Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2013 17:11:09 GMT -5
((takes place about a week after Roe and Namari spar with Delliks))
Roe looked to the sky, blue as it was, and sighed in anxiety. Exen and Ishiin stood next to him, neither one saying anything. "You both know why I'm only taking you two along, correct?" Roe asked them both. Ishiin coughed and Exen snorted.
"Because if you didn't then you would be dead before you drew your sword." Exen replied crossly. Roe let out a nervous chuckle, half believing it was true. The last time he saw his father was on the battlefield months ago. He hadn't even really fought anybody, so Roe didn't remember the true extent of his power. "But, I suppose you have the bonus of experience on all of us." He mumbled. Exen didn't really like the fact that Roe was a more seasoned veteran of battle than his entire race combined, but he usually hid it well.
"Well, thank you for the reassurance Exen. Maybe that'll pull me through." He replied. He knew what he wanted to do was suicide, but he had no choice. He had to get his father alone, and to do that he had to teleport him away which meant physical contact. Physical contact meant a great risk to Roe due to his father's ability, but he figured he would be the only one to be able to resist it from his years of wisdom and experience. Once teleported, Exen had said to leave the rest to him and all would be well and good for their people. Ishiin sighed, laying a hand on Roe.
"I detected father's presence in a small village far to the north of here. It appears as if he was planning to march on the Snow Elves soon, but we should be able to prevent that from happening. Be warned, however, as I cannot teleport you into the village directly. You will have to fight your way through and then get to father the hard way. Teleport back to us as soon as you can, brother, and be careful." With that, Ishiin waited for Roe to give the ready signal.
I have to do this, and I cannot fail. That is not an option. There are too many lives as stake, and there are still some things I need to do before I'm allowed to die. Roe told himself. He had been telling himself that for the last month, and even more often since he ran into him. Roe took a deep breath, then focused and transformed into his blood release form. He placed his right hand on his left shoulder where the Ragnarok seal was. He activated it, feeling power flood throughout his body. He closed his eyes, then dug deep inside himself. There, he found the spirit of the seal. It was white as snow everywhere, and in the shape of a man. Nothing but darkness was the background for this figure, and it seemed to not move.
"Have you come to offer more in exchange?" The figure said. Its voice was rough, untamed, like a wild stallion thrashing against the bit and reins. It held out its hand in a greedy way, ready to take more from Roe in exchange for power. Roe said nothing, but only focused harder until and image of his normal body appeared next to the figure. "Ahhh, that's a large one. Are you sure of this?" It asked. Roe said nothing, but the figure knew the answer. "Very well." As soon as those words were uttered, an immense burst of energy blew him out of the space. He opened his eyes, gasping for air. Ishiin looked shocked for some reason, looking at Roe's severed arm. He looked down as well, and was surprised to see a red aura exuding from the stump. Slowly, his arm reformed into a perfect replica.
"So this is the power..." He whispered.
"What?" Ishiin asked, slightly scared. Roe shook his head, then gave a thumbs up. "How the hell did you-"
"Don't ask questions, just do your job!" Roe snapped. Ishiin quieted down and Exen snickered. Biting his lip, Ishiin laid a hand on Roe's shoulder.
"Return safe." He said with care. Then, all Roe saw was blackness for a split second. Then, he was in front of the gates to a small village protected only with a small wooden wall. Half of it was blown away, the other half was wall that had only recently been built. They were fortifying here for some reason, maybe planning to expand here? This village was too small for so many after all, so where did they all go when not out doing Vunthe's bidding? Roe inhaled and exhaled quietly to steady his nerves. This was it. This was the defining battle for Roe's entire life. The sky here was gray from the clouds fat with precipitation. It appeared as if snow falls here almost year round from the area, but directly around the village was no sign of white. That meant magic had melted it all away for the sake of convenience. Roe flexed his new hand, then started running for the gate. His speed was more than double what it was before, and he wasn't even going all out yet. Within seconds he was in front of the gate. With a single push, Roe forced them open. The iron on the other side creaked and made horrble screeching sounds as it was ripped apart by a force greater than it could withstand. Startled voices and alarms started flaring up from around the entire village.
Roe smiled, then darted to his left. He was already almost as fast as Dush was, and once he got Sanctuary from his mother... It would keep going until he was ready to give it up. He had already selected the next heir for each seal, so his life didn't matter as of now. Ten seconds after his dash, elves dressed in full battle armor were at the gates. Roe was at the west wall, a full one minute sprint for any normal blood elf that he had managed in one sixth that time. He found a hole in the wall and dashed through it. Knowing his father, he would be sitting dead center of the village awaiting something to happen. He was too cocky, always wanting to prove he was better. Now, he was insane from what Roe could tell.
