Chapter 21
Cada Varl stood up, his hand instinctually wrapping itself around the handle of his sword. Imbaka did the same as both of them searched the horizon for something. They were confused for they could feel something in the air, something that neither had felt before. Cada Varl did not possess a memory quite like it, but he could feel some kind of power in the air, the kind of power that made hands tremble and knees shake. It was reminiscent of the feeling a ghost was suppose to create when it walked through you, but much more intense and frightening. The feeling of impending doom was almost overwhelming, like some unseen thing was trying to warn them of what was approaching. Not even a million approaching werewolves from every side could create such a sensation. Both Imbaka and Cada Varl looked in every direction, looking for the source of such a sensation that made the very air itself tremble in fear. Their eyes were drawn back the way they had come and they both then knew it was from that direction it was approaching. They felt completely exposed and out in the open like the only prey trapped in a world of predators.
Without saying a word Cada Varl slowly began walking towards the sensation with Imbaka following close behind. As they reached the edge of the second valley the source of the sensation could be seen, it wasn’t what they were expecting. It was a man or at the least something that looked like one. He wore simple clothes of brown, a peasant’s uniform. He had dark brown hair that grew just below his ear brushed back with streaks of gray within it. But the gray was not from old age; it was from something that neither Cada Varl nor Imbaka recognized. But they did recognize the symbol upon an arm ban the man wore; it was the same symbol that Nara, Aneeku and the others had worn. His eyes were human in shape carrying within them an eerie calm amongst a bright yellow. His physical appearance was actually rather quite tame but the air around him told otherwise. The air was literally rushing in various directions as if confused about the energy that was coming off of him, which was a vague green in colour. He was the source of the dreaded sensation, possessing so much power that it could not be completely contained within him and he was looking directly at them. Even Gorgoza whose power had been considered secondary to only the gods was not surrounded by such a sensation. With each step he took the snow on the ground parted as if it too was terrified of him.
“Cada Varl,” Imbaka said as she almost gasped on her words, the sensation in the air made her sick to her stomach, the power was that great. “Hurry and open the chamber, I will do what I can to hold him off….”
“No,” Cada Varl replied with stronger words than she had ever heard him speak. Imbaka looked upon her companion with an expression that was the epitome of shock.
Slowly Cada Varl returned her gaze and said, “You will stand no chance against something like that, I cannot allow you to make such a sacrifice.”
“Cada Varl,” Imbaka said clearly as she was slightly offended by his words. “I will not break my Gyu with Granzool, not while there is something I can do to stop it.”
Imbaka searched for the right words to respond with as Cada Varl slowly looked back to the approaching figure. “Someone will have to tell the stories of the sacrifices our companions made so that we could be standing here now.” Like an arrow fired from some spectral assassin his words struck Imbaka. “I do not want the world to never know of their sacrifices,” Cada Varl then looked Imbaka dead in the eye as he said, “You must survive so that such stories can be told.” Imbaka gasped as powerful emotions took control of her.
Cada Varl looked back towards the approaching figure that seemed in no hurry to reach them. “Wait until I have him distracted,” Cada Varl said before looking back at Imbaka. “If you can get a clean shot from here than take it.” Imbaka looked into his eyes for a moment but was drawn to his hand as he tightened his grip upon its handle. She could see that the red remained on his hand and she remembered what Cada Varl had told her about his fight with Nara.
Cada Varl removed his sword taking one last look at his companion before he stared back at the figure and began walking down into the valley. Imbaka watched him go strangled into silence by her own emotions and thoughts. It truly rattled her right down to her very soul, the very real possibility that the figure was too powerful for even Cada Varl to defeat. But as he had asked of her she took her bow in hand and took position waiting for a potential moment.
As Cada Varl began to approach him the figure continued walking at a slow pace. It was only when the two of them were close enough for a conversation that the figure stopped his step. From such a close distance the sensation of power coming from the man could be felt tenfold and Cada Varl had to concentrate just to remain standing. The Immortal could see now just how gentle of a face the figure possessed with eyes that were too calm for such a situation. The two of them simply stared for a moment that was more intense and important than a thousand lifetime’s worth of time.
“For 4200 years, rarely a day has gone by when I did not think about what I would say if I ever met you.” the figure said in a voice that was polite and gentle yet did nothing to put Cada Varl’s mind at ease. “I have always tried to remind myself that even though you are responsible for what I am, you had no power over such actions…still it is hard not to hate you Cada Varl.” The figure then took a very long breath as if he was struggling to control something inside of him.
“ What are you?” Cada Varl asked, ever since he had seen Aneeku transform he had been haunted by the reasons behind such a horrid transformation. He now had a chance for an explanation and even with every other matter of importance he could not miss his chance.
“My name is Gosfear,” the figure replied. “Once upon a time I came from the country of Seit, have you ever heard of it?” To this Cada Varl merely shook his head. “Of course not,” Gosfear said with hints of emotion in his voice. “Why would someone from Gatavoi know of a tiny country like Seit, even though our two countries were only separated by a few hundred miles.” There was a hint of disdain in his voice but he remained calm and mellow. “I am another product of what occurred after you had lost your humanity.” He paused for a moment knowing the gravity of his words.
“I once was a simple man who lived a simple life in a peaceful community known as Derac, it was a harmonious place where children were raised by everyone, it did not matter who gave birth to what child, for we all were the children of Derac. I spent my days planting crop and repairing houses. In the evenings I would mediate and find a peace that only can be known in one’s soul…how I miss those days.” Gosfear looked away from Cada Varl for a moment, the power of his own memories was too much for even him to take. As he looked back he said, “One day I was hunting in the nearby woods, it was my duty that month to ensure there was fresh meat for everyone’s evening meal. I came across a wolf, something that was rare in Derac. Its eyes glowed red with hunger, the kind of hunger that could only be satisfied by the devouring of human flesh. I readied my bow and fired at the beast…it was the first time I ever missed.”
