Chapter 41
‘Soul slaying is forbidden. If you destroy a soul,
you destroy your own as well.’
— Excerpt from House Moros’ book of Minds
Airess
Arzhel unsheathed his dagger at her words.
Act.
Act.
Act.
“A threat from the grave,” he mused. “I think I’ll give you a slow death for that statement, put on a show for our crowd.” Arzhel turned to face the audience and raised his dagger in the air, their chants growing as her death neared.
Airess closed her eyes when a thought struck her. She had saved Taryn, hovering over his body as she reached into his heart and pulled him out of his curse.
Could she do it now?
Could she die trying?
Arzhel turned around, bringing the blade to her neck, taunting her. “See you in hell,” he said.
Airess’ eyes began to glow lilac as she looked up. Before he could press down his blade –
Airess peeled out of her body, the feeling so uncomfortable it felt like taking off wet clothing. She watched above her and Arzhel’s body, the movement of him striking his blade happening in slow motion.
“No!” She screamed, and reached her arm through Arzhel’s back, dragging his spirit out with her bare hands. It was hard, his spirit was so intact with his physical body, she had to pry it out of him. Ghosts of darkness followed, attached to his body by their tales.
His spirit was dark, so very black. She could barely make out his eyes as he looked around in confusion, looking down at his spiritual body. Airess took advantage of his hesitance, grabbing his neck with her hand, yanking his face close to hers with a snarl of rage.
Despite the blackness of his spirit seeping into her fingers slowly–dying the tips of her golden hands black–she grinned and squeezed her hand around his neck. “What is this?” He said, his voice sounding smaller here, less menacing.
“Look at me.” Airess commanded. He did. She saw him recognize her, saw him look below to their physical bodies moving in slow motion. By now, his physical body had seized, frozen in the act of murder, the blade inches from impaling her physical throat.
“Look at my soul as the last thing you see before you die.” She said and thrashed her arms, ripping into his soul, tearing him apart. She raged. She screamed and shredded his soul. She was so lost in her frenzy that she missed Morana walking onto the stage.
Morana withdrew a blade made of crystal, engraved with text she couldn’t recognize.
“No!” Airess said, screaming into the void, wanting Arzhel to die by her hand.
It was too late, Morana had already plunged the crystallite dagger straight into Arzhel’s back.
His black spirit vanished as quickly as the blade struck into his heart, disappearing from Airess’ grip.
The sound of screaming overcame her as she forced herself back in reality. Arzhel’s blood splattered on her, and Morana as he fell to his knees. He fell on his back, his eyes wide in shock at his sister’s betrayal.
Morana smirked at him, holding him up by his tunic. She was wearing dark, tattered clothing. Her cloak was dirtied, as if she had been traveling for quite some time. A simple gold, gilded broach in the shape of a vulture rested on her chest.
The Vulture.
“You were never deserving enough to be a Godling,” Morana spat at her brother. “But I am.”
Morana dropped his shirt and climbed over him, pressing her hands to his temples, red tendrils of power drained out of him and traveled up her arms like veins.
She was screaming, her brown eyes suddenly fading into an iridescent red.
Morana fell back, crying out with a wicked smile on her face.
She thrashed, receiving the power of Death in all its glory.
When it was done, her body glowed red. Her ebony hair had turned a dark crimson–red, for the Godspirit of Death.
Morana looked down at her hands and shot a fist upwards, a hiss of dark spirits audible as the Shadow Magick shot up in the air.
Morana’s burgundy glow faded, the color only evident in her eyes as she returned to her normal state.
Airess watched Morana steal Arzhel’s power in shock. The world trembled at her newfound power. Airess knew how detrimental it was, and–
Thunder bellowed, bringing Airess’ attention overhead.
The sky darkened, storm clouds drawing together.
The temperature had dropped, carrying the feeling of calm just before a storm.
Everyone was screaming now, people running away in all directions.
Airess tried to shake her arms out of the chains again.
Morana looked at her, a mix of greed and pity in her expression. “I’m sorry, old friend. I need the Allpower, and unfortunately, that means killing you.”
Airess looked at the crystal blade like an old foe. Recognition ran through her being, as if her ancestors were whispering to her through space and time itself. The Allpower blade. The weapon that could take a Godling’s power for itself.
The weapon her ancestor, Evyen, used to create a new dimension.
As Morana took a step toward her, lightning cracked through the air, a figure emerging from the clouds.
The sky bellowed, a sound so loud it verberated through Airess’ body.
A bolt of lightning struck the space in front of Airess, causing Morana to roll to the side, missing the electricity by inches.
Airess looked up to see the source of the strike.
It was Taryn.