He made a dead charge for the center of the village, dodging houses left and right while trying to remain hidden. This village was larger than it looks, as it took Roe a full minute to get to where Vunthe should logically be. The sound of cackling laughter is what assured him that his father was in the building. A scream of pain followed, and then more laughter. Roe stopped, trying to listen. It was silent, and then the sound of a door opening on the inside alerted him to some of what was going on.
"...killed him. Now what are we supposed to do for fun?" somebody said. Roe recognized that voice, even if it had slightly change. Vunthe, his father.
"I don't know, my liege, maybe find another petty human?" A second person said.
"Pah! She was the only good looking one out of any I saw out of the entire village. Pity she was so young. She would have been a good slave for the more... lonely nights out on campaign." Vunthe said slyly. Roe almost gagged at that. His father had descended so far into rampancy and power that he was willing to enslave innocent humans. Who knew how young that girl had been. Fourteen, maybe, judging from the way she sounded before her death.
"I'm sorry, my liege... Did you hear the alarms, my liege? There may be an intruder in the vil-" The second person was stopped short by Vunthe.
"So what if there is? Whoever it is would have to fight through the garrison I have left here, and then they'd have to fight me if they somehow made it through all of them. Nobody is that good. Nobody around here, anyways." Roe clenched his teeth, then crouched and started to head for the main entrance. If he could strike fast and hard, he may be able to get this done without any casualties.
"You! Stop!" Screamed a voice from behind. Roe turned quickly and jumped. "It's Roe! Roe! R-" Roe hit the elf at forty mph, easily, crushing his ribs. Blood pooled out of his mouth, landing on the back of Roe's neck. It was warm and made Roe slightly nauseous. He had spilled even more of his brethren's blood, all to get to one elf. The master puppeteer would die for all of these lives, even if Roe had to follow him into the next life to make sure of it. Roe turned, letting the now limp body fall to the ground. He had jumped ten feet from a crouch and still managed to do that. A shiver went down his spine as he realized how much stronger he had actually gotten. This had to be sucking his life away quickly, but he pushed that thought aside as the wall where he was just at exploded outwards. Vunthe stepped out of the massive hole, a smile on his face. Another elf followed behind. That's when Roe realized who it was. It was Yath, his brother. Why was he calling their father My Liege, then, instead of father?
"Why, hello Roe! I'm glad to see you found your way home." Vunthe said, poison dripping from his voice as blood from a sword after a battle. Roe furrowed his brow, readying himself for a long fight. "Aww, aren't you happy to see your king again?"
"You're nobodies king, father." He replied plainly. Vunthe erupted in anger, going from zero to sixty in less that a second.
"I am your king! You will bow down and refer to me as such!" He screamed. The power he released from that forced Yath to the ground and made a crater around Vunthe. Roe felt the wave of energy flood over him, but managed to stay standing. He's stronger than I remember... He thought with dismay. How could they possibly defeat him?!
"M- my liege, maybe fighting here isn't a good idea..." Yath choked out. Vunthe screamed again, enraged over nothing. Without warning, he reached down and yanked Yath up by the hair.
"Shut up, you brat!" He screamed into Yath's face. Then, he hurled Yath into the housed directly next to him.
"Yath!" Roe exclaimed, making a move to go to his brother's side. Vunthe turned to Roe.
"Stay right where you are, scum!" He snarled. Roe bit his lip and held his ground. Then, he looked his father square in the face. "You're dead, ya' hear? I'm going to rip your heart out and feed it to a wolf after this. Traitors will all die, as will the heathens that let us be sealed away in that prison for so long! You're as good as dead!" He screamed. Roe thought a plan out quickly, knowing that his father would escalate this quickly. He jumped forward again, drawing his sword of teleportation as he did so. Vunthe lashed out, backhanding Roe so fast and so hard even Roe didn't know it had happened until he was in the village hall. He found himself on his back, his mouth full of blood. He turned and spat it out directly on top of a human girl. She looked fourteen or fifteen, just like Roe had assumed. She was completely naked, and had cuts and bruises everywhere. Her left arm looked to be broken as well, but what caught Roe's attention was her eyes. They had been gouged out, and recently, as a pool of blood had formed around her head. Was that what killed her? Roe coughed, still a bit stunned. He looked up and sad a knee flying for his head. Without thinking, he brought his arm up to block it. The force sent him back again, into a round table. He crashed into it, hard, and shattered the table into five pieces. A dead elf was on the floor, his body half decomposed. What the hell had his father been doing. Guards burst into the hall, easily one hundred strong, ready to fight for their king.