He became silent once more as the ramifications of his failure echoed destructively throughout his soul. “The wolf took flesh from my arm, but I was able to fight it off well enough to survive its attack. At first I thought that I would by okay for the wound was nasty, but hardly life threatening. Then I could feel that something was wrong, my senses became twisted and a hunger that I had never felt before began to consume me, even my vision started to change and through my eyes the world transformed. I had no idea what was happening to me, so I mediated, remembering everything that I had be taught by elders of Derac. Though I was able to regain control of my emotions the world still looked the same, bleak and distant. Have you ever smelled a kuvu flower?” Slowly Cada Varl shook his head but chose to remain silent. “Then you have missed out on one of the most simple and beautiful wonders the world had to offer. After I got bit, even the smell of Kuvu flowers changed. No longer was the smell beautiful and invigorating, it was rotten and awful. The songs of birds that once were so charming
became like the screams of the slaughtered, something I never wanted to hear again. When I had my emotions under control I returned to my community…to find it ravaged by unknown beasts….”
His eyes trembled, shuttering at the vileness of such a memory. “I saw blood and death everywhere I looked, people who I had known all my life had become torn apart pieces of flesh and blood. I could do nothing to stop the creatures, I was helpless to do anything but watch as they slaughtered my people. Perhaps they could smell the curse within me, but the creatures left me alone surrounded by the butchered bodies of family. My brother Hizon was barely alive as one of the beasts had decided his insides were something to be eaten. I tried to ask him about what had happened he only could say two words were wolf.” Gosfear then could see the trouble in the eyes of the Immortal, he nodded before saying, “That is where the very word comes from, a bastardization of those two words, were wolf. After my brother had died in my arms I hurried as quickly as I could to Olo, the closest community, so I could warn them of the monsters. But I could not keep up with the monsters; they reached Olo long before I did. It was there that I first saw the transformation, a young man once handsome and full of life, twisted and corrupted into a vile beast. I continued to follow the monsters but I soon realized that I could do nothing to stop them. I had always been a peaceful man and I knew I would be of little use wielding a spear or a sword against them. So I did the only thing that I could. Whenever I came across someone who had been bitten, someone who had not yet transformed I tried to get them to mediate like I once had. Some were successful, but most could not stop the transformation.
Through my eyes I saw kingdoms once thought unconquerable crumble like sand against the spread of the monster’s curse. I continued doing what I could to stop those who had been bitten from transforming. My efforts were not as successful as I had hoped but I gathered a following of men and women who managed to stop the curse from controlling them. Through the years as humans fled into the east my followers and I stayed behind, trying to help as many people as we could. But then their came a time when there was simply no one left to help…. We may have been able to stop the transformation, but we still were not human. I knew that we could never find acceptance in the east, the human rulers could never allow such a risk after finally finding safety.
As the werewolves ravaged the west my followers and I went north to the barren lands of Getuki. Each of us wanted more than anything to find a way to return to what we once were, to rid our bodies from the curse completely. We decided that because the mediation had helped in stopping the transformation that it somehow would be the key to a cure. To keep morale up and to give us an identity a man who was once a poet called Ebashu gave us the name Elde Ode, a phrase that meant ‘the love of humanity’. Such a beautiful name in an otherwise ugly existence…Every day we mediated trying to find that lost humanity within ourselves, we even went as far as to drink and eat regularly, and we tried to go to sleep every night. Anything that might have reminded our bodies of what we once were. But the curse within all of us seemed to have its own mind, every time we came close to finding humanity again the curse would shift and change.
When Gorgoza rose out of the death inferno the west had become he unified the werewolves and gave them a sense of identity that was far more than a beastly existence of death and instinct. In his bid to reshape the west there was no place for the Elde Ode. He believed us to be a threat…something that could not be tolerated. When Gorgoza set about wiping us from the face of the continent many of my followers abandoned the cause, embracing the beasts Gorgoza wanted them to become. Many of us who refused were killed, forcing us who survived into hiding. From the very first day Gorgoza ordered the extermination of my followers I have hated him. I was of no threat, and neither were any of the Elde Ode, all we ever wanted was to become human again, to enjoy the smell of flowers and the sound of birds singing. But that was too much to ask of the monster king….”
Even in a voice as calm as Gosfear’s his disgust for Gorgoza could be heard with each word he said. “Those of us who remained tried to stay strong moving from one hellish place to the next. Over the centuries I heard more and more superstitions created by some forgotten storytellers. Myths and legends about things that lurked in certain places like the Yonga Ponday. I used the news of these myths as best as I could, moving my followers into places that werewolves were afraid to venture. But even that was not enough to stop Gorgoza from pursuing us, even with all the usurpers that he had to deal with Gorgoza simply couldn’t allow us to exist. More and more of us were hunted down and killed like some pests. Finally we went to the mountain of Xeunvoa a place considered cursed by the very gods themselves. By that time there were few of us still alive but we held onto the hope that one day we could reach our humanity again.”
Cada Varl had listened well to the words of Gosfear and he was shaken by how much he felt when hearing them. Gosfear had wanted the exact same thing that Cada Varl always had, to become human once more. Cada Varl kept silent as Gosfear continued his tale, “We continued meditating, day and night for we had long abandoned trying to sleep…How I miss being able to dream….” Cada Varl knew the feeling. “As the centuries went on even more of us abandoned the cause, choosing to take their own lives over spending another day in such an existence. Those of us who remained were kept focused by two things, a desire to become human once again and our hatred for Gorgoza. I could see the hatred of my followers grow with each day that passed, I worried that I was going to lose them to either the curse or to suicide. So when I was not mediating I was thinking of ways to get revenge against the monster king, then one day a way for vengeance presented itself.
A way to mix molten silver and potions together to form a kind of poison that could kill any werewolf. All we needed was someone willing to betray their king….”
“Thark,” Cada Varl said simply, being so drawn into Gosfear's story he had spoken instinctually. Gosfear now tilted his head bewildered by what the Immortal had said.
“The right hand of Gorgoza? I doubt that even Elfanya (the moon) would be able to convince Thark to betray the king he had served for so many centuries. No it was a captain known as Izar, a petty minded and weak individual who only served Gorgoza because he was too weak to take rule of anything himself. Gorgoza trusted Izar, although I am not sure why. In Seit the colours of black and blue were always considered the most mistrustful.”
