The Wielder of Death Magic

Chapter 352: Bravado

From the fort to the dungeon, the journey around Mont Blanc was treacherous. It could have resulted in death so many times. Fighting day and night, getting used to the climate. Staxius led the expedition. Every time the monsters grew strong and overwhelming, he would end the fight in a single stroke. Oenus and his crew were relieved, it meant to be able to finally leave the coldness of the Alps.

After the dungeon which was the third checkpoint; they reached a tower. One hosting multiple floors and differing monsters. The higher one got, the stronger they were. Going around wasn’t an option. The top-floor held a bridge linking to the next path along the mountain. It seemed as if a trial, one of wit, strength, and courage, to reach the top. A fable of a man conquering the world in search of knowledge. Tis was the feeling they got, a feeling that stuck.

“And we’re done,” said Staxius nonchalantly. Teamwork was flawless, Achilles, Oenus were the front line, the first contact. Rasu kept to the shadows and struck only when prey was weakened. Magra took on the role of support whilst Intherna used her magic offensively. Kearen kept to the back and fired arrows, ones that traveled peculiar paths and still hit their targets. As for Staxius, he kept to the sides chatting with Adete and Serene. The latter was assigned as his bodyguard. Reasoning brought by Oenus. ‘If they want to fight the boss, they have to go through us.’

It was logical for if the prey was weak, in no way could he have fun. On that, they cleared the tower and climbed to the remaining path. Two weeks had gone by, the date was the 15TH of January.

“We’re here,” said Rasu with the face covered. A blizzard hid the path. The snow stung as if bees, the cold made moving hard, the wind was far crueler. Using walking sticks, the crew arrived at the peak, close to it. An obelisk structure, one with dragon’s protruding out the sides. A landmark signaling the destination. The air was so thin in made breathing harder. Left to the obelisk, an archway further inside. The expectation was to see a ginormous peak. Instead, the sight before them was a clearing, flat land with stone tiles and statues. Ones of the dragons and ancient beings. Fondly, upon taking a step inside, the air soon grew calm and warm. The height felt as if nothing.

“Where are we?” asked Serene who was quick on jumping about.

“Be on guard,” said Oenus sensing a strong aura.

.....

“Wait,” voiced Rasu, “-look in the middle,” he pointed to a stone statue. One very highly detailed. The craftmanship seemed surreal, none could achieve its level of intricacies.

“Lord Death,” came a familiar voice from behind, “-welcome,” it spoke courteously, “-welcome to the Sky, the realm linking the mortal realm and the supreme beings.”

“Highness,” mumbled Serene, “-is that you?”

“No,” the voice was cold, as cold as her clothes. Thin with a cape, a crown, staff, and blue hair. The heterochromatic eyes stood out, “-I’m Gergusser, the Lady of ice,” she smiled.

“Gergusser,” turned Oenus with a frown, “-are you one of the ancient dragons?”

“Yes, that is correct,” her voice held a certain dignity, an accent only royalty could emulate, “-what brings thee, dragonkin?”

“What else,” interjected Staxius, “-I’ve come to take my daughter,” they stood a few steps apart. She strongly stared upwards whilst he returned a blank face.

“Thou does think Eira is alive?”

“I’d like to believe so,” noticing the inconsistence, “-thy eyes are proof enough. My daughter lives, the Princess of Arda isn’t a weakling.”

“Bravado,” she clapped, “-is that confidence or jest, if tis the latter, then I’m not laughing.”

“GERGUSSER,” roared the statue, “-WHY IS THERE NOISE IN MY SANCTUARY?”

??My liege,” she rushed over, “-don’t mind us. Tis the pest who’ve passed the tests and reached the peak.”

“Is that so,” from stone, it crumbled into flesh and bones. “Mortals have completed my elaborate dungeon,” he gave a once over to all, especially the ladies. Intherna in particular piqued his interest. “What brings you here?”

“Have you not heard?” returned Staxius smugly, “-I’ve come to take my daughter.”

“Ahh, the father.”

“Yes, the father,” patience ran low, both parties knew talking would not get them far. “What do you say?” stood Staxius peering the short-man, “-should we fight?”

“Belligerent,” he laughed, “-do you wish to say thou can defeat me?”

“No,” fired Staxius cockily, “-my companions are strong enough to take you down. I need not raise a finger.”

“Such a dislikeable personality,” sighed the man, “-never thee mind,” the ground rumbled. The same as an earthquake, the vibration came from inside the mountain. Tunnels being dug, a projectile approaching. *Crack,* two figures broke out the tiles, “-I could say the same,” refuted the man. “My companions are strong enough to take thee down.”

Green hair, green skin complexion, and wings resembling a fly, “-what do we do, kill them?” it asked with a tiny buzz at the end of each sentence.

“No,” fired another made entirely of stone, “-we pummel, and pummel, and pummel again.”

“Stony, that ain’t right,” fired the green figure.

“Yes, I think so too, Buzz, I have a new plan,” it said with pride.

“What is it, what is it?”

“We pummel ’em.”

“Enough of the jests,” said Interna with lavary wings on her back, “-die already,” *Snap,* crimson fire engulfed the Green figure.

“AHHH, PLEASE STOP,” it screamed... “-ha, just kidding,” a gesture had her fire extinguished. “It ain’t hot enough to cause harm,” a disappointing sigh followed.

“Not hot enough,” she rolled her eyes to Staxius. The latter only but shrugged.

“My liege, what should we do?” asked the lady of ice.

“I suppose,” he turned to Staxius, “-a fight is in order.”

The weak flame and nonchalant conversation were to test the waters. “We’ll take Green dude,” voiced Serene with her ex-team running behind.

“I’ll take Eira,” said Achilles, “- I have a duty as her aunt,” sword drawn, she walked.