"No! He is mine!" Vunthe screamed. The guards backed off, all of them frightened. "MINE!!!" Roe rolled onto his knees and stood up, shakily, but up nonetheless.
"Why don't you release them from their illusions, father? See how many would follow you then." He taunted. Vunthe chuckled at this. An evil chuckle, one full of malice.
"But the sheep need a shepherd to guide them to glory, correct?" Vunthe responded. He started making his way towards Roe. Roe turned to his father, blood dripping from his mouth.
"And puppets need a hand to guide them. Seems like you have too many hands, father." He said in earnest. His father growled, literally, at Roe. Apparently he didn't like that phrase.
"They are tools, nothing more. This world will be mine. Fenrir is gone, and soon so will the other elves. Then nothing can stop me!" Vunthe screamed in premature triumph. He charged forward at speeds Roe still couldn't match and tackled him. Roe went through the wall, making yet another hole, and then crashed into the earth. He went through two more houses, digging a massive crater with his father on top of him as he did so.
"Even tools can harm the worker..." Roe said, coughing up blood from his now broken ribs. He activated his sword, and suddenly father and son were somewhere else.
"Exen! He's here!" Ishiin called. Vunthe growled loudly in frustration, realizing what had happened.
"Coward! You won't fight me alone, you need friends to help you! Die!" He screamed. Vunthe raised his hand and moved to bring it down. But, a hand caught Vunthe's before it could drop even an inch.
"Fuck you, Vunthe." Exen said bitterly. He was in blood release, the armor he now adorned glittering in the sunlight. With one motion, Exen sent Vunthe flying about twenty feet before he hit the ground. Using his elbows, Vunthe slowed to a halt almost instantly when he hit the ground.
"Exen! How good to see my top general among us all! Tell me where am I?" He asked.
"Isiolde, the new home of our people. This is where you will die, and if I were you, I'd consider it an honor." He replied. Vunthe cackled in delight.
"Ooooh, so now I can kill the rest of the traitors? How marvelous!" He screamed in pure delight. Exen snorted.
"Sorry Vunthe, but that ain't happening." With that, he drew the sword he wielded in his blood release and awaited Vunthe. Roe stood, holding his ribcage. He had at least five broken ribs from that one attack and maybe a fractured forearm from his knee. Ishiin took out his staff and extended it while entering blood release. "you're up against three of the strongest people in our race. There is nothing you can do to stop us, no matter how hard you try." Vunthe snickered.
"Well, let's see what this sword of Roe's does shall we?" Vunthe said while holding up a blade. Roe's eyes opened as he realized which sword Vunthe had taken.
"When did you..." He started. Vunthe had taken the sword that belonged to his grandfather, the sword with infinite potential.
"Well, it is supposed to be mine anyways. Figured I'd take it from you." Vunthe said casually. Then, he swung the sword horizontally at the three elves. A gust of wind as sharp as steel hit all three of them. Ishiin flew backwards from the impact, a massive laceration across his chest. Roe and Exen stayed standing, but the wind continued to blow and cut at them. The power he was generating was massive, almost too much for them to bear. Exen screamed, increasing his overall strength. Roe found himself struggling to breathe and was soon forced to one knee. There was no way in hell he expected anything like this to happen! It ruined everything! Exen screamed again, finding the strength to summon his shield. With a mighty push, he activated the shield and a burst of wind countered the one Vunthe summoned. Roe breathed in deeply, finding he had almost passed out from the shock of the wind. Ishiin moaned in pain, struggling to sit up. Blood flowed freely from the wound in his chest.
"Ishiin, go back to normal or you'll die!" Roe choked out. The clash of steel drew his attention back to his father and Exen, however. He looked on in horror as his father dueled Exen. It quickly went south as Vunthe overpowered the other elf, cutting into his armor and flesh. Exen didn't utter a word, but soon found himself on his back with Vunthe ready to plunge the sword into his heart. Roe coughed up more blood, then forced himself to ignore the pain. He activated his sword and appeared directly above his father, doing a heel drop right on his shoulder. He made contact, and the shock in his father's yelp let him know he had finally done something right.