Upon hearing these words Cada Varl’s mind rushed back to the day he saw Thark killing another werewolf, a werewolf who wore the colours of black and blue upon their armor.
“To ensure that we were not discovered to be the ones who had poisoned Gorgoza, Izar and I made a deal with Metamok. That he would take the blame for the assassination. Like all renegade warlords Metamok had been trying to take the throne for centuries, the lie that he was finally the one to kill Gorgoza was credibility that he could not pass up. Izar was to receive a high standing in Metamok’s court after he had succeeded in claiming rule of the west. As for the Elde Ode and I Metamok agreed that he would not bring us any harm as long as we stayed out of the affairs of his kind. It was a fair and honest deal, but somehow when the assassination occurred, Thark discovered the truth of it all.
With the Maka Vaon at his side he traveled to Xeunvoa and attacked us…only a handful survived the onslaught. Those were some of the darkest days that I had ever been through. There was so few of us left, I tried to keep the others motivated by telling them that we had to continue, we had to find a way so that the deaths of all the other Elde Ode were not for nothing. While Thark set his sights upon tracking down Izar and the other soldiers we mediated night and day hoping for some miracle, which never came. The curse had grown too clever for mediation alone to handle, the curse had long since become something else.”
“The thing that Aneeku transformed into?” Cada Varl asked, as his mind remained consumed by the words of Gosfear. Before he answered Gosfear gave a humorless smile, “Aneeku?
??” he said softly. “ He was the exact opposite of me, he had no desire at all to become human, he loved the monster he had become and wanted nothing more than to return to what he called his true state. But no werewolf ruler would allow him to serve them for long. He came to us out of desperation; in spite of our differences I was eager to have him join us. He had survived without transforming in such a hostile world for so long, I considered him ideal to train us in combat while keeping the curse oppressed. He didn’t care much for my teachings at all and was going to leave. I needed him far more than he needed me so in my desperation I told him of the power that could be achieved from prolonged time without transforming. The idea of getting even more powerful was what made him stay.”
“You knew of such power?” Cada Varl asked not quite sure if he should believe Gosfear. Gosfear nodded, “ It was one of the reasons why I wanted Aneeku to train those of us who were left, with each day that passes it becomes more difficult not to transform and when emotions get the better of you it is almost impossible. If we could defend ourselves without transforming then we stood a much better chance at not giving in to our emotions.”
Gosfear smiled again but the sadness in his eyes revealed he felt no happiness.
“Emotion, the very foundation of humanity, the thing we wanted more than anything else, was our biggest obstacle to overcome. I first saw such powers thirty five hundred years ago.” Gosfear looked away from the Immortal for a moment, his mind consumed by memory.
“Her name was Quarlin, she had been one of the first people I helped…She was so strong and helped so many in times of darkness. But when the troops of Gorgoza killed her son and brother, she could no longer control her emotions. She transformed into a wild beast, something that only vaguely resembled a werewolf, she became a mindless killer that I had little choice but to destroy….” As his eyes lowered Cada Varl then knew how much she must have meant to him. When Gosfear looked back into the eyes of the Immortal his vision remained mostly calm but there was a disturbing sense of anger that could not be ignored as well.
“So many people that I swore to help have died….”
Cada Varl kept silent for a long moment, feeling the weight of Gosfear’s words, knowing that he was responsible for the deaths of millions over the last forty two hundred years.
“Is that why your followers came after me? As a way of getting some kind of vengeance for everything that has occurred because of me?” The Immortal said these words with a mixture of both regret and anger.
“Not vengeance,” Gosfear replied after another moment of dreadful silence “As I said Cada Varl it was difficult not to hate you but you were not in control of what happened, you were only its cause.”
“If you were not in the duty of any of the warlords and it was not from vengeance then why did your people come after me?” Now his voice was full of anger as his eyes glowed brightly for a single second before returning to normal.
Gosfear saw the light in his eyes but remained calm as he replied, “For the exact same reason I have done almost everything I have since the day the curse tried to claim me. A chance to regain my humanity.”
The eyes of Cada Varl widened, he was cautious and yet powerfully curious at the same time. “What chance? Do you know of a way to somehow become human again?” His voice was now a mixture of both desperation and darkness as what he had always wanted now seemed a possibility.
“Perhaps,” Gosfear said, “It is a chance, that is all…I am not even sure of how it is suppose to work, let alone if it will or not….” His words greatly frustrated Cada Varl but before the Immortal could speak Gosfear seemed to understand what he was feeling and spoke once more. “Before you returned to the west, there were only 6 of us left including Aneeku. 6 souls, only five of whom wanted to become human again. Thousands of years living in torment with no end to it in sight. The word desperation doesn’t even begin to describe what we were feeling. How lost we had become. How long could the 6 of us really survive for? There was no guarantee that Metamok would have kept his word, especially when Thark discovered who was actually responsible for the death of Gorgoza. My hair was once nothing but brown, these streaks of gray are not the result of my many years….” Cada Varl glanced towards the gray in his hair, it indeed resembled werewolf fur. Gosfear glanced down to his own hand watching the green tinged air hurry confusingly around it. “Time was growing short and we were willing to try anything that would even give us the slightest chance to regain how humanity, even if that meant facing you….” His voice now was ripe with emotions, each more powerful than the next as he said, “ Solloc, Yorow, Nara, Killeen and even Aneeku attacked you because of one final hope, that your blood could be used to somehow destroy the curse and give us back our humanity….”
The rage in his eyes subsided like the eerie calm that falls after a tornado has swept through the lands. “I am the last of the Elde Ode, the last one who carries the hope to become human again….”
“You are not the only one that wants such a thing,” Cada Varl said softly yet his words seemed incredibly powerful.
“They’re all gone,” Gosfear said coldly about this dreaded fact. “Each and every one of my friends are gone….” His eyes hollowed becoming empty of all emotion except sadness.
“You are not the only one who has lost his friends!” Cada Varl declared, as anger became the strongest part of him. Gosfear looked down upon the sword in the hands of the Immortal and noticed how tightly he was gripping his weapon.
“Then it is agreed,” Gosfear said as he looked back into the eyes of the Immortal, “We both now have a proper reason to hate one another.”
