closer, their influence engulfed Okina's eyes with their reflection, drawing him into a deep delirium. From his mouth, an essence began to gather; it became spherical, black with a glimmer of red and silver, his soul just as Dalzar was about to devour it. He heard Evant's voice.

"My King, MY SUN, REMEMBER YOUR CHOICE!"

His voice claimed dominion over Dalazar's senses, bringing his dark invocation to a halt. His tight grip on Okina wained just a bit as his willpower struggled against the grip of the dark power. It was like being trapped neck-deep in a vat of tar. The more he struggled, the harder it was to break free. Then, his father's last words came back to mind.

"Remember my son...you chose love."

He fought desperately against the hold mobile by his father's words and the remainder of his most trusted advisor. As Evant's words reached him, Dalazar's polarizing leer became docile. His eyes returned to their serpent-like glare. He could see Okina's tired and fearful expression as the delirium faded and his soul returned to his body. He grabbed Okina's blade, the flames burning his hand.

"Is it so important to you that someone dies here, Okina? That your blade pierced me?"

Okina's eyes filled with fury, and Woe gritted his teeth. Baffled at how he was able to shake the cursed eyes' dominance.

"It is the ONLY thing I have hoped for! For my blade to skewer my brother's ideals."

"Fine then..."

With that, Dalazar forced the blade through his side, spitting up a bit of blood. Okina's rage became a bubbling pool of shock and confusion. What the hell was this kid doing? Evant, with a terror-filled hurry, appeared right before his lord in the blink of an eye.

"D-Dalazar?! Wh"

"Th-there you have it, O-okina. Your blade reached it. I Am The Emreald King. Within me ebbs the very essence of nature. I am the roar of thunder. The light before the bolt. Everything that the Denkou is from the one who betrayed you, yet..."

Evant wiped the blood from his lord's lips, preparing to treat his wounds.

"Exactly! You are the kingdom's pillar! Without you, it will all crumble to nothing. You will fail...just as he did"

"No, that's where you're wrong, Okina."

Evant would smirk casually as he prepared the Magi cloth. It was clear by this point that Okina knew little of the current way of denkou. Or even the Emerald King's purpose in its culture. It made sense; the last Emerald King was born nearly 700 years ago.

"Do you know not every emerald King has sired an heir? Sometimes, the gene does not reappear until several hundred, sometimes thousands of years after another. What do you think my people did in those times? Playing footsie?"

Dalazar said through gritted teeth, the pain of the blade throwing its haunting curse ebbing. But what he had to say, he had to while looking Okina in his eyes.

"It's true that the coming of an Emerald King thrust the nation lightspeeds ahead in time, but the traditional values engrained into our very foundation survive, thrive, and evolve unendingly. That is due to the mighty royal houses and the industries community of the kingdoms bonds that make anything possible. They are the ones who keep the legacy of the Emerald King vibrant in our hearts. "

Okina's eyes shifted back and forth. This kid's passion was infectious.

"I've...never lusted for the throne. The king itself, through an essential cog, is very small. Even if I should perish here, my kingdom would still reach its destined heights in its own time. Because they, the King, are as sure as the very sun to grass, but should the sun ever set and never rise again, they would keep its memory alive in their hearts as they adapted to the moon's somber glow."Keeping the wheel of the last king's ambition ever turning.

Okina's eyes softened just a bit, Dalazar's words eroding the rust of his heart.

"How...how can you just turn it off like that? The bloodlust and those eyes led to the downfall of our once proud clan. How were you able to defy your true nature?

Evant gingerly placed his hand over his lords, going slowly, not wanting to trigger Okina's bravado. But he could tell Okina's fighting spirit had been crushed. The prince's words assured him now. Slowly, he pulled the blade from Dalazar, who bit his lip in agony and muffled his desire to scream.

"I was once told it is not the form of the thing that counts. It is its nature that does. I must protect my people, embrace my birthright, and usher them into a new fate—to bring them the Destined Dynasty they bled for. And I will see it through. Whether it be a shield for the meek or a deadly serpent that devours the strong, I will become what I must...but."

Dalza said that as Evant placed the Magi cloth on his wound, the sutures would work as Evant infused them with his lifeforce—a perk of their Oath magic.

"That's not who I am as a person. I've always loved reading, writing, and the art of magic—though I love swordplay, I've always wanted to be a healer. I love helping my mother with her stitching. I ran with my uncle down the mountainside and fought with my cousins, who always teased me. I like to tinker in the workshop with the Gamallow, help heal the wounded, study medicine with the Flonne, and spar with the Urso, who all mean so much to me. They have molded me into the man I am, the King I must be. Who I am is not determined by the form I must take but by the reason I take that form, to begin with, so when you ask what gives me the strength to persevere. Okina, that's simple, my nature, my choice."

