The mountains of Gaia
The new day brought about new events. Events that unfolded the dark past, present and the possible future. The sky was brightly lit with the sun but the clouds circling the mountain spelled a sort of ominous gloom. As if a spell was indeed upon it. On the far mountains near Pearl was a meeting of two dark beings. A meeting not planned yet written long ago between the divine and the chaotic. Both seeped in dark yet entirely mutual in respect. Though the cold blood of one may run more hot with the desire for revenge. The other was warm and cool, merely observing the mending of the colossal beast. Though his size reduced by the severing of its tail which slowly regenerated behind it. Snakes, no large Basilisks. They crawled around the mass of Zethelos as he laid on the flattened wide surface of an old abandoned temple. Snow and wind blew violently to no avail to deter these on goings. The Basilisks shared their essence with Zethelos to heal him, at least a dozen of them crawled around him.
The black wings and flowing silk eternal dark waves of hair behind the being before Zethelos was almost ethereal. Though as the snow cleared around them it was now clear. Unlike the one who stood in the shadowy realm and opened a gateway to bring Zethelos here. This one seemed real. Unmistakably this Nuxta wore the black armor, though with no helmet, that was forged from Vrondi's guardian. He stood at around twenty feet tall. With arms crossed he watched the process take place. "Do we have an agreement... You will serve under me and rule your old kingdom once again. Under my guidance." His piercing eyes aimed to Zethelos's. He had a cold uncaring expression.
Rising to his feet with ease from the pit of Basilisks, his body regenerating from his wounds, "If you are truly the same Nuxta I remember," he began, staring into the lord of death's eyes, unfazed at the might that stood before him, "You would know that I do NOT serve anyone; save for my father, and he is very clearly dead...... However, as thanks for your assistance in saving me from the cowardly tricks of the little ant-king. I am more than willing to help you."
Nuxta's presence permeated the air around him and, in the blink of an eye, engulfed the entire top of the mountain. The snow stopped as if time had frozen it, an inverted lightning cackling from the dome's walls. The sky was red and the clouds turned a striking black. It was as if they were in another realm parallel to their own. Yet outside the dome could be seen the natural flow of time. The snow still fell as well but slowly as if swimming through something thick. Which all could feel within. The thick divine coating of essence emerging from Nuxta. The Dome receded just as quickly as it appeared. It was brought down to the size of a ball in Nuxta's left hand. "Are you saying you would prefer death than to follow me?" His eyes were unchanging from their focus. The Basilisks that fed Zethelos began to slither down the mountain cliffs.
"Are you saying you'll kill me if I don't? Is my willingness to cooperate with you and fight by your side not enough?" The dragon asked angrily, a chaotic aura shimmering around his scales as he prepared himself for any attack Nuxta might make. "We're quite the same, you and I, Nuxta. Needless to say, if this situation was reversed, you would no doubt respond similarly would you not?"
Nuxta finally let a simple pleased smile settle onto his face. "You will fight in my interest. If mine so happens to align with yours then its all the better for you." He let the sphere loose and it floated rather gently a few dozen meters into the air and away from him. "The difference here is that I have the power to put every kingdom beneath my heel already. I seek more from this world than power. Power alone is already in my grasp. The orb turned into a black gate where a dark mist slowly escaped from it.
Both Sophia and the elders on the Mindah Tarvitaan temple already knew how grave was the situation, but nobody, not even Sophia herself was prepared to the events that would happen on that day. She had made many wards and protective spells around the mountain, but the sensation and the dark power she felt... An incredibly powerful pulse of dark energy echoed through the mountains, powerful enough to affect the flow of magic itself... But maybe what was even more frightening than that power was that the one emanating it was... alarmingly close to the Great Library.
Sophia, who was inside the Great Library when that happened, immediately stood up, alarmed as she felt the dark energy.
"What is this...?" Sophia muttered, still trying to understand exactly the amount of dark power she was feeling.
"It can't be... Is he already this powerful...?" Sophia said. Much to her dismay, she had a very good idea of the one who was responsible for such a dreadful mana. Not only that, but it was basically the only one who would be capable of that.