When a wind more powerful and violent than any the Immortal had felt before began to blow towards him he knew Gosfear was done with words. Cada Varl held his sword tightly bracing himself to stand against the overwhelming power of his enemy. With an eerily calm expression Gosfear raised his left hand towards the Immortal with his three middle fingers pointed towards him. A second later and an emerald light formed on Gosfear’s three finger tips before striking out in a great tunnel of destruction. The energy moved faster than lightning with the accuracy of an arrow directly towards Cada Varl. The Immortal did the only thing that he could, he raised his sword to intercept the straight stream of energy. It collided into his blade with ungodly force, instantly dragging him back across the ground as his arms trembled under the strain of the energy. It soon became too much for him to stand against and his feet gave out from under him causing the Immortal to fall onto the ground violently. The stream of energy continued onwards until it struck the side of the valley, where it caused rocks and earth to disintegrate like flash paper. Cada Varl did not have to look back to know the damage the blast had caused, he quickly leapt to his feet his mind and heart racing over what had just happened.
He had seen Nara and Aneeku use similar attacks, but only when they had transformed. Gosfear had performed the blast as if it took no more effort than raising one’s hand. Cada Varl stared into the eyes of his enemy, but could not tell what Gosfear was thinking. When the emerald light began to appear again however Cada Varl knew he could not simply stand there. A second stream of energy, identical to the first was fired at Cada Varl who carried enough sense to change his direction as he leapt forward towards his enemy. Though the stream of energy did not strike him he could still feel it as it rushed through the air, seemingly obliterating every element the air had to offer in the process. Cada Varl could hear a noise that made thunder sound like a whisper behind him as the second blast exploded through the valley wall. Gosfear launched a third stream that Cada Varl dodged as he continued leaping towards his enemy. Gosfear met his gaze with onetime as if the Immortal was of no threat of consequence to his existence. Such a look haunted Cada Varl for he knew as soon as he had spoken that there was not a trace of arrogance within Gosfear.
As the light faded from the fingertips of Gosfear, Cada Varl reached him slashing his sword down in what should have been
a tremendous attack. But in response Gosfear simply raised his right hand and grasped his fingers around the blade like it was no more lethal than a child’s toy. Cada Varl openly gasped at this sight of a werewolf stopping a silver sword so easily. When Gosfear rose his left hand and began to summon the emerald light again. Cada Varl did not even have time to struggle free, instead he violently jerked his head out of the way of the stream of destruction. The Immortal tried to force his weapon free but Gosfear’s grip seemed like an unbreakable vice. Gosfear moved his hand slightly and began to summon the light again when the Immortal stomped his foot into the right knee of Gosfear. Though he did not buckle it was enough to loosen his grip enough for Cada Varl to pull his weapon free and leap back. Cada Varl had just enough time to raise his weapon before the stream of emerald light was upon him. Still in the air Cada Varl could do little against the energy save for keeping it at bay as he moved quickly through the air. Before the stream had even faded Gosfear leapt forward moving through the air like he had the power to disobey gravity entirely. Cada Varl saw him coming and tried to stop him by slashing his sword across and before him. Gosfear met the blade head on, using only his bare fist, he smashed his hand into the blade, causing air to rush like hurricane wind from the combatants.
Fist and sword disengaged as Cada Varl touched back onto the ground with Gosfear following him. Gosfear drove his other fist forward where Cada Varl blocked it with his sword. The Immortal pushed the hand of Gosfear away before swiping his sword across the air one more time. In response Gosfear grabbed onto the sword with his right hand before thrusting his left forward, summoning the emerald light in the process. Cada Varl’s instincts took over, they had to if he was going to survive the next several seconds. He let go of his sword with his right hand and threw his own body sideways avoiding the powerful stream. Immediately after the blast was out of his way he drove his fist into the side of Gosfear’s face, Gosfear did not so much as flinch. Gosfear then slammed his own fist into the chest of the Immortal, striking him with strength more devastating than the Immortal had ever felt before. Forced to step back Cada Varl could feel pain surge all throughout him as Gosfear stepped towards him attempting to strike his face. Cada Varl jerked his head to avoid the punch before he swung his sword dead vertically.
Gosfear merely had to arch his back to avoid the strike but it did put more distance between the two of them. Cada Varl went on the offensive bringing his sword forward in a great swinging arc. Gosfear with disturbing ease avoided the blade by ducking under it and summoning the emerald light back to his three middle fingertips. The two combatants stared into each other’s eyes for a split second before Gosfear stood up in between the Immortal and his sword driving his hand up and unleashing the stream of energy straight up into the air. Cada Varl jerked his head back avoiding the blast by mere millimeters. He could feel the tremendous power of the blast upon his face as he watched, as in a second it ascended into the sky and literally destroyed a group of clouds.
Cada Varl leapt back knowing that Gosfear would follow him. Gosfear brought his left hand back and began to summon the light again as Cada Varl lunged forward hammering his weapon down. At a time too close to be differentiated Cada Varl finished his sword strike and Gosfear unleashed the energy once again. Both combatants avoided one another’s attacks by jerking their heads sideways. Though neither had found their mark it was dreadfully obvious which attack was the more powerful of the two. Both leapt back but neither had any intention of taking a break. In this instance Cada Varl was slightly faster on his feet rushing forward with his sword raised. He swung it down only for Gosfear to turn his body, easily avoiding it completely. In that second Cada Varl’s vision was drawn to the light of Gosfear’s finger tips as he raised his hand and unleashed another stream of energy. Cada Varl ducked the attack, seeing the glow of the energy in the corners of his vision.
As he stood up to full stature he stepped forward bringing his sword up in a powerful strike. Gosfear stepped back to avoid this strike and blocked a secondary one with his bare forearm. Gosfear took not a split second to admire his own strength; he bought his other hand as a fist straight into the face of the Immortal. Cada Varl was thrown off of his feet as his vision blackened for a long moment after the impact. Before Cada Varl could recover Gosfear stepped forward and brought his other fist into the torso of his enemy. Cada Varl actively could hear bones breaking inside of his chest; it was a painful thing to endure as blood spewed forth from the corner of his mouth. The Immortal could do nothing as Gosfear struck him a third time across the other side of his face. If through nothing more than sheer determination Cada Varl regained himself before Gosfear could strike him for a fourth time. Cada Varl pushed off his left foot barging all of his body weight into Gosfear. Though this did nothing to move his enemy Cada Varl exploited the momentum of his own body, turning so skillfully that he was now standing behind Gosfear.