"You brat! Don't ever touch me again!" He screamed in frustration. He twisted his arm, popping his arm into place, and then charged at Roe. With a smile, Roe teleported behind his father to try and run him through. But this time, Vunthe was prepared. All Roe found was an elbow to the nose. It shattered on impact and sent Roe crashing backwards. He almost blacked out, knowing he had a concussion at this point is the only thing that kept him awake. Blood flowed freely from his face, blurring his vision and soaking the earth below them until it was nothing but a red mud. "Looks like you're first!" Vunthe said manically.
"Get away from him!" screamed a voice from Ishiin's direction. Roe recognized it, but in his condition he couldn't put into words who it was. Her voice was beautiful, relaxing even. He looked over and saw through his red haze that Vunthe was facing a woman now. She was obviously elvish from her slender figure and pointed ears, but Roe still couldn't figure out who she was. "Leave my sons alone!" She screamed in rage.
"Beatrice, go home. You have no place on this battlefield." Vunthe said calmly, almost dismissively. Beatrice... His mother! Roe coughed up more blood and stood. Blood loss made him feel woozy, but he wouldn't let Vunthe get his mother.
"You're right, but I will not let you kill them Vunthe." She replied. Vunthe sighed.
"You can't stop me. Just watch, and you will see." He said. Suddenly, the blade Vunthe had taken was at Roe's throat. "Isn't that right, son?" He asked with a sideways grin. Vunthe laughed, and then pushed up on the blade. "Yes, die like the rat y-" He stopped mid-sentence as he realized that the blade hadn't even cut Roe's skin, let alone gone through his neck. "What?" He asked curiously. He turned immediately, and found an ugly sight. Beatrice was on the ground, a knife in her hand and her throat slit open. Roe only caught the gist of what had happened, but checked his left arm. On the lighter skin was a seal, one that Roe couldn't activate yet. He laughed, the blood making it sound like a burble. His mother had given him the gift she said she would all those years ago. Sanctuary. Roe grabbed his father's arm and forced him to the ground.
"Exen!" He screamed. When he called, his broken nose made what he said sound like "Eggsen" but the elf got what he meant. With a struggle, the large elf forced himself up and smeared some of his blood onto his hand.
"You can't stop me, boy!" Vunthe screamed. He went to unleash another burst of energy, but stopped in the middle of his attack. He opened his mouth in pain, as if he was having his very soul ripped out of his body.
"No, but I can." Exen gasped out. The blood had disappeared from his hand, signalling the use of a blood technique. "Gambler's Choice. Looks like I lucked out." He said. Roe smiled to himself. Exen's blood technique was a risky one. It always took something from the opponent that was critical to who they were, in exchange for something random from Exen. He had discovered it on his own, but never used it due to the risk it posed. "I can't mold anything now, so that's what I lost. How about you, asshole?" He asked. Roe wiped as much blood from his face as he could to watch as his father dropped to his knees. The aura of power was shrinking rapidly by the second. Already he was weak enough that Ishiin could kill him in his normal form.
"I... Agh!" Vunthe screamed in agony.
"Power... You lost your excessive energy..." Ishiin called, walking calmly to his father. He had reverted and was in perfect health. "And now the strain of maintaining thousands of illusions is ripping your mind apart even more. Let them go, lest you die." He said. Vunthe kept screaming. His hair started turning gray and blood oozed from his mouth. Roe didn't let his father do anything. Instead, he spun and roundhoused him in the cheek. Immediately, his face caved in and Ragnarok sent him flying to the edge of the floating isle. "We picked here so that the entire isle wasn't destroyed in the battle, only a small portion. Mother's sacrifice made even that not matter..." Ishiin said, choking up. Roe hadn't seen his mother for thousands of years so it wasn't so heavy a loss to him, but Ishiin probably felt like he wasn't 20,000 years old and was still just a twenty year old elf. Vunthe kept going until he reached the very lip of the isle. It was a straight drop into the ocean from there, thousands of feet down. Roe staggered over, deactivating both Sanctuary and Ragnarok, and dropped to his knees. His brother followed, healing his nose as he did so. The pain was huge, but soon enough Roe's face was back to normal.
"And this is where it ends, father. Enjoy your final moments in this life." He spat at him. Then, Roe pushed his father off of the isle. He watched until Vunthe faded from sight. "He died without a word, unlike how he lived..." Roe said bitterly. Then, he turned to his brother. "But it is fine. We are finally, truly free. Free." He said, excited and exhausted at the same time. He laughed as Ishiin only smiled. "Free!" Roe called to nothing in particular. It had been too long since he had last been able to utter that word in its truest form.
((If you actually read down to the bottom of this, kudos. I give you a dozen virtual cookies and a glass of milk.))