Immediately getting out of the library, Sophia flew to the temple, further strengthening the magic wards shields and seals she had put around the mountain and ordering the monks to be alert and keep reinforcing the wards. She knew that if Nuxta decided to attack directly the temple, the monks' actions would matter very little, and in fact she would have to step in herself to at least try to stop him.
There was no time to waste, that terrifying amount of magic could only mean he was casting some type of spell. There was no time to try and contact the Gaian Queen by herself so before she departed, she hastily made a rift portal, ending up in front of the Gaian royal castle, sending one of the Elder Monks of Mindah Tarvitaan to ask for her aid. She could only hope the Gaian Royals would lend her their aid... After all, that matter concerned not only the Great Library and the dangerous knowledge stored in there, but the entire Gaia and even the entire world. Nuxta was already terrifyingly powerful. It was only a matter of time until he started playing his trump cards. And if the descended weren't prepared to deal with them, then it would be the end.
Flying faster and higher than any other dragon, Sophia was a little more than a blur in the sky as she flew towards where that dark magic was coming from. Being careful to suppress and conceal her own magic aura, Sophia would first try to see what was happening and analyze what type of spell was being cast before doing anything. After all, there was no such thing as being too careful regarding Nuxta...
Within the Gaia royal capital city the monk would be met with surprise. But the respect for the temple of knowledge and the Mindah Tarvitaan monks was great in Gaia. So the elder was then met with welcome. His words echoed a similar sentiment. It seemed that Nuxta was making moves nearby and it was not lost on Gaia's mountain Seers. Entering the meeting hall where the Queen and many other royals stood in discussion. Nuxta was already being scouted by a Seeing orb which was cast before everyone in a giant orb sitting on the table. "It seems it has come for us to truly show our mettle." Said a royal elder. Another younger one armored and ready for battle replied while shouting. "The last attack was so weak it didn't even reach half way up the mountain! It only affected our poor towns folk below!" The royal meeting between Gaians was getting a bit rowdy and loud. Giant cups of ale and a endless ceiling to accommodate the largest of their kind, who stood in the room like giants among giants. "Let me go my Queen! I will bring only the strongest warriors to my side!" A giant descendant clashed his fist against his chest.
Queen Allo Niscent sat on a high chair above everyone else with her dragon safely wrapped around it from behind. Its and her clear and diamond glimmering scales were reflecting the various beautiful colors the other royals had. She was quiet however. Listening and planning.
"Is that so?" The dragon snarled at Nuxta, quite perturbed with the self-proclaimed lord of death's lack of respect. His chaotic aura surged around him like a thick, supernatural mist. The earth beneath them shook violently as dark clouds began to gather, teeming with lightning. "ALLOW ME TO TEST THAT." Zethelos roars, as iridescent flames poured from his eyes
Nuxta merely watched as Zethelos flew into a rage. "I'm sorry to disappoint you. But you've fallen very far from what you once were. Your void is larger than ever." His voice echoed a sentiment from long ago about Zethelos's power. It was not lost to him how akin he was to himself. However the coin was flipped to the other side. Nuxta merely turned away from Zethelos. Feeling a presence head their way from nearby. Emerging from the portal was a dragon surrounded by blue electricity and lightning clouds. Its body was long and took a while to emerge from the portal. But it made its way between Nuxta and Zethelos and stared down its rival in size. "Zethelos." The dragons low voice rumbled. "So you have returned. It is a honor to have a true blooded son of the dragon god before me. I have only Nuxta to thank for this opportunity." His eyes began to glow and cackled with charge. "I am indebted to Nuxta as so are you. Please do not misunderstand. But I will defend him with all that I have."
"Then you will be my opponent." Zethelos growled, "This is about far more than just a life debt, this is a battle over my pride and honor as a god."
He held his hand over his head as a disc of chaotic soul energy began to take form, the chaotic aura wreathing the dragon lord's form growing volatile. "I do not seek to fight a mere lackey. Even knowing this is a matter of the pride of gods, you would still stand in my way?"