“I suppose I’ll take the pummel freak,” shrugged Intherna. One by one, they split into teams. The fight began meters from one another. Staxius and the leader stood face to face, “-are you strong?” asked the leader.

“I suppose,” fired Staxius, “-aren’t you supposed to be a dragon?”

“Yeah, we are all ancient dragons. Sadly, our bodies are locked because of a god. That’s why we have to contend with humans as vessels. This one is barely a week old. I tell you; they die so quickly.”

“Why did you decide to awaken?”

“No idea,” returned the man, “-I suppose I was bored. I wanted to have the thrill of battle again. I sensed the auras of the other gods waking.”

“Well,” they both stared the battlefield, “-I’m betting on my team,” commented Staxius.

“You sure are cocky. Aren’t we supposed to be enemies?”

“I don’t even know thy name, and thou tell me to fight someone unknown.”

“I do apologize, they call me Rull, don’t know why and don’t care, what about you?”

“Staxius Haggard, they call me Death Reaper for fun.”

“Hold on...” the cheery smile turned sour, “-care to repeat that?”

“You heard me, they call me the Death Reaper for fun,” The tension changed instantly.

“Is that just a nickname or are you the actual god of death?”

“Can’t you see this,” he touched his cheeks, “-the symbol of power.”

“I see you bear the blessings from our monarch, Undrar.”

“Well,” *BANG,* a body crashed against a pillar. Rasu was sent flying from a punch. The battle between Serene caused more chaos than due. Spells after spells, Serene kept on summoning hordes of monsters. The Green figure seemed unharmed, the face he held was of arrogance. Each attack they threw, he didn’t care to block nor dodge. A show of power, a show of his standing in the hierarchy. The arrogance had Oenus on fire.

“Magra...” he said.

“Understood,” her staff struck onto the floor. “Oh spirits of fire and wind, heed my call,” hands pressed, two spirals of differing hue manifested. *Body Enhancement,* no special incantation nor flashy moves, the floor turned to a burning wreck. An inferno of which made the fighters stronger, her companions felt the raw strength coursing.

“Don’t underestimate the vampire-clan,” *Blood-Arts: Slaughter,* her ghouls dissolved to then turn into spikes. Ones that impaled the green figure.

‘Go die,’ said Oenus with his sword carving half of the arena. The floor dug five-meters deep, he unleashed all his strength in a singular strike. The opponent died and was reduced to rubble.

“Over here,” waved Intherna, “-what do I do now?” she asked next to a molten body of stone. “I think I killed him.”

“No shit,” fired Oenus from the other side.

“Shut up.”

“I’ve got Eira,” smiled Achilles. Going on destructive power, Eira was stronger than her. Despite this, the ancient held more experience. A single dodge had her in the blind spot. The Lady of Ice was unable to conjure her magic.

“Hey, hey, hey,” called Rull, “-stop playing dead.”

“Sorry, my bad,” returned the voices simultaneously.

“Sorry Auntie,” whispered Eira as well, *Ice Element Gergusser Variant: Niflheim.* The ground froze, *Ice Spear,* four projectiles struck Achilles’ back with the sound of bones breaking.

“See,” laughed Rull, “-they had their fun.” The molten body reformed; the Green-figure regenerated from the dust.

“We were toying with you,” laughed the Stone man.

“Oh please,” *SMACK,* the body crumbled followed by another raging inferno. “This guy is pissing me off,” she gritted.

“I’m bored,” sighed Rull, “-you two, come here,” just as Serene’s team got ready to fight, the two figures teleported. “It’s time to end it, I want to sleep.” He changed from scrawny to well-built, the muscles expanded, the aura doubled in intensity, the face morphed into one of a dragon. “There’s a common misconception,” he said with a sloppy pronunciation, “-there exist only three dragons. Lady of Ice, Undrar, and I. I devoured the rest.” *SMACK,* a hard punch had Staxius flying over the mountain.

“Killed in a single punch, Gergusser, is that truly the god of death?” he spun baffled by how fast it ended.

“That sure wasn’t nice,” wings flapped.

“You are strong,” smiled Rull, “-I’ll finally have my revenge from so many years ago,” he sprouted wings as well. *POOF,* they vanished into thin air. Flashes of light went from left to right. They moved so fast the eyes couldn’t track the motion.

“Poor guy,” said Eira, “-he’s going to die by the hands of the Dark-Dragon-God.”

“It’s not wise to stare away from your opponent,”

*ICE BARRIER,* a sudden clash had the ears trembling in pain. The noise of metal against a rock. “How can you be standing?”

“Simple,” *Argonaut – Final Strike: Laser,* a horizontal beam lit with Eira falling to her knees. A shockwave had her internal organs in disarray, a skill used for killing lowered to one that could incapacitate. “Haven’t you forgotten something crucial?” *BANG,* the ground cracked with a body inside. “Lady of Ice, ancient dragons are weak.”

*I am he who slays without fear, I am he who shall be the last of what thy see.

Heed mine call, thou whomst dared to fight the natural order, tis the day thou ought to be destroyed, Ancient Magic – Astral Binding,* he held out his hand, the Triangle lit with a purple-light. Scythes were conjured around Rull.

.....

“Don’t forget that the one who brought down the Ancient Dragons was the God of Death. My teacher, I have his memories and I know that they mean nothing to us now. The strength has long faded. I pity thy soul, meager reflection of a lost past. Give it up, tis was you with the bravado, not us.”

“That godforsaken spell,” mumbled Rull, “-you’re right,” he forced to a stand, the barrier inflicted incomprehensible amount of pain, “-dragons are weak. All our powers were given to Undrar,” he gritted in pain, “-the Bringer of Death. What we are is nothing more than puppets,” he laughed, “-puppets for a being far stronger,” lightning struck.

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