His eyes began to hum softly, not with a crimson glow but a soft yet intense golden one. The Emerald blessing sheepishly came from him like a gentle breeze, tingling the fibers of Okina's soul. He looked at Evant, who placed his hand on his shoulder.

"It's...well... love..."

He said as he smiled warmly. Okina, gazing upon Dalazar, would feel the warmth of his magic filling his once hollowed heart and bringing back a memory.

*Flash Back*

"Why, brother! Why have you done this? We were so close, the Flame King's power ours. From the ashes of his razed lands, our destined Dystnay was to be born just as Fulgora promised. So why?! Why are you betraying us now?"

A young man shackled with lighting-based sealing magic yelled at a tall figure whose essence wafted from their person like a setting sun. It's twinkled in and out of existence like a fading star caught between planes.

"I'm sorry, Okina, but I have made my choice..."

His voice rang with authority, yet his tone showed genuine remorse. His eyes gilden like orbs of light.

"To Love..."

They are both caught in a bright light, and then the vision fades.

"Love huh?"

Okina said, his eyes filled with tears, that he had fought hard to keep from falling.

"The first king did not plan to turn his back on the shi. He came to the Emerald Ascension with that very goal in mind, seeing the genocide of the Azeri through to the very end...but once he devoured the soul of their king, he experienced for the first time not just love, but what it was like to lose that love. Fulgora used you like the tools you were, including Ain's. He never planned to give him the kingdom; he aimed to take over the first king's body and rule over the Denkou like master and slave, Okina... your bother."

"No... you're lying!"

" Never wanted to experience the pain he caused Azar. His single, albeit incredibly selfish, wish was for his people and family to live. He knew you hated him; he took full responsibility for your malice. But, even still, he could not bring himself to kill you..."

"Just stop...please.."

"Ain's Ri's the First Emerald King, The First Coming of the Beryl Sun, Rai-Father. The ruler of one of the most powerful human kingdoms on the face of the Mother fulfilled his promise of granting his people a place where their names could be forever engraved into her history. And though the form he took was a betrayer, scoundrel, their, murderer. I believe his nature was a man who loved and feared for his family...for you..."

Okina's tears ran heavily as he released a soul-crushing yell into the tattered ruins. He knew Dalzar's words held no malice, no deceit. This boy meant everything he said. Okina's rage could not have its own against the gentle nature of the soul before him. So, he gave in. Though it was still hard for him to understand, he did have a regret he only just now realized.

"Brother, I was so angry and hurt. I couldn't understand. No, I didn't even try. Who knows, maybe if I had taken your hand that day, maybe just maybe..."

Dalazar's aura vanished. He fell, but Evant caught him. Their gazes fixed on each other briefly before he helped him straighten his posture.

"I could've seen the world through your eyes. But I think I caught a glimpse of the future you saw, brother, and must say, If this kid is the one to succeed, you, well...

Okina looked at his brother's heir, and a smile of his own was softly on his face.

"It's a bright one..."

"H-hey, Denkou brat. You must listen... I haven't much time..."

Dalazar moved closer to the nearly departed shinobi. The more he looked at Okina, the more he thought of his battle with his brother. Would it end this way as well? Would he have to kill Myos to free him? The thought alone was enough to cause his skin to pucker up with goosebumps. He hated to think that way...but then he thought about the nature of Okina's and Ain's relationship. He knew a fight was unavoidable; Myos indeed needed to answer for his crimes, and yet. Dalazar could not shake the feeling that one brother was at least open to hearing the other. Maybe, just maybe...

"My brother sealed me here, using my thirst for vengeance to test those who would succeed him as king. Those who proved themselves would be told where to complete his "Path of Kings." The phrase needed to open the way. Listen closely..."

Dalazar knelt, wincing in pain, Evant's hand on his back. He lifted Okina carefully, laying his scarf beneath it like a pillow.

"Deep beneath the Emerald Palace, there exists a place only the heads of the four noble houses and the King himself may enter. There, you find my brother's final resting place. I was never told what the path of the King entails. But, knowing my brother, you must enter...knowing who you are."

"Knowing who I am?"