The smoke escaping from the newcomers nostrils spoke for its mounting frustration. "Times have changed since days of dragon rule. There is only one god now and I will not let you test his patience." Lightning surged around the whirling body of this floating dragon. Nuxta turned his attention away from what he sensed coming their way and looked to the two dragons sizing each other up in preparation for battle. "It would seem our presence has caught someone's attention." His hair continued to wave in the winds, as the auras spiking with chaotic fury began to make the mountain top unstable, avalanches of snow rolling down below them.
As Sophia made her way towards the mountain, she could clearly feel two auras coming from the mountain. One, frighteningly powerful, was clearly Nuxta and the other, while not as powerful as Nuxta, wasn't something to be ignored either. But there was something strange in the flow of magic.. Whatever it was the spell that Nuxta was conjuring, it was affecting it in a strange way...
When she finally got close enough to see them from a distance, she was met with a concerning situation. Nuxta was himself, standing nearby a strange descendant that had a heavy dark aura within him while a strange portal appeared nearby them with a dark mist escaping from it. From said portal, a big dragon emerged from it, with a long body, clearly looking down towards the strange man.
As she analyzed the situation from the distance though, she realized that the strange descendant and the other were about to start fighting against each other. She could feel a heavy dark aura coming from the strange man, not only that but also the fact that Nuxta was standing right next to them without doing anything was enough for her to consider both of them as possible enemies, and with Nuxta nearby, she wouldn't drop her guard.
Sophia's plan was to wait a bit more to grasp the situation before appearing, but when Nuxta turned himself to her direction, she knew her presence had already been noticed despite her suppressing her aura.
The second she saw Nuxta turning his head towards her, Sophia used her breath as a warning shot. A beam of pure heat pierced the clouds coming from the sky and hitting the mountain, carving a deep line, melting the mountain and stone underneath as if it was nothing.
As she stopped to suppress her aura, the raw, primal magic irradiated from her with full force. There was no use hiding her own presence anymore since the most dangerous between those present was already aware of her. Despite that, when flying, she was still much faster than any dragon due to her unique physiology, but that also meant that she was easy to take down in a head on fight against other dragons.
"Your presence is not welcome here, Nuxta." Sophia's voice echoed with a mighty roar through the skies, hovering above the mountain.
"The previous one was but a warning shot. What are your intentions coming here?" Her voice echoed again, talking to both Nuxta, the dragon and the strange man.
"Here's one I've desired to meet since long ago. Alas we were different sides then. And are even to this day." Nuxta spoke unwavering to Sophia's call. His summoned Dragon huffed in response and let out a earth rattling roar. The mountain was nearly decimated without a single battle even beginning. "Master Nuxta. This is a very precarious situation. However planting another foe to the great kingdoms of this world is enough is it not?" The deep and powerful voice of the dragon spoke slowly and with calm. Despite its monstrous presence. "There was someone who will meet me here. Someone far more infatuated with this old god." Nuxta looked toward Sophia now focused on her with his humor fading. "I will do her a favor." Black feathered wings sprouted from Nuxta's back. Their length were double his height and without even a flap a gust of wind shifted to spring his body upward. He spiraled and then began soaring towards Sophia. Stopping half a mile away and seeming to be standing on air effortlessly.
"You desire knowledge." Nuxta watched her reaction with a gentle gaze. "Then know this. The descended have been waiting for these times since the end of the war. It is futile to resist me, for I am only the beginning." He stretched out a hand. "But the ability this world has to change will slip away if I fail. So please.. won't you join me."
Seemingly uninterested in the other goings on at the moment, the Dragon Lord flew into a full on rage, infuriated that a lesser being would turn its back on him, "YOU WOULD DARE TURN YOUR BACK ON ME WHEN I AM ADDRESSING YOU WORM?!?!?!?" he roared mightily as a pillar of spectral flame shot forth around him, concealing his form. As the massive pillar dissipated, scales like blackened steel were revealed, covering a dragon the size of a castle. From deep within the heart of this fallen god, the spectral fire still burned, adorning his armored form.
Sophia kept in silence as Nuxta talked to her about wanting to meet her. His summoned dragon also seemed to have something to talk, but Sophia deemed as unimportant as she was focusing her attention on Nuxta and any possible attack to her.