The movement had been done with such quickness that even a lightning bolt would be envious. Cada Varl hammered his weapon down, hoping to catch Gosfear off guard, but it was an unrealistic hope. Gosfear half turned bringing his forearm up and stopping the blade instantly upon contact. Gosfear then brought his left hand up summoning the emerald energy once more. Cada Varl barely was able to lower his weapon enough so that it intercepted the emerald energy. Again Cada Varl was forced back, helpless to stop his own movements. He did manage however to redirect the energy just enough so that he could turn his body and leap well out of its path.
Before he had even looked back to his enemy Gosfear had summoned another energy stream. Cada Varl managed to avoid this one as well but only barely. Cada Varl had only taken a single step forward when Gosfear leapt up straight into the air. The Immortal stopped his steps immediately, almost terrified by what Gosfear possibly could have planned. Cada Varl kept his sword raised, his grasp tight as Gosfear now seemed almost floating high above him. Gosfear raised his three middle fingers once more and unleashed yet another stream of energy, although this time he did separate his fingers from one another at the last moment. Cada Varl quickly changed his stance and turned his sword slightly, as he wanted to block the stream. Just before the energy would’ve struck his head, it split in two, missing the blade and moving around either side of Cada Varl.
It had all happened so fast Cada Varl barely turned his head in time to see what was happening. The two streams had suddenly turned inward becoming whole again as it moved towards him. Cada Varl leapt back bringing his sword before him, but the stream was moving so fast that his blade did not meet it front on but only partially. As he was thrown back through the air the stream redirected off of the blade and just above his right shoulder. The attack was so close that the energy caused the material of his clothing upon his shoulder to burn away into nothingness revealing his bare skin and black scars. Cada Varl could feel shock consume him as it took a moment for him to understand that he had not been wounded by the attack.
The light of the stream faded and Cada Varl’s eyes were drawn upwards as Gosfear came back down to the earth with the speed and destructiveness of a meteor. Thinking quickly Cada Varl avoided the foot of his enemy as they both landed with Gosfear standing over him. The ground could not withstand the force of his power, breaking and smashing apart like clay. Cada Varl, still on his back tried to bring his weapon across the face of his enemy. Gosfear without even taking his eyes off the Immortal grasped onto the enemy sword, at the same time he knelt over Cada Varl and struck his feet down. Cada Varl jerked his head so violently it was amazing that his neck did not snap as he avoided the strike. Again the earth had to suffer Gosfear’s power and it broke apart easily. As Gosfear went for another downward punch Cada Varl brought both of his feet up into Gosfear’s back as hard as he could. It did not seem that the kicks brought him any pain but they were strong enough to force Gosfear forward over the body of Cada Varl.
Quickly the Immortal tried to get to his feet turning in time to see that Gosfear was already upon hi
m. With his hands clasped together in a prayer of battle Gosfear drove his fists into the side of Cada Varl’s face. The attack was viscous and forced the Immortal from his feet and through the air. Gosfear turned slightly in the direction of the now thrown immortal; he raised his fingers and unleashed another emerald stream. Cada Varl did the only thing he could, something that a normal human would find nearly impossible. As the stream came towards him he contorted his body ensuring that the energy did not strike him. He could feel the material of his clothes upon his other shoulder deteriorate and the power of the stream upon his face.
When the light of the stream faded from view he could see Gosfear leaping towards him, his fist ready to deliver another powerful blow. Cada Varl was able to place his feet onto the ground and bring his weapon up in time before Gosfear had reached him. Gosfear brought his hand forward changing from a fist to an open palm and he grasped onto the sword of his enemy. Instantly Gosfear brought his leg up striking the Immortal in the stomach with the power of a war hammer. Cada Varl was forced to lean forward as Gosfear stepped and turned driving his other arm into the back of the Immortal. Cada Varl struck the ground with more than enough force to crack it in several places. As Gosfear literally kicked Cada Varl up and through the air Cada Varl’s face was drenched in blood from a wound that he suffered between his eyes and across his nose. Cada Varl now saw the world through eyes tainted by his own blood, the smell of which was nauseating.
Gosfear did not admire the blood of his enemy; he leapt forward intending to end this battle as soon as possible. While still moving through the air Cada Varl was able to block the thrusting strike of Gosfear with his sword. It caused him to move even faster through the air backwards. As he landed he tried to mount a counterattack but Gosfear was already upon him. Gosfear unleashed another stream of energy that was so close to striking the Immortal that it quite literally evaporated the blood upon his face. Cada Varl blocked another strike of Gosfear’s but could do little else. Now using both fists Gosfear unleashed an array of strikes, both fast and slow, both high and low. Cada Varl met each strike head on with as much strength as he could muster, smashing his sword into the fists of his enemy. He could literally hear the air around him make sounds it was not suppose to make as it was confused by the energy Gosfear was placing through it. Cada Varl was horribly aware of just how much trouble he was in, Gosfear was unlike anything he had ever faced before.
As Cada Varl struggled more to block each strike he seriously questioned if even Gorgoza had possessed such power and strength in his lifetime. Cada Varl was hurt and bleeding while Gosfear wasn’t even breathing heavily. All the strength and skill Cada Varl possessed in his current form would not be enough to gain victory. Gosfear was simply too strong and too powerful to be stopped so easily. Cada Varl chanced a look downward upon his own hand and saw the red that had consumed the back of one of them. It was a mark of the power he had used to defeat Nara and Aneeku, but at what cost? During his fight with Nara he had lost all memory of humanity. He knew if he called upon this power again he would forget again. He had needed the power for far longer than a few moments to defeat Nara. How long would he need it for to defeat Gosfear? Gosfear hadn’t even transformed and yet he was stronger than Aneeku and Nara combined. Then a thought as dark as any appeared in the mind of Cada Varl. ‘What if Gosfear does transform?’ that kind of power was sickening to think about and almost too much to even comprehend.
