Chapter 73—Omens

Chapter 73: 73—Omens The storm of dust around Lucen swirled and rose upward like a tornado. The air became hot, and the red glow of the wolf was like a sign of war. The Tyrant was even smaller than the Stalker wolves, its crimson fur glowed and floated like it was underwater. But its horns were the longest he had seen, like ram horns, glowing ivory. [So are we showing off here, too] Hell no. He started crawling away; there was no way in hell he could beat a Tyrant, even with his full mana. The wolf laid inside a massive crater, growling. It batted its tail downwards and a shockwave rushed towards Lucen. He braced himself for the pain, but someone landed in front of him. Koril’s back and great sword shielded him. But an intricate golden disc appeared in front of them. The shockwave slammed against the disc and was sent back towards the wolf. The Tyrant didn’t even stand to deflect the attack. The shockwave rolled over it harmlessly. It flicked its tail, annoyed, but there was no resulting shockwave. Its mana was immense, drowning the world around them in a crimson light that agitated the elements. Winds screamed, the earth creaked and shook with each minor twitch, and fires bent away from the creature. The wolf rose to its feet, staring at Lucen. Even behind Koril, his blood felt like fire when its yellow eyes landed on him. "Otherworlder?" the wolf hummed in another language. "What did you just say?" a voice said from the sky. A man floated down from the sky. Black hair flowed down his back like a midnight river, and his golden eyes glowed with imperious light. He was dressed in a simple white tunic and black cape that had a twisted heart embroidered on it. Alger Lightcloak looked like a spirit, body half transparent, and just floating an inch off the ground. Like walking was beneath him. The wolf growled in Elarian, "I’m just wondering when you will take your leave, Sea of Light." The wolf’s voice was feminine. Lucen already knew that her horn shape indicated gender. But it was startling to hear something so terrifying sounding like that. [Biased much? Also get rid of Thomas’ ring, Chester and the others are coming.] He dismissed all his weapons, and sunk to one knee, groaning as the pains in his body receded. Chester and Heimar broke through the dust cloud and surrounded them. Their swords and armor were stained with blood. Chester’s armor wasn’t like Heimar’s black stone-like piece; it was made of what seemed like a luminous crystal. Heimar sent him one irritated glance, but didn’t acknowledge him afterward. His armor was cracked in some places, and a black, tar-like liquid poured from it. Koril sent a confused glance at Heimar, but he ignored it. Heimar kept his eyes on the patriarch. "I’ll leave once you’re dead or have retreated," Alger said simply. "You can still leave, Crimson Tyrant. If more people die, I’ll be forced to come to your home myself." "You can’t kill me, Sea of Light. Your powers are too limited in this summoned form," the queen growled, "and once your time limit comes and you disappear, I will kill your sons and lock you in the Void." "That’s good. Don’t run," Koril said, his gruff voice dangerously low, "I’ll have your pelt on my wall soon." "Enough, Koril," Alger warned, "haven’t enough of your children died already, esteemed queen? I can leave you to my sons and go slaughter the rest of your kin." An invisible clash stoked the winds. The dust hurricane grew stronger, picking up blocks of stone and shaking the ground violently. "Do as you please, Sea of Light." "Before we continue, may I ask why you are here in the first place?" The wolf cocked its head to the side, and shrugged. "The Void children have offered to retrieve my mate’s soul from the Narrow Roads." Alger’s eyes widened. "Well, I cannot promise you such a thing. The return of the Blood Moon Omen is something that we all fear." "Of course. Your father was among the people who killed him," the wolf said. "Not that I hold it against you. It is our way to hunt, die and be reborn. I do not fear you killing my children; they are living to their true desires." "So there’s nothing I can offer you?" The wind grew stronger till Lucen could only hear the two mythical beings. The wolf howled, and the light of the world turned red. Lucen felt its abominable presence loom over everything. The mana gained a red tint and quivered, lowering itself to the bloodthirsty monarch. "In the end, death and carnage. That is all I’ve wanted all these years after Plameria’s sword split my belly. I am the scourge of peace, and you people have stopped our leader from returning to this world. You cannot escape destiny. The Crimson Tyrant and the Blood Moon Omen are fated to ride to the end of time." "Lucen, be ready to run," Koril said firmly. "I will do my best to help you, till Father forces me to abandon you." Lucen clenched his fist. Through the roaring winds he could sense Warren some distance away. If he could get to him, then he wouldn’t be washed away by the clash. Heimar tightened his hand around his black broadsword, its hilt twisted and sinister. Chester grimaced, his short sword began glowing red. Then a man walked through the cyclone. He was dressed in a black suit with silver trim, and wore a strangely floppy hat with two tips. He wore a pair of circular glasses. Everyone in the dust storm froze. Their faces awash with disbelief. Even the Tyrant was in shock. The man glanced around, taking everyone in. When his eyes landed on Lucen, they flashed with something. He adjusted his glasses and smiled widely. "I don’t know if my presence is enough to warrant a retreat from you, old queen. But i doubt you can win"