Roe looked to the sky, blue as it was, and sighed in anxiety. Exen and Ishiin stood next to him, neither one saying anything. "You both know why I'm only taking you two along, correct?" Roe asked them both. Ishiin coughed and Exen snorted.
"Because if you didn't then you would be dead before you drew your sword." Exen replied crossly. Roe let out a nervous chuckle, half believing it was true. The last time he saw his father was on the battlefield months ago. He hadn't even really fought anybody, so Roe didn't remember the true extent of his power. "But, I suppose you have the bonus of experience on all of us." He mumbled. Exen didn't really like the fact that Roe was a more seasoned veteran of battle than his entire race combined, but he usually hid it well.
"Well, thank you for the reassurance Exen. Maybe that'll pull me through." He replied. He knew what he wanted to do was suicide, but he had no choice. He had to get his father alone, and to do that he had to teleport him away which meant physical contact. Physical contact meant a great risk to Roe due to his father's ability, but he figured he would be the only one to be able to resist it from his years of wisdom and experience. Once teleported, Exen had said to leave the rest to him and all would be well and good for their people. Ishiin sighed, laying a hand on Roe.
"I detected father's presence in a small village far to the north of here. It appears as if he was planning to march on the Snow Elves soon, but we should be able to prevent that from happening. Be warned, however, as I cannot teleport you into the village directly. You will have to fight your way through and then get to father the hard way. Teleport back to us as soon as you can, brother, and be careful." With that, Ishiin waited for Roe to give the ready signal.
I have to do this, and I cannot fail. That is not an option. There are too many lives as stake, and there are still some things I need to do before I'm allowed to die. Roe told himself. He had been telling himself that for the last month, and even more often since he ran into him. Roe took a deep breath, then focused and transformed into his blood release form. He placed his right hand on his left shoulder where the Ragnarok seal was. He activated it, feeling power flood throughout his body. He closed his eyes, then dug deep inside himself. There, he found the spirit of the seal. It was white as snow everywhere, and in the shape of a man. Nothing but darkness was the background for this figure, and it seemed to not move.
"Have you come to offer more in exchange?" The figure said. Its voice was rough, untamed, like a wild stallion thrashing against the bit and reins. It held out its hand in a greedy way, ready to take more from Roe in exchange for power. Roe said nothing, but only focused harder until and image of his normal body appeared next to the figure. "Ahhh, that's a large one. Are you sure of this?" It asked. Roe said nothing, but the figure knew the answer. "Very well." As soon as those words were uttered, an immense burst of energy blew him out of the space. He opened his eyes, gasping for air. Ishiin looked shocked for some reason, looking at Roe's severed arm. He looked down as well, and was surprised to see a red aura exuding from the stump. Slowly, his arm reformed into a perfect replica.
"So this is the power..." He whispered.
"What?" Ishiin asked, slightly scared. Roe shook his head, then gave a thumbs up. "How the hell did you-"
"Don't ask questions, just do your job!" Roe snapped. Ishiin quieted down and Exen snickered. Biting his lip, Ishiin laid a hand on Roe's shoulder.
"Return safe." He said with care. Then, all Roe saw was blackness for a split second. Then, he was in front of the gates to a small village protected only with a small wooden wall. Half of it was blown away, the other half was wall that had only recently been built. They were fortifying here for some reason, maybe planning to expand here? This village was too small for so many after all, so where did they all go when not out doing Vunthe's bidding? Roe inhaled and exhaled quietly to steady his nerves. This was it. This was the defining battle for Roe's entire life. The sky here was gray from the clouds fat with precipitation. It appeared as if snow falls here almost year round from the area, but directly around the village was no sign of white. That meant magic had melted it all away for the sake of convenience. Roe flexed his new hand, then started running for the gate. His speed was more than double what it was before, and he wasn't even going all out yet. Within seconds he was in front of the gate. With a single push, Roe forced them open. The iron on the other side creaked and made horrble screeching sounds as it was ripped apart by a force greater than it could withstand. Startled voices and alarms started flaring up from around the entire village.
Roe smiled, then darted to his left. He was already almost as fast as Dush was, and once he got Sanctuary from his mother... It would keep going until he was ready to give it up. He had already selected the next heir for each seal, so his life didn't matter as of now. Ten seconds after his dash, elves dressed in full battle armor were at the gates. Roe was at the west wall, a full one minute sprint for any normal blood elf that he had managed in one sixth that time. He found a hole in the wall and dashed through it. Knowing his father, he would be sitting dead center of the village awaiting something to happen. He was too cocky, always wanting to prove he was better. Now, he was insane from what Roe could tell.
