The End Of An Age

Part 5: The End & The Beginning

 Sounds of screams and thunder echoed in the air. Bodies were flung apart and trampled to the ground as spells rend and tore, while weapons cut and crushed. A soldier grinned as she cut into another man, her dark shimmering blade seeming to suck the man's soul from his body. Looking around for another person to kill, her white eyes rippled, like still water disturbed by a thrown stone. The battle had descended into a chaotic mess and she loved it. As two other soldiers rushed at her, she sped past them and hacked into their bodies with her greatsword.

Laughing as the other soldiers fell, she raised her hands in exultant triumph, till suddenly flung facedown by a massive explosion. Rising in anger, she turned to see a bright light glowing from the nearby hillside, now flattened into a plateau with bodies flung to and fro. Out of that light rushed a great number of warriors, power radiating from their bodies. Slowly rising against the power, she grinned a feral grin and screamed, "Warriors of Athras! I smell you, I feel you. At last, a true battle!" Sprinting past still stunned soldiers, she leaped towards the newcomers her blade raised high. A blast of fire suddenly hit her in the chest, sending her crashing to the ground.
Shaking off the dizziness, she rose with wild laughter. A flash of a blade was all she saw, as she quickly ducked beneath it and thrust her sword forward. That was parried by a second blade, causing her to move back rapidly, yet the person still kept on pressing. Her eyes widened, as she realized that this person was moving faster than even her! Cuts began to appear on her naked skin. As fast as she dodged and her skin healed, the faster the person seemed to pierce her defense, till a blow sent her blade wide and a kick sent her crashing a few yards away, the rock gouging her skin.

Struggling to get up, she cursed loudly, as the ground suddenly rose around her and embraced her in a solid, standing position. Try as she might, she could not get free, couldn't even shift her sword arm. Her power was useless in this encasement. With a wild grin, she stared ahead as the new arrivals slaughtered all who came against them and as the person she had fought calmly walked towards her. Some of the others walked with him, the markings on their skins coming to life and flowing like a river of death to all they touched. He finally stopped in front of her, his weapons no where in sight, and spoke.

"You fought...well and with a bone blade no less. Your blood lust must be so high, yet you don't even know how to use your weapons and power. First in this cursed place to fall to me, I wanted you to witness as you all died and failed, like he wanted the others to...but you're not worth it and I think the time has come for things to finally end."

Laughing, the woman encased in earth stared at this confident fool. Did he not know that he to would die? One higher than her would finish this fool and then restore her, once her body and bone blade were still intact. "Do your best fool. I feel nothing and I'll kill more of your friends soon enough. I'd spit on you and your damn bone blades, but that'd just be wasting my spit."

With a slight smile, the man reached to the middle of his back. "Bone blades? What makes you think I only have a bone blade? You can't feel, but soon you and others twisted like you shall. A unique gift, if you will. I'll make you feel before you and the others die in the complete embrace."

Then he pulled out one of the most beautiful swords the soldier had ever seen. At about four feet in length and as wide as a man's leg, the blade seemed to shimmer and have no true edge. It seemed as if a small portion of the universe had manifested itself in the form of a blade, as stars could be seen glowing in this ethereal, dark sword. Yet there were other colours there, which seemed to flow through the man's hand, as it slowly reached and gently passed through the barrier to gently rest on her chest. Staring into the man's eyes which now resembled his sword, she realized that her emotions were beginning to flow once again and she could slowly begin to feel everything around her.