With this knowledge Cada Varl was left with no other option but to call upon the ancient power. He may have feared what it could turn him into, but if he were defeated than all that he and the Helluvans had been through would have been for nothing. He had to wait for the right moment to try to call upon it, for all he knew Gosfear might have been able to withstand the heat and power it produced. Cada Varl saw his chance for a quick strike, he swung his sword forward and Gosfear easily avoided it. It did not matter though; Cada Varl did not believe it would have actually made contact. Cada Varl swung his sword again this time horizontally where Gosfear brought up the bottom of his foot to meet it. Using the momentum of the swinging blade Gosfear pushed himself back and away from Cada Varl.
Now was the Immortal’s chance and he did not waste it. He called upon the red light and just like it had done the last time it caused the air to shift and twist around him. Unlike the previous time however the energy was summoned far quicker, if the red light had outlined his body any faster than it would have been instantaneous. The snow by his feet and around him quickly melted under the pressure of his power, turning into water before evaporating entirely. The red light filled his eyes for only a single flash, but it was an intense moment.
Cada Varl rushed forward moving at a considerably faster pace. Gosfear raised an opened hand to block the blade but his eyes widened in awe of how much stronger Cada Varl had become. Gosfear kept his hand grasped around the sword as he brought his other fist through the air. Cada Varl quickly grasped his own hand over it preventing the punch from striking his face. He had struggled greatly to stop the punch but the point of the matter was he had stopped it. The energy around Cada Varl began to intensify as it began to grow upon the ground before him. Not knowing what this new power was Gosfear voluntarily leapt back. As he landed Cada Varl dipped his sword into the energy before him, through his sword he took control of it as he raised his blade and then swung it down creating a wave of the energy that rushed directly towards Gosfear. In spite of how the oncoming energy evaporated the snow Gosfear showed little sign of panic as he raised his hand and summoned the emerald energy around his fist. As the red wave fell upon him Gosfear slammed his fist into it soon facing it away from him and off of the ground where it hurriedly sliced through both the snow and air, smashing into a wall of the valley. The damage it produced was severe but nothing compared to the power of Gosfear’s energy strikes. Gosfear unleashed another stream of energy as if curious as to what Cada Varl would do in response.
Increasing the output of red energy Cada Varl summoned it around him and then absorbed it into his sword as the emerald stream came towards him. He hammered his sword down upon the energy where only after a brief struggle he redirected the blast away from him. Gosfear summoned the emerald energy around the fist of his left hand but in place of launching it he kept it there as he lunged forward. Cada Varl did the same meeting the fist of his enemy with his sword. This time when the two met the air seemed to disintegrate around them. The impact caused a sound no human had ever heard before. The sword of the Immortal was pushed back but he was able to remain standing with a strong grip upon his weapon. Before Cada Varl could summon more energy Gosfear increased the emerald power around his hand, completely incasing it inside a sphere of power. Cada Varl leapt back and summoned the red light before him in preparation for unleashing another wave of energy.
As he did so Gosfear launched another stream of energy, more powerful than any of his previous attempts. Cada Varl swung his blade commanding the wave of energy forward as the emerald stream came towards him. When the red and emerald met it was obvious which was more powerful. The emerald cut through the wave like it was nothing, rushing towards where Cada Varl stood. Calling upon the energy from somewhere deep inside of him he struck the emerald stream with as much power as he could muster. He was forced back but it was hardly a lopsided conflict. He had only been forced back several feet before he was able to push the stream away from him moving so fast it was difficult to see his actions with the naked eye. While the stream was still projecting from Gosfear’s hand Cada Varl rushed upon him from the right. Gosfear saw the Immortal coming, breaking free of his own energy attack he turned and raised his forearm to meet the blade. Gosfear blocked the attack but it was clear that it was a painful maneuver. Gosfear pushed Cada Varl back before striking his other fist forward attempting to shatter the jaw of his enemy. Cada Varl brought his blade up and blocked the fist of Gosfear before stepping back and lunging forward. He brought his weapon across in a powerful arc before him seeming
ly cutting the air into the pieces. Gosfear blocked the sword with the back of his hand quickly summoning more emerald energy to help deal with the increase in enemy power.
The two combatants then went back and forth blocking and striking, attacking and counterattacking in an awesome fury of power, skill and speed. Gosfear was still the stronger of the two but the gap between their powers seemed to be closing rapidly. Wanting to break away from his enemy Cada Varl began running in a hurried side step with Gosfear keeping up with his every movement. The human eye could not fully comprehend their movements, appearing almost as a blur as Cada Varl and Gosfear tried to kill one another. As they ran their eyes locked onto one another’s’ and Gosfear could see that the red light was now flashing in the eyes of Cada Varl. It was not fear in Gosfear’s eyes but rather awareness that Cada Varl was becoming stronger and faster with each passing second.
The running engagement came to an end when Gosfear managed to deliver a powerful fist to the jaw of Cada Varl. The attack was enough to force Cada Varl off of his feet but he quickly recovered before Gosfear could do anything. Now Cada Varl was making noises, noises that humans simply couldn’t make. He was grunting and growling like some kind of creature as Gosfear launched another stream of emerald energy towards him. This time the eyes of Cada Varl glowed red and the look upon his face was one of a dark eagerness.
When he struck the stream of energy with his sword this time he did not move so much as an inch. After two long moments he forced the energy into the sky where it ascended and devoured more clouds in the wake of its explosion. Cada Varl screamed like some ancient thing had possessed him as the red light sprang up from the ground all around him. Gosfear watched on with cautious eyes as the red around him broke into four pillars of energy that seemed to touch the surface of the sky. Before Gosfear could do anything else one of the pillars came crashing down towards him like a mountain suddenly falling after a million years of existence. It would be difficult for even the most skilled of beings to avoid the falling pillar but Gosfear did it easily. He leapt back out of its path and it decimated the area where it fell. Snow evaporated instantly and the ground was left a charred black, like an inferno had been raging across it for centuries. Gosfear had little time to do anything for the second and third pillar then fell towards him in quick succession. Though he dodged both of them he could feel their intensity upon his skin causing him to narrow his eyes to deal with the pressure he felt. With the ground around him charred and in ruin Gosfear looked towards his enemy as the fourth and last pillar came falling towards him.