Airess beheld him. His face was his own, but contorted with an ancient rage she had never seen before.
His brown hair and brows had turned completely silver, matching his glowing silver eyes and skin.
Raging storm clouds whirled around him before he shot down on the stage, breaking the wood he landed on.
He pumped a fist and blasted Morana away with silver tendrils of pure energy.
He looked to Airess, his eyes not truly his own. They melted for a split second as he looked at her before a blast of darkness shot towards him. Taryn laughed and pivoted out of the way, several voices coming out of his mouth. “We meet again, Bas.”
Airess’ eyes widened at the mention of Bas, the Death God, Taryn’s Godspirit speaking through him
Morana’s jaw dropped at the sight of Taryn.
She shot out another string of darkness, her amateur skill from being previously powerless was evident.
Taryn moved lethally, pushing his palm forward and blasting her with a lightning strike.
He met his mark, just barely, and grazed her bicep with electricity.
Morana cried out in agonizing pain. Her sleeve singed away, leaving an angry burn in its wake.
Morana moved to her feet quickly, gripping her burned arm.
She fled the stage, running into the fearful crowd.
Airess watched her disappear into the bodies, leaving as quickly as she had appeared.
Morana had gotten away. Despite the fact that Morana had almost killed her, Airess felt relieved her old friend had fled.
Taryn continued to rage. Heavy winds increased and ripped pieces off of the buildings nearby. The clouds thundered above, and she pivoted her bound body to him. He needed to stop destroying this city.
“Taryn!” Airess screamed over the raging winds, her hair and dress whipping around. He looked to her like he would strike her, his movements quick and precise. He looked confused, then recognized her and smiled. “My Ghrian.”
Airess realized his Godspirit was recognizing her as the Sun God, and was calling her as such. Her heart pounded incessantly as she met the eyes of a God, speechless.
Taryn moved his arm and her chains broke off instantly. She tripped forward, now loose from her chains and fell to her knees. An arrow pierced itself into the wooden board in front of her hands.
Taryn growled, moving in front of her protectively.
He reached his hand to the sky and drew lightning from thin air.
As he brought his hand to the ground, lightning raged down like a shower, electrocuting everyone around them.
The scent of burnt flesh and singed hair filled the air.
The ground trembled as bodies dropped like flies at Taryn’s power.
Airess’ breath hitched as she watched him, his facial expression void of any emotion.
His eyes, wholly silver, struck her true and deep.
It was in that moment that Airess truly knew fear.
By then, even the guards began to flee, the power Taryn holed up inside was even more powerful than Airess could have ever imagined.
“We must unite the realms as it once was, Ghrian.” Taryn–and the voices coming out of him–bellowed, “The world has lost its way.”
He stood, his back to her as he breathed heavily before raising both hands in the air.
Airess saw the temple ceiling blast apart in the distance, outpouring the pink flames–the Soulfyre.
The flames traveled through the air like it was sentient, traveling towards them both.
When it reached Taryn, the flames collided into him forcefully.
“A touch of fyre,” Taryn–and all the voices inside him – recited, “An earth rebirthed to be made from desire.”
His other hand was conjuring lightning, shooting it upwards into the sky.
The electricity and Soulfyre merged, weaving itself together as it shot up in the air.
Airess thought it would dissipate in the sky, but the lightning hit an invisible wall.
Upon impact, a green translucent dome across the ocean revealed itself.
The dome began to crack, its remnants falling into the ocean.
Taryn turned and gripped Airess by her waist tightly, bringing her in possessively to his chest. “Let us go home.” The voices spoke to her.
For the first time, Airess truly feared Taryn.
Horror coursed through her veins. He was not the sarcastic, stubborn male she had fallen for.
No, he was a vision of the Gods, consumed by the power he was Spirited with.
Taryn held her tightly with one arm and shot into the sky, their bodies bolstered by the pressure of storm clouds swirling beneath them.
Her stomach lurched as they ascended upwards, over Rune’s capitol.
The teal wall had finally broken away, revealing a cliff in the distance.
She didn’t realize she had screamed as they flew through the air so fast, the world blurred around them.
She gripped Taryn’s neck and buried her face in his neck as they flew.
“I sense your fear. I will not hurt you, Ghrian.” He said as they passed over the ocean.
They landed on a cliff that hadn’t existed before Taryn’s lightning.
Airess looked at Taryn's glowing eyes. Gently, she reached up and placed a trembling palm to his cheek.
She felt the faintest jolt of electricity beneath his hot skin.
“Taryn,” she whispered, searching his face for any trace of him. “come back.”
Taryn’s face twisted into betrayal, before it slowly faded. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell down into a grassy field of black salaroses all around them.