At first, he grew anxious, then felt Evan't hold firm its grip on his shoulder. His nervousness faded from him. He thought he would have to go to a distant land to complete his rite. His return home seemed to be an inevitable fate. His task now was to find a way to infiltrate one of the well-guarded and infamous lands on the face of the mother. His fist tightened...his resolve boldening. He knew of a potential way in, though. It would be hard for him emotionally, more than anything.

"No man can rule others while still being a stranger to himself. Something Ain's used to say often."

"Hmp, wise words..."

Okina's eyes shifted to the side, conveying a hint of hesitance and uncertainty. Then he took a deep sigh.

" I..I have a request."

A request? Dalazar's ears perked up a bit. He wondered what Okina, who had been hell-bent on making him suffer a few minutes ago, could ask for.

"I've been down here so long, listening to the aches and regrets of my fallen breath as well as being plagued by the hunting wails of those whose lives I've taken. I know I've no right to ask or seek it, but my soul has grown weary. I'm tired of hating."

Dalazar took a sharp breath. He could only imagine what it must have been like to have your soul bound by the one who betrayed you, the one you idolized above all.

"Our homeland is a vicious place, Dalazar, and I am a product of that madness. But here, in Madeira, I can hear birds chirping, singing songs of joy, and their wigs carrying them to freedom. So long as my soul remains bound to the magic here, I will respawn centuries before the next king arrives. I wish...to"

He coughed up blood, struggling to hold on to

"You want to be free..."

His eyes were harrowed with emotion.

"I never got to choose how I lived...but maybe...I..."

He looked at the gaping hole in the sky, a giant bird flying past.

"I can choose how I die. Dalazar...Please take me from here. Use our anthem, and make me a part of you. Let me and my power serve as a tool for something other than death and destruction. Forge from my death, something of purpose...protect my brother Legacy..."

The Emerald one could scarcely believe what he was hearing. He wanted him to absorb his soul? A myriad of thoughts and reservations washed over him. No, he could not possibly grant such a ask. Just remembering the feeling of the bloodlust that overtook him, the insidious nature of that anthem went against everything.

"I'm sorry, Okina...I can't possibly do that, that power...it's form...it.."

"It is the nature of the things that counts....n-not its form...a little bastard once said that to me...one wise beyond his years."

Dalazar could not help but scoff, another instance where his words came back to bite him. But he was right. He had to become separate from who he knew himself to be. Though it would bring him no joy, he would grant his request. He would bless his brethren with the freedom he asked for.

"Cheeky...fine...I'll do it."

"My lord, you can't; I almost watched you lose yourself, the hatred in your eyes, the lust for death. I'd never wish to see such a horrid vision again if it were up to me."

Dalazar felt the weight of his love's words and did not take them lightly. Evant stood on the sidelines, watching Dalazar's trek to kinghood. As the one charged with protecting his life, it was unthinkable to witness his charge losing an arm. Why even go so far as to grant this dying lousy request? He nearly lost him to the pull of the Denkoushi once. He would not witness it again if he had anything to do with it.

"I'd sooner pluck out my eyes than to see that face again..."

Dalazar placed his hand on the one Evant held firm on his shoulder. As much as he understood his partner's feelings, when he looked into Okina's eyes, he saw not the face of a heinous murderer. But that of a caged bird, longing to feel the brush of the wind's breeze once again. This encounter had become somewhat spiritual for them, especially in the emerald interior. Despite losing his light, he defeated his most harrowing foe and retained his sense of self. His belief in the path he had chosen revolved more than ever. It affirmed the fragments of self-realization he had to experience ever since he first left the kingdom. He would use them to anchor himself as he granted Okina favor.

"It is not up to you, Evant. I value your words and trust your insight more often than my own. But I must ask you, trust the you, that trust me."

Though Dalazar did not turn to face him, Evant could feel the warmth and resolution in his words as if they were his own. His ward was proper. Even without direct intervention, Dalazar had managed many feats that he once thought impossible. Yet he persevered; more so than that, he thrived, awakening the divine spark of his ascendant blood, revamping his soul after the crushing blows of Azar's damage through his being. Using the ancient ephemeral arts of his forbearers, he was ready.

"Alright, Okina...Here we go..."

The black swordsman held a breath of concern. He never knew what it felt like to be on the receiving end of his anthem and, for the first time, showed genuine fear of its power. But it was too late to turn back now. This was the only way his soul could finally know peace—the only way he could think to atone for the terror his path had wrought.

"I am ready.."

Okina closed his eyes. He had never truly experienced trust, the core emotion grounding him through this exchange. Dalzar, responding with this emotion, began to invoke the scathing nature of his bloodline. He felt a thick palpitation as he reached deep within himself, giving rise to the serpent within him once more.