It was moving much faster than its three predecessors as if angered by its brethren’s failure. Gosfear thought better than to try and block it so he hurriedly leapt to the right where he avoided its destruction completely. Before the light of destruction the red pillar had caused had disappeared Gosfear launched another emerald strike trying to catch his enemy off guard. Cada Varl not only saw the attack coming but an inhuman smile was now upon his face. He dodged the stream of energy completely and lunged towards his enemy. He moved so quickly that Gosfear was only able to raise his forearm and block the strike at the last moment possible. As the blade and flesh met blood exploded into the air as the blade sank to the bone. The look that could now be seen in the eyes of Gosfear was more shock than pain even though it must have been a painful thing to endure. That inhuman smile returned to the face of the Immortal as he pulled his sword from Gosfear’s flesh and unleashed a furious series of strikes and stabs.
Gosfear dodged these attacks so quickly that there appeared to be four of him at one time as he hurriedly rushed backwards to deal with such an onslaught. The eyes of Cada Varl were fully consumed by red now; any trace of what he once was could no longer be seen within the red. Gosfear could feel it in the air as Cada Varl’s power continued to grow and grow. Gosfear still seemed the stronger and more skilled but even he had to wonder for how much longer that would be.
As Gosfear dodged the attacks he kept his eyes upon those of the Immortal’s, there was a look of both concern and bewilderment in his eyes. Cada Varl no longer seemed the calm and collected warrior but a beast inside the shell of a man as he continued striking and stabbing his sword in ways and directions that did not seem possible. Gosfear proved he still had some control over the course of the battle when he lowered his hands all the while dodging the enemy attacks. The emerald light now covered both of his hands as he instantly rushed them forward like he was clapping. The sudden movement caused a great sphere of powerful energy to appear before him. But as fast as Gosfear was Cada Varl easily leapt high into the air, avoiding the blast entirely. Gosfear almost snapped his head up; he looked that quickly as Cada Varl intensified the red light around him before summoning it in a wave through his sword.
Gosfear leapt up over the red wave summoning the emerald energy upon the middle fingers of both of his hands. As the red wave passed under him he fired a blast from his right hand in a counterattack. Cada Varl twisted his body avoiding the first blast as Gosfear suddenly fired a secondary one. Using both hands upon his sword Cada Varl smashed it into the second emerald beam causing it to deflect away from him. Gosfear took his chance and flew forward smashing his fist into the side of Cada Varl’s face. The impact of the fist caused the air around them to shudder as if terrified of the power Gosfear possessed. Cada Varl however barely flinched; as blood began to trickle from his mouth he swung his sword down instantly summoning another wave of energy that concealed Gosfear from sight.
Cada Varl watched with a twisted smile that was not his own as the red wave crashed through the air and onto the ground. In a moment it had disappeared after turning the ground a scorched black. Incredibly Gosfear had managed to cross his arms in front of him stopping the wave from killing him. However he was not completely unscathed, steam rose from various parts of his body as the wound upon his arm was now sealed from the intensity of the red wave. The simple shirt he was wearing now had completely been burned away leaving him with a bare chest and slovenly in appearance. As close as the attack had come to destroying him Gosfear kept calm as he looked upon the Immortal who continued snarling and growling like some kind of creature.
Cada Varl leapt back down towards Gosfear summoning another wave of energy as he did so. Gosfear leapt to the side in order to avoid the wave while opening his right hand towards the sky. Cada Varl snarled almost like he was being strangled by something as he hammered his weapon down. Gosfear avoided the attack as the emerald light appeared now in the palm of his hand. He kept eye contact with the maddening Cada Varl who was now drooling from the mouth. As the emerald light in his hand slowly began to intensify Gosfear avoided another red wave. Cada Varl’s aggression seemingly was increasing two fold with each moment that passed. He was also getting stronger as the energy inside of him began to take control. Gosfear continued to dodge wave after wave of red destruction as Cada Varl now seemed to be able to summon them effortlessly. As the ground and valley walls suffered the full wrath of these waves Gosfear noticed that the red flesh that had once been only on Cada Varl’s hand now covered his entire forearm. He was becoming something that not even the likes of Gosfear had ever seen before.
As Cada Varl continued his onslaught of pure aggression the light in Gosfear’s hand became a sphere, one that burned so brightly it was like he had stolen it from the very sun and had coloured it to his liking. As Shadows appeared on his face Gosfear’s yellow eyes seemed to indeed burn with the intensity of the sun. Gosfear dodged one more swing of his enemy’s sword before he thrust the sphere forward. At the exact same time Cada Varl summoned another wave, this one far more powerful than any he had summoned before. The heat and intensity of this summoned wave was so great that it burned what remained of his cloak and most of shirt. The red wave was almost twice as large as its predecessors before it collided into the emerald sphere.
Upon impact the emerald sphere seemed to absorb the wave growing many times its size in a matter of seconds. The light and powe
r of this amalgamation was so great that Gosfear and Cada Varl could no longer see one another as the sphere grew enormous.
A second of silence whose source was not known then fell across the landscape before the sphere, powered by the wave, exploded, covering everything in its light. The blast it caused was greater than anything the two enemy’s had conjured on their own devouring the entire valley in its wake. Mother Nature could do nothing to stop the explosion as its power seemed to light up the entire sky as well.
When the light of the explosion cleared its full destructiveness could be seen. The valley that was once covered by snow and rock was now completely black, filling the air with a dreadful smell of oblivion. Amazingly Gosfear still stood, with wounds ranging from cuts to gashes across his arms, chest and legs. Though his cheeks were now covered by ash his face remained uncut. He breathed heavily as his body worked overtime to rid itself of the shock and awe it had just been put through. He looked across the valley before him but he could see no sign of Cada Varl.