He made a dead charge for the center of the village, dodging houses left and right while trying to remain hidden. This village was larger than it looks, as it took Roe a full minute to get to where Vunthe should logically be. The sound of cackling laughter is what assured him that his father was in the building. A scream of pain followed, and then more laughter. Roe stopped, trying to listen. It was silent, and then the sound of a door opening on the inside alerted him to some of what was going on.
"...killed him. Now what are we supposed to do for fun?" somebody said. Roe recognized that voice, even if it had slightly change. Vunthe, his father.
"I don't know, my liege, maybe find another petty human?" A second person said.
"Pah! She was the only good looking one out of any I saw out of the entire village. Pity she was so young. She would have been a good slave for the more... lonely nights out on campaign." Vunthe said slyly. Roe almost gagged at that. His father had descended so far into rampancy and power that he was willing to enslave innocent humans. Who knew how young that girl had been. Fourteen, maybe, judging from the way she sounded before her death.
"I'm sorry, my liege... Did you hear the alarms, my liege? There may be an intruder in the vil-" The second person was stopped short by Vunthe.
"So what if there is? Whoever it is would have to fight through the garrison I have left here, and then they'd have to fight me if they somehow made it through all of them. Nobody is that good. Nobody around here, anyways." Roe clenched his teeth, then crouched and started to head for the main entrance. If he could strike fast and hard, he may be able to get this done without any casualties.
"You! Stop!" Screamed a voice from behind. Roe turned quickly and jumped. "It's Roe! Roe! R-" Roe hit the elf at forty mph, easily, crushing his ribs. Blood pooled out of his mouth, landing on the back of Roe's neck. It was warm and made Roe slightly nauseous. He had spilled even more of his brethren's blood, all to get to one elf. The master puppeteer would die for all of these lives, even if Roe had to follow him into the next life to make sure of it. Roe turned, letting the now limp body fall to the ground. He had jumped ten feet from a crouch and still managed to do that. A shiver went down his spine as he realized how much stronger he had actually gotten. This had to be sucking his life away quickly, but he pushed that thought aside as the wall where he was just at exploded outwards. Vunthe stepped out of the massive hole, a smile on his face. Another elf followed behind. That's when Roe realized who it was. It was Yath, his brother. Why was he calling their father My Liege, then, instead of father?
"Why, hello Roe! I'm glad to see you found your way home." Vunthe said, poison dripping from his voice as blood from a sword after a battle. Roe furrowed his brow, readying himself for a long fight. "Aww, aren't you happy to see your king again?"
"You're nobodies king, father." He replied plainly. Vunthe erupted in anger, going from zero to sixty in less that a second.
"I am your king! You will bow down and refer to me as such!" He screamed. The power he released from that forced Yath to the ground and made a crater around Vunthe. Roe felt the wave of energy flood over him, but managed to stay standing. He's stronger than I remember... He thought with dismay. How could they possibly defeat him?!
"M- my liege, maybe fighting here isn't a good idea..." Yath choked out. Vunthe screamed again, enraged over nothing. Without warning, he reached down and yanked Yath up by the hair.
"Shut up, you brat!" He screamed into Yath's face. Then, he hurled Yath into the housed directly next to him.
"Yath!" Roe exclaimed, making a move to go to his brother's side. Vunthe turned to Roe.
"Stay right where you are, scum!" He snarled. Roe bit his lip and held his ground. Then, he looked his father square in the face. "You're dead, ya' hear? I'm going to rip your heart out and feed it to a wolf after this. Traitors will all die, as will the heathens that let us be sealed away in that prison for so long! You're as good as dead!" He screamed. Roe thought a plan out quickly, knowing that his father would escalate this quickly. He jumped forward again, drawing his sword of teleportation as he did so. Vunthe lashed out, backhanding Roe so fast and so hard even Roe didn't know it had happened until he was in the village hall. He found himself on his back, his mouth full of blood. He turned and spat it out directly on top of a human girl. She looked fourteen or fifteen, just like Roe had assumed. She was completely naked, and had cuts and bruises everywhere. Her left arm looked to be broken as well, but what caught Roe's attention was her eyes. They had been gouged out, and recently, as a pool of blood had formed around her head. Was that what killed her? Roe coughed, still a bit stunned. He looked up and sad a knee flying for his head. Without thinking, he brought his arm up to block it. The force sent him back again, into a round table. He crashed into it, hard, and shattered the table into five pieces. A dead elf was on the floor, his body half decomposed. What the hell had his father been doing. Guards burst into the hall, easily one hundred strong, ready to fight for their king.
