1000 Oceans

Chapter 4~Blood And Terror

Snap, back to reality.

The turbulence is throwing us from side to side.

But no, matter how hard you try,

Surrounded by cannon fodder,

Innundated with stagnant sounds...

(Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here-Enter Shikari) 

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We re-appeared in a place that would be best described as hell. We were on a platform of menacing black stone, high above any ground. Below us, seering hot magma filled the room completely. The platform we resided on was small and in an odd half diamond, half circle shape. Flames shot up from each corner of the platform, causing my body heat to increase dramatically. I almost fell over due to the extreme heat, and my moment of weakness allowed Olair to land the first blow. A clean, paiful cut down the length of my lower arm, which began to seep blood immediately. Olair jumped back and prepared for my move. I looked at Alias, hoping that he had some strategic plan. Unfortunately though, he just shrugged and looked back at the God before us. He had a sadistic grin- something I didn't really want to see on someone with the power of a God. Luckily though, I came up with a great plan.

I motioned for Alias to come near and I whispered my strategy in his ear.

"Distract him by flying around behind him as is to do a surprise attack. If you wish you can attack him, and while you do so I'll run up behind and attack as well. He nodded slowly and jumped into the air, causing Olair's black eyes to follow him. Alias flew around behind him, and appeared to begin charging a black energy ball. Without a moment to lose, I dashed to his back only to be met by ferocious claws scraping accross my face. I hissed in pain but drew a blade anyway, the one with the heart hilt I stabbed frantically, hearing the dagger break flesh and draw blood. Once I calmed my mind down a bit I looked to see my dagger almost completely in Olair's muscualar arm. His face was in agony and I expected him to thrash away but to my surprise, he didn't. He was frozen. I looked up at Alias who just shrugged. He obviously didn't cause this. Taking my best oppurtunity, I pushed my dagger in further, smiling as I felt the blade touch bone. The electric feeling of metal against his bones was enough to snap Olair out of his frozen state. He screamed and I withdrew the blade fast, and immediately rolled off to the side as he rained countless blind punches at the air before him. As I turned to face my opponent again, however, my stomach was bit into by the cold touch of a blade. It slid diagonally, and I gripped my stomach, gasping. Olair was going in for the kill. Was this really my end?

Apparently not, because a strong arm hit him in the back of the head, causing Olair to fall forward, hardly giving me enough time to move out of the way. Once the man had fallen, I looked up to see the grinning face of Alias wasting no time, I took two daggers from my strap, and approached the fallen God. In one quick movement his hands were bound to the stone ground, my daggers breaking through virtually every bone in his large hands. I was ready to stab through his heart, then and there, but then I was rooted to the spot by the bloody scene that began before me. Olair rose from the ground, ripping good amounts of his hands off in the process. He looked directly at me, and I noticed that his eyes were now a glowing red, much like the woman I killed in the Forest Of Illusions. He began to throw punches again, this time more frantically. The remainder of his hands were dangling and each punch sent blood flying in all directions. I rolled and jumped and ducked out of the way, slowly making my way to collect my daggers. As I created the distraction, Alias managed to land a few blows to his head and back. Olair threw one last punch and I rolled to the left, grabbing my daggers while doing so. Disgusted, I shook them to get pieces of flesh off. Looking back at Olair, I noticed him hunched over and panting. I began to approach him, only to be thrown back by an unknown force. More heat hit me, and I fell onto my side. I looked back to Olair, only to have my eyes widen in pure shock and to feel the blood drain from my face. 

Olair was on fire. No, not as in the pain-delivering type, I mean his body was literally made of fire. Any sort of contact with him would sear my skin off! How was I to fight him? Suddenly panicking, I looked to my right, to Alias. His brows furrowed as he stared at Olair's new attribute. However, his face instanstly lit up, and he disappeared in a black and blue flash, leaving me alone with this destructive God. Olair roared, his voice causing ripples in the lava. Our platform shook and the flames surrounding it almost got put out. I kept my ground though, knowing that Olair loved to take people by surprise. The fiery man suddenly lifted up off the ground, and left the platform. Circling around it now, he watched each of my movements carefully, regarding even the slightest of twitches. He eventually stopped circling and gave a battle cry. Puzzled, I looked over at him, only to see the top of his flaming head as he darted down towards me. I cried out and moved to the side: A bit too late. His body made contact with my left arm, causing skin and flesh to burn up entirely. HIssing, I grabbed my arm and winced at the sting. I could feel my skin beginning to burn off the flesh, and blood poured out of the wound. Olair laughed, a loud, deep, earth-shaking laugh. White-hot tears threatened to fall out of my eyes, but I blinked them away fast, not letting my opponent feel the satisfaction of another's pain. I waited for him to attack again, my hand still on my injured arm to try to stop the blood flow. But this time, instead of charging me, he sent a jet of fire at me, that came out of what appeared to be his mouth. I ducked down and threw one of my least prized daggers at him, catching him in a vulnerable time. It struck his flaming leg and stayed there, earning a cry from the God. Smiling at my small victory, I got into a defensive stance, thinking that Olair would try to deliver a blow. And he was, but something interrupted him. A black flash above his head appeared, and the next thing I knew, Olair's flames had been put out and he was sent down into the lava. I looked up at Alias with a raised eyebrow, and I got a gloating smirk in return. Alias returned to my side, disposing of the bucket he had used to bring the water in. I heard the shrill scream of pain accompanied with a grotesque sizzle as Olair hit the lava, and in a quick flash we were back in that castle upon the war-field. To my surprise, all of my daggers, even the one that had been taken down along with Olair, were with me. Raising my head, I almost screamed. Olair stood there, unhurt and still on fire.

"You. Child. Advance!" He called out. I slowly approached, unsure of what to expect. He began to move and I followed his movements until I was standing in front of one of the dying soldiers carved into his throne's decoration. The sculpture held a small wooden box inlaid with golden designs. I looked at it warily, not really wanting to open it. Olair slightly nodded towards the box and I took that as a sign to open it. Inside the beautiful case was a bow and arrow. I picked them up quizically, not knowing how to use it.

"This, young girl, is called the Otherworld bow. It was once used to create the whole idea of fate. It comes from the Spirit World, and you shall need it in order to tie your fate to his. Do not fret over how to use it: For if you truly love the man you are fighting for, it will come naturally." My breathing hitched at the mention of my lover. I felt happy tears spring up into my eyes knowing that I was one step closer to seeing that sweet, honest face, stare into those passionate and brave brown gems that catch my attention in any room. I sighed in bliss.

"However: To prolong the trials and to protect it from thieves, the magic has been drained from the bow and arrows. You must find the place where the power lies and infuse your weapon." I was brought back to cold reality. There were obviously going to be many more trials than I had expected.

"Firstly, you must travel the dark underworld: The Demon's Land." My eyes widened in fear. "Find the bow's true power: The power of Airyolis, and regain the magic of the bow. Then the rest of your path shall be revealed to you." My heart was in my boots. I nodded slowly and turned to Alias, who smiled. 

"We're visiting my home? Awesome! I can show you around!" He beamed. I smiled lightly and took a deep breath, then closed my eyes. When I opened them, like I expected, I was in a dark world with blood red skies and a black moon.

Here we go...