Blood Oath (Book 2 of Alfireán age)

A Fight to Extinction

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The unsuspecting trio fell to the ground, now nothing but white, lifeless husks. Dy'Ixion licked his lips and his eyes rolled back into his head in ecstasy as their energy flooded into him.

You're a monster! some deep, inner part of him screamed.

He burst out in laughter, a trace of insanity lacing the loud, grating sound. With each usage of the dark magic, Dy'Ixion's sanity gradually corroded away like acid eating metal. Part of him screamed in protest, concerned over the dark path he had embarked upon, but he pushed it aside without a care. "So what?" he said out loud as his wild, jagged eyes raked over the citizens huddled around the arena's main entrance, staring in fear into the dark night in his direction. In his mind's eye, he could see them shivering in terror from the screams of his prey, and his mouth twisted into a smile.

Don't you see? the long suppressed part of him yelled, clawing itself to the surface. Your power has gone to your head! At this rate, you will destroy us!

Lord Dy'Ixion rolled his eyes. No! At this rate, I will rule all of Alfireá.

You will rule nothing! the voice echoed its earlier sentiment. If you continue down this path, you will lose your mind and your soul; then Vackzilian will put you down like a master puts down a rabid dog. You must sto-

"ENOUGH!!" Dy'Ixion screamed. "I will hear no more of this." And with that, Dy'Ixion shoved the tiny voice back into the dark recesses of his mind, once again to be imprisoned in the bonds of his selfish ambition.

A small light flashed by his fingers as his time notification spell went off. "Ah, their time is up," he purred.

Reaching out, he grabbed a handful of black flames slowly crawling up the wall of the building next to him, then tossed it to the ground as he channeled all of the life energy from one of the men he had just killed into it.

The flame roared to life, expanding into an obsidian blaze towering over him, and he strolled through the dark portal. The world shifted around him, and Dy'Ixion walked out onto the pile of dead solders he had massacred earlier. He paid them no mind as he stepped down and made his way to the edge of the crater. Mist and black flame hissed and seethed as they swished back and forth in its murky depths.

Perfect, he thought as he pushed a burst of energy into the ground. Once again, the earth beneath him surged upwards, raising him high into the sky. As the cold night air whistled past, nipping at his arms and legs, he scanned the horizon. Small black flames clung to every building surrounding the arena, ready to swallow his unsuspecting victims whole. The pillar finished rising, and Dy'Ixion stood amongst the heavens, observing his soon-to-be playground. The harsh cry of vultures and lonely whistle of the wind sounded in the otherwise silent night. Abandoned buildings stretched out thousands of feet around him, framed by agricultural fields, and in the far northeast, sat the arena bristling with lights and motion. Excitement surged inside him; his plan was in place, and now it was time for the icing on the cake.

Throwing his arms outwards, he spread both his hands and two fireballs exploded into existence at the tips of his fingers. While Dieiexion had been forced to learn earth magic to survive, fire had always been his favorite element; he loved watching things burn into little black cinders and drift away in the wind. Like a moth pulled to the flames, the scent of billowing smoke, and the uninhibited dance of golden flames, infatuated him. Now, with his mind unraveling with each usage of the dark magic, his inhibitions melted away. He watched in fascinated glee as he charged energy into the spitting balls of fire until each grew to the size of his head. Then he turned his attention to the golden lights of the arena far below. The trick is to scare the ants just enough that they flee the arena's protection, but not too much that they overwhelm my traps, he thought to himself as he channeled dark magic into the beautiful crimson spheres. Blackness engulfed their flames, warping their color and enhancing their beauty. Dy'Ixion smiled, his yellowed teeth flashing in the moon-filled night; then leaning forward, he launched them at the open roof of the arena.