"No! He is mine!" Vunthe screamed. The guards backed off, all of them frightened. "MINE!!!" Roe rolled onto his knees and stood up, shakily, but up nonetheless.
"Why don't you release them from their illusions, father? See how many would follow you then." He taunted. Vunthe chuckled at this. An evil chuckle, one full of malice.
"But the sheep need a shepherd to guide them to glory, correct?" Vunthe responded. He started making his way towards Roe. Roe turned to his father, blood dripping from his mouth.
"And puppets need a hand to guide them. Seems like you have too many hands, father." He said in earnest. His father growled, literally, at Roe. Apparently he didn't like that phrase.
"They are tools, nothing more. This world will be mine. Fenrir is gone, and soon so will the other elves. Then nothing can stop me!" Vunthe screamed in premature triumph. He charged forward at speeds Roe still couldn't match and tackled him. Roe went through the wall, making yet another hole, and then crashed into the earth. He went through two more houses, digging a massive crater with his father on top of him as he did so.
"Even tools can harm the worker..." Roe said, coughing up blood from his now broken ribs. He activated his sword, and suddenly father and son were somewhere else.
"Exen! He's here!" Ishiin called. Vunthe growled loudly in frustration, realizing what had happened.
"Coward! You won't fight me alone, you need friends to help you! Die!" He screamed. Vunthe raised his hand and moved to bring it down. But, a hand caught Vunthe's before it could drop even an inch.
"Fuck you, Vunthe." Exen said bitterly. He was in blood release, the armor he now adorned glittering in the sunlight. With one motion, Exen sent Vunthe flying about twenty feet before he hit the ground. Using his elbows, Vunthe slowed to a halt almost instantly when he hit the ground.
"Exen! How good to see my top general among us all! Tell me where am I?" He asked.
"Isiolde, the new home of our people. This is where you will die, and if I were you, I'd consider it an honor." He replied. Vunthe cackled in delight.
"Ooooh, so now I can kill the rest of the traitors? How marvelous!" He screamed in pure delight. Exen snorted.
"Sorry Vunthe, but that ain't happening." With that, he drew the sword he wielded in his blood release and awaited Vunthe. Roe stood, holding his ribcage. He had at least five broken ribs from that one attack and maybe a fractured forearm from his knee. Ishiin took out his staff and extended it while entering blood release. "you're up against three of the strongest people in our race. There is nothing you can do to stop us, no matter how hard you try." Vunthe snickered.
"Well, let's see what this sword of Roe's does shall we?" Vunthe said while holding up a blade. Roe's eyes opened as he realized which sword Vunthe had taken.
"When did you..." He started. Vunthe had taken the sword that belonged to his grandfather, the sword with infinite potential.
"Well, it is supposed to be mine anyways. Figured I'd take it from you." Vunthe said casually. Then, he swung the sword horizontally at the three elves. A gust of wind as sharp as steel hit all three of them. Ishiin flew backwards from the impact, a massive laceration across his chest. Roe and Exen stayed standing, but the wind continued to blow and cut at them. The power he was generating was massive, almost too much for them to bear. Exen screamed, increasing his overall strength. Roe found himself struggling to breathe and was soon forced to one knee. There was no way in hell he expected anything like this to happen! It ruined everything! Exen screamed again, finding the strength to summon his shield. With a mighty push, he activated the shield and a burst of wind countered the one Vunthe summoned. Roe breathed in deeply, finding he had almost passed out from the shock of the wind. Ishiin moaned in pain, struggling to sit up. Blood flowed freely from the wound in his chest.
"Ishiin, go back to normal or you'll die!" Roe choked out. The clash of steel drew his attention back to his father and Exen, however. He looked on in horror as his father dueled Exen. It quickly went south as Vunthe overpowered the other elf, cutting into his armor and flesh. Exen didn't utter a word, but soon found himself on his back with Vunthe ready to plunge the sword into his heart. Roe coughed up more blood, then forced himself to ignore the pain. He activated his sword and appeared directly above his father, doing a heel drop right on his shoulder. He made contact, and the shock in his father's yelp let him know he had finally done something right.