"Well, I must say, this is a rather interesting turn of events. Never have I witnessed the curse being used to help another. You truly are an oddity, Denkou spawn."

The manifestation of his Shi bloodline is given form. The Emerald Serpent had eyes that burned with crimson callousness, like an indifferent flame, unconcerned about who or how another was burned. Only that it got to burn mattered.

"I've decided to use this power when and how I please; it is mine to wield. I will allow you to strike, but I will choose when and when you bear your fangs."

Hisssss

"So you wish to control me? Leash me like a common dog?! I warn you, child, this is not something you can change alone..."

"Whoever said anything about leashing you? My rule shall not be forced. But I cannot allow you to stand in the way of what I know I must do. So, I present you a pact."

The snake's eyes slit, becoming intrigued.

"A pact? How supercilious; what do you think I could want from you...There is nothing more alluring than watching you devour the souls of your enemies."

"You want vengeance, do you not? It is the overarching theme; is it not the root of all this?"

"And how can you promise such a thing? You do not even know the origin of my Ire; not even I can recall the darkness that sired me."

Dalazar smirked

"Because my light is destined to illuminate all shadows, including the darkness that gifted us this cursed anthem. So my terms..."

The serpent leaned in, actually interested in what the beryl youngster had to say....his conviction striking even it with surprise.

"Grant me dominion over the Dankestu, and by the end of this tale, you will be vindicated. Help me save this man. And in turn, it is you who will be saved. Your form is a snake fated to devour endlessly until nothing, but you remain. Whatever dark deal the founder made to acquire that power may have been the form this darkness chose to mold you from, but your nature, spirit, is yours to decide."

The creature's eyes widened, Dalazar's form radiating an illuminating confidence that even she could not ignore. Who would've thought that the reincarnation of the one who bonded her to this chaos would now be offering a way free from it? Is it fate? Or chance? One could never decide.

"Very well...but have terms of my own... should you fail to free me by the fall of the tenth full moon after saving your people...I will devour you whole...and all you have come to cherish shall be void within me."

Dalazar's eyes narrowed then, the weight of this risk becoming ever clear to him. However, he would not refuse nor offer a rebuttal.

"You've my word, as the Fourth Emerald King,"

"Very well, let it be so. Take my power; use me as you see fit, Emerald King."

At that moment, the serpent rushed Dalazar, its gaping maw devouring him, blessing him with the full force of his shi birthright. On the outside, his eyes returned to their evil glare—the insidious aura from before manifesting in front of him once more. The dark magic resurfaced, sending chills of anxiety down both Okina and Evant's spine. Evant retracted his hand and stepped back, giving his lord space to resolve this ritual. Dalazar could feel the serpents' coiling hunger thickly wrapped around his soul, nearly taking control of his faculties. But he remained firm, images of his journey thus far flashing before him.

Ves wrote: Sat Apr 20, 2019 4:36 pm Misha's left ear twitched, she turned around and beneath her was some silver haired boy asking for her attention. She tried to keep her face together, overly professional, as scholars would greet scholars. She nodded to him slightly. Wow was the fact that she was lost really written on her face?

"Hm? Sorry I'm somewhat late for a lecture on Cosmic Phenomena and the Astral Year. Did you need something?"

She shifted her weight and adjusted her satchel, which was packed heavy with scrolls. She was obviously lost, so terribly lost. What was she doing in one of the libraries when the lecture halls were across the campus?

Misha....

Zero Venkage wrote: Thu Dec 24, 2020 11:56 pm Zero slipped in front of Bo while waving goodbye to the staff of Duster's. He giggled and blew a kiss to the owner of the piercing stare, surely watching him exit.

"Alright, Bo. Let's go!"

Once they stepped outside the tavern's doors, Zero bolted straight into the unkept forest. He wanted to avoid major thoroughfares out of town, as not to be seen by anyone important or scary or trying to find him. Part of his ominous feeling was amplified by sunset falling over the area. Luckily, they moved quickly, or Duster's was due for a dusting in a dust-up nobody wanted to dust up. Cautiously, Zero and Bo set out on their journey to Uran.

Zero

Veronica

and Lana to

All the sordid memories of his journey thus far filled his heart with but one emotion. Despite the trials, the blood, and the trauma of all he had gone through, underneath it all was a bubbling sensation that he could not ignore.

Pride...

Because with every test, pass or fail, he remained true to himself. He pushed through every barrier keeping him from his goal and could stand here, tall, regretting nothing—not a single ounce of it, even the loss of his arm.