The disappearance of his enemy did not bring relief to his expression but rather concern. Gosfear was not an arrogant fellow, if he survived the blast than he was sure his enemy had. He even looked towards the sky to see if Cada Varl had not somehow leapt high enough to avoid the god-awful blast. But the Immortal was simply nowhere to be seen in front or above Gosfear. Gosfear took control of his breathing, expecting that silence would replace such a sound. But another sound took its place, one that was awful to hear and coming from right behind him. He turned and raised his arm, summoning the emerald energy to cover it as Cada Varl brought his weapon down in an attack. As their eyes met Gosfear could see that Cada Varl had not escaped unscathed, he was now completely shirtless revealing a torso of fine toned muscle tainted by black scars. Blood from many wounds oozed across many parts of his body. Not only did the Immortal not seem to care about these wounds but also he seemed to be enjoying the pain they were giving him. Cada Varl chuckled a laugh that even made Gosfear want to cover his ears, it was that ungodly.
As Cada Varl pulled his weapon away Gosfear fired another stream of energy from his hand. In his haste his aim was slightly off and the stream of energy passed Cada Varl’s head, but not before it disintegrated some of the hair that grew on the right side of his scalp. Cada Varl stopped chuckling and returned to growling and snarling like no other creature that had ever walked on the earth.
The two enemies both unleashed a melee of punches and strikes upon one another, Cada Varl’s strength and speed now seemed to match Gosfear’s exactly. But Cada Varl no longer seemed to be fighting with an active mind, every tangible thought had fled his mind and what remained was purely fighting on instinct. In order to block every blow of his enemy Gosfear had to step back each time their chosen weapons met. Now Gosfear was fighting with gritted teeth, as his power was no longer obviously greater. Gosfear became possessed by the red of Cada Varl’s eyes; there was only anger in them, the kind of anger that could change the world if used correctly.
As Gosfear continued to avoid and block the attacks of Cada Varl he soon noticed a pattern in his strikes and began to study them closely. When the time was right he successfully brought his foot up into the chest of Cada Varl causing the Immortal to fall backwards and bounce off of the ground several times. Immediately after the final bounce Cada Varl leapt forward and resumed his attack as if the kick had not affected him at all. Now Gosfear openly gasped, bewildered that his kick had had so little effect on his opponent. Gosfear was struggling now to avoid the Immortal’s attacks; he didn’t dare to try to block them. He followed the pattern of attacks his enemy was using against him delivering another kick to the chest. Again Cada Varl fell back and bounced several times before instantly returning to his onslaught. Now only avoiding the Immortal’s sword by mere inches Gosfear began summoning the emerald light onto both of his hands. He watched the attacks of his enemy more closely than anyone had every watched anything before him. He knew that at this rate Cada Varl’s speed would become too much even for him to overcome, he had to make his next attack count.
With as much strength as he could muster he kicked Cada Varl once again, this time instead of bouncing across the ground he was merely thrown back. Seeing his chance to potentially finish his enemy off Gosfear put his wrists together as the light in both of his hands fused into a sphere, in what surely would have been a tremendously powerful attack. But as quick as he was Cada Varl was even quicker, in a shard of a moment he raised his sword arm and the red completely consumed the limb’s flesh. He summoned another wave around his sword and hammered his weapon down.
The attack caused the ground to open before him, like the effect of an earthquake. The red wave of energy fell upon the left shoulder of Gosfear before vanishing as quickly as it had been summoned. The emerald light that was in his hands now vanished as Gosfear looked towards a horizon that only he could see. Time seemed frozen in that moment, like existence itself needed time to fully comprehend what had just happened. Gosfear then gasped, it was a horrid sound to hear as a massive cut exploded across his left shoulder and down his chest. As Gosfear felt his own blood dripping across him he fell to one knee and looked towards Cada Varl.
The Immortal was staring back and making strange sounds that were a mixture of gasping and panting. Gosfear began blinking his eyes rapidly like he was sure that he was stuck in a nightmare that he could not awaken from. Cada Varl had moved so quickly that not even Gosfear had seen his movements, but the blood and the pain he was feeling was enough to tell him that this was bitter reality. Gosfear now had a look in his eyes that could often be seen in the eyes of those who are moments away from death. It was the look of someone racing through their memories trying to discover where they had gone wrong in their life and what they could have done to prevent their death.
After a terrible moment the look in his eyes changed, now resembling the same look that both Nara and Aneeku had possessed before they transformed. The air who had once felt obliterated by the combined blast now sprang to life once again, rushing in all directions away from Gosfear. Even the very sky that had become cloudless seemed to tremble at the idea of Gosfear transforming. Then the wind suddenly stopped, becoming as still as death as Gosfear began to breathe loudly. The look in his eyes also vanished replaced by something that only Gosfear himself could truly describe. He stared into the glowing eyes of Cada Varl for a moment before he said through heavy breaths.
“The love of who I was once will always outweigh the hatred of what I have become.”
As soon as Gosfear had spoken these words Cada Varl stopped panting and for the first time in a long time seemed to have actually heard what Gosfear had said. The red light around him vanished as the glow in his eyes slowly faded, returning to what they once were. Cada Varl now looked into the eyes of Gosfear with his true vision. The words of his enemy had brought him back from possession. Neither man said anything and for two beings who had only recently met, they both shared many lifetimes of history, the cause and the effect of one another.
Eventually Gosfear stopped breathing, becoming silent, but it was a peaceful silence as his eyes changed once again to the eyes of a human being as he fell face first onto the scarred ground. Cada Varl took a step towards him, his mind torn apart by powerful emotions. He stood over the body of Gosfear and in that moment he could not help but greatly admire him. Even to save his own existence Gosfear had refused to become a monster, a feat greater than anything Cada Varl believed he could accomplish. As the strange light left the body of Gosfear Cada Varl raised his head and watched as the light consumed the sky.
“I am sorry Gosfear,” Cada Varl said quietly. Cada Varl watched as the light faded from the sky returning it to what it once was. Troubled by Gosfear’s life and death but relieved the battle was now over Cada Varl turned as his mind focused on Imbaka.
Now seeing the destruction his battle had caused within the valley a dark thought entered his mind, had Imbaka been caught in the path
of destruction? His mind now raced as he looked in every direction and yet he could see no sign of her. Then his attention was drawn to the sound of a woman screaming.