"You brat! Don't ever touch me again!" He screamed in frustration. He twisted his arm, popping his arm into place, and then charged at Roe. With a smile, Roe teleported behind his father to try and run him through. But this time, Vunthe was prepared. All Roe found was an elbow to the nose. It shattered on impact and sent Roe crashing backwards. He almost blacked out, knowing he had a concussion at this point is the only thing that kept him awake. Blood flowed freely from his face, blurring his vision and soaking the earth below them until it was nothing but a red mud. "Looks like you're first!" Vunthe said manically.
"Get away from him!" screamed a voice from Ishiin's direction. Roe recognized it, but in his condition he couldn't put into words who it was. Her voice was beautiful, relaxing even. He looked over and saw through his red haze that Vunthe was facing a woman now. She was obviously elvish from her slender figure and pointed ears, but Roe still couldn't figure out who she was. "Leave my sons alone!" She screamed in rage.
"Beatrice, go home. You have no place on this battlefield." Vunthe said calmly, almost dismissively. Beatrice... His mother! Roe coughed up more blood and stood. Blood loss made him feel woozy, but he wouldn't let Vunthe get his mother.
"You're right, but I will not let you kill them Vunthe." She replied. Vunthe sighed.
"You can't stop me. Just watch, and you will see." He said. Suddenly, the blade Vunthe had taken was at Roe's throat. "Isn't that right, son?" He asked with a sideways grin. Vunthe laughed, and then pushed up on the blade. "Yes, die like the rat y-" He stopped mid-sentence as he realized that the blade hadn't even cut Roe's skin, let alone gone through his neck. "What?" He asked curiously. He turned immediately, and found an ugly sight. Beatrice was on the ground, a knife in her hand and her throat slit open. Roe only caught the gist of what had happened, but checked his left arm. On the lighter skin was a seal, one that Roe couldn't activate yet. He laughed, the blood making it sound like a burble. His mother had given him the gift she said she would all those years ago. Sanctuary. Roe grabbed his father's arm and forced him to the ground.
"Exen!" He screamed. When he called, his broken nose made what he said sound like "Eggsen" but the elf got what he meant. With a struggle, the large elf forced himself up and smeared some of his blood onto his hand.
"You can't stop me, boy!" Vunthe screamed. He went to unleash another burst of energy, but stopped in the middle of his attack. He opened his mouth in pain, as if he was having his very soul ripped out of his body.
"No, but I can." Exen gasped out. The blood had disappeared from his hand, signalling the use of a blood technique. "Gambler's Choice. Looks like I lucked out." He said. Roe smiled to himself. Exen's blood technique was a risky one. It always took something from the opponent that was critical to who they were, in exchange for something random from Exen. He had discovered it on his own, but never used it due to the risk it posed. "I can't mold anything now, so that's what I lost. How about you, asshole?" He asked. Roe wiped as much blood from his face as he could to watch as his father dropped to his knees. The aura of power was shrinking rapidly by the second. Already he was weak enough that Ishiin could kill him in his normal form.
"I... Agh!" Vunthe screamed in agony.
"Power... You lost your excessive energy..." Ishiin called, walking calmly to his father. He had reverted and was in perfect health. "And now the strain of maintaining thousands of illusions is ripping your mind apart even more. Let them go, lest you die." He said. Vunthe kept screaming. His hair started turning gray and blood oozed from his mouth. Roe didn't let his father do anything. Instead, he spun and roundhoused him in the cheek. Immediately, his face caved in and Ragnarok sent him flying to the edge of the floating isle. "We picked here so that the entire isle wasn't destroyed in the battle, only a small portion. Mother's sacrifice made even that not matter..." Ishiin said, choking up. Roe hadn't seen his mother for thousands of years so it wasn't so heavy a loss to him, but Ishiin probably felt like he wasn't 20,000 years old and was still just a twenty year old elf. Vunthe kept going until he reached the very lip of the isle. It was a straight drop into the ocean from there, thousands of feet down. Roe staggered over, deactivating both Sanctuary and Ragnarok, and dropped to his knees. His brother followed, healing his nose as he did so. The pain was huge, but soon enough Roe's face was back to normal.
"And this is where it ends, father. Enjoy your final moments in this life." He spat at him. Then, Roe pushed his father off of the isle. He watched until Vunthe faded from sight. "He died without a word, unlike how he lived..." Roe said bitterly. Then, he turned to his brother. "But it is fine. We are finally, truly free. Free." He said, excited and exhausted at the same time. He laughed as Ishiin only smiled. "Free!" Roe called to nothing in particular. It had been too long since he had last been able to utter that word in its truest form.
((If you actually read down to the bottom of this, kudos. I give you a dozen virtual cookies and a glass of milk.))