"I...I want to save him!"

This welling sense of birth sparked something within Dalazar that could only be worded as divine. The ebbs of his most fervent wish to heal and save began to crack through the bleak black magic of his anthem. Like the pounding of a drum or a battering ram against a wall, did the thump of his heart collide with the current form of his anthem. This palpating force of will, the amalgamation of all his phases thus far, pieced together a wondrous tapestry of all he had done thus far. His soul bursting with invigoration caused a spark of light to ignite from him.

"!!! Wait...that's!"

He knew the feeling of this spark; though faint, its flow was familiar to him. Could it be?

"I will never lose my way again...I promise...so please...."

His emotions spilled across the energy weave like a spilled can of paint. A soft beryl light began to emit from the crack in the dark magic, a light that started to grow brighter and stronger with each thumping palpation of Dalazar's resolve.

"Come back to me...."

From the middle of Dalazar's chest, a thick, warm beryl light began to seep forth. Like a fluent wave, it washed over his body, like the first drink of cool water on the moon of a scorching hot day did its lux soothe the sinister power of his eyes. Like the lulling melody of a snake charmer, it chilled the burning desire for destruction and let his desire to save flourish. The spark of the light bearer ignited once more. His inner light finally returned to him, searing away what the Daishin's curse remained. They reenvisioned the nature of the Dankesto anthem; instead of a void of chaos, his eyes radiated a hue like that of the cosmos, like the explosion of a star was trapped behind his eyes. An evolution of the Dankestu...

"Heh, wow, you truly are something else...Denkou brat."

Okina's final words before the magic began to siphon his essence from him. It was painless, riveting even. Okina and Dalazar could feel each other's deepest emotions through this exchange. From Okina, the maddening call of his shi manifest, a black enraged beast sat solemnly beside the Beryl serpent. They gave each other but a single nod, acknowledging each other's truth and ways of life. Before, Okina's essence completely merged with Dazlar's. He could feel the well of his being sweltering as the fiery countenance of the demon blade entwined with his own. Memories of Okina's childhood and the grueling experience of being a ninja, yet still, there were moments of happiness. The times they shared bread between jobs. The pride he had in his brother AIns. His dreams and wants he gave up to serve the clan's needs. These are now entrusted to Dalzar. The Emerald Basin, bearer of light and lightning, was once more he could feel his magic power growing, even now.

"Let now your flames of freedom burn forever more within me...Okina."

With that, the light faded, and Okina drew his last breath. Witnessing was decisive, and Evant could not help but give way to his tears. Dalazar had indeed become an outstanding man whose willpower was awe-inspiring.

"Your...light. It has returned?"

As the wispy winds died down and his body returned to its natural state, Dalar would feel different. With his light returned, he could again feel the warmth of his naten coursing through him, the sun's fury, the benevolence of the skies coursed through him once more.

"No, not entirely. It is just a spark of what once was. But it has tamed the Shi blood. For wow, long, I cannot be certain. But for now, the serpent is mine to command."

"But at what cost?'

"I have until the fall of the tenth moon to absolve the Denkoushi of their darkness, or the serpent will consume me and all the other Denkou and Kai."

"You can't be serious?"

Dalazar gazed solemnly at Okina's dead body. Thanks to him, even this tiny spark of his divinity returned to him. He could not grow to regret his choice now. He had several promises to keep. The light dimmed before fading entirely.

"Has your faith in me begun to wavier?"

He said, his eyes still carrying the serpent's piercing glare, yet they bore not a crimson gleam but a golden one. Then, he winked.

"Listen..."

Evant said, gripping Dalazar by the shirt and lifting him slightly from the ground.

"You ever scare me like that again, and I'll kick your royal ass...got that?"

He kissed him before placing him down.

"Wow, can a Knight treat his King in such a way? Is there not a code? Manhadnelly me so abruptly. Why, if we were home, you'd be executed, you know."

Dalazar places his hand on Evant's.

"As long as it is your blade that takes me."

"I wish to bury him.... he deserves that much.

"I will see to it, what though, will be our next move."

Dalazar's gaze lingered but a bit longer on Okina's corpse. He knew where they needed to go next.

"To the belly of the beast...but before that. A much-needed respite."

"Indeed, you are still adjusting to the king's power. Rest would be a good idea. There is an inn not far from here."

"Let's see about Okina, and then let us be off. Our greatest fight is yet ahead of us."

And so they buried their family. His soul was finally granted the peace and freedom it longed for. The temple is now sealed, barring any others from entering.