It was then that black feathered wings appeared from Nuxta's back as he start flying towards her.
"That's close enough. Get closer than this and we won't have anything to talk about anymore." Sophia said as her aura spiked aggressively, clearly showing to Nuxta that she was serious.
The words she heard coming from his mouth though were simply unbelievable. Not only he claimed that all descended were 'waiting for these times', but he also wanted her to join him, claiming that the ability the world has to change would 'slip away'.
"Your actions and your words greatly contradict one another, Nuxta." Sophia asked, hissing to him. Despite her hissing and clearly hostile attitude towards Nuxta, she was still hearing his words.
"You did nothing but to spread death and suffering. I doubt that the descended are eagerly waiting for their own demise by your hands and ultimately, the end you want to bring to this world." She finished, waiting for his explanation.
Despite her being in front of an extremely dangerous being like Nuxta, she was still the Dragon of the Knowledge. She was incredibly different from the other proud, warmongering dragons. Attacking without hearing what others had to say wasn't something a scholar would do... Especially the scholar amongst scholars.
Before Nuxta could reply her though, the strange descended with the heavy dark aura revealed his true form. With an infuriated scream, roaring to the summoned dragon, a pillar of spectral flame erupted around him. When the flames finally disappeared, Sophia knew exactly who he was.
Scales as dark as the depths of the abyss, covered in spectral fire, there was no doubt about his identity. It was Zethelos, the devourer. A dragon of the same blood of the dragon god himself.
She knew exactly who he was and she knew the dark that his soul was seeped into, but for some reason, he apparently wasn't on Nuxta's side as it was evident.
With little time wasted the dragon before Zethelos roared and summoned lightning from the clouds around it to concentrate a giant bolt to Zethelos from head on. Though the dragon suspected its opponent could withstand three bolts of simultaneous lightning. Its mouth charged with a concentrated blast of blue lightning. Splashing like plasma on the surface of the mountain melting its end within seconds as it hurtled to the Dragon God. This is a new world Zethelos! How many times must you learn this lesson? His voice echoed throughout the electric cackles of the lightning surging around him.
"I don't expect you or any descendant today to know what is to come. If I were you I'd keep my head down. Do not mistake the descended as your new kin. Continue to survive as many of your kind do. Then you may find a place during the struggle." Nuxta turned his head to see the clouds parting to show the spiraling form of a cyclone. But he could sense the aura of a hundred person force heading their way. The Queen of Gaia was armored and riding her diamond dragon with other elite warriors of Gaia by her side. Most rode dragons but others were large enough to fly on their own and shift the winds as they did so.
As the barrage of lightning came down on Zethelos, the Dragon Lord immediately compressed his massive aura into a distortion of energy; the same ability he had used in his fight against the king of Nero. Though it did not stop the onslaught of lightning, it was able to redirect and disperse a good deal of the attack. "This is far from a new world...." the angered god growled as the smoke cleared, scorch marks and arcs of electricity now marring his terrifying form. With a mighty swing of his his bladed tail, he hurled a chunk of the broken mountain at his adversary; the boulder crackling with chaos magics as it flew.... And suddenly exploded! A plume of soulfire, spewed from Zethelos' maw simultaneously followed, "It is but a shell of the one my father once ruled!"
Sophia carefully watched everything going on around her, from Nuxta's every movement and even his magic to the fight going on between Zethelos and Nuxta's summoned dragon on the distance. Despite the ferocity of said fight and both dragons' auras, Nuxta seemed unfazed, paying attention solely on Sophia herself.
But Nuxta's words to her were nothing like those she was expecting. If something, they were insulting, telling her to simply keep her head down and focus on surviving.
"Keep my head down? Are you insulting me, Nuxta?" Sophia asked, hissing towards him after hearing his words.
"You see the descended as nothing but expendable sacrifices, don't you? This is not our just world anymore, Nuxta. You should have learned this with the result of the war... You say I'm mistaking them as my kin? I never had a kin. I am far from being a descended and yet, I'm no dragon either." Sophia continued.
"What you are doing isn't "protecting the world's ability to change"... You are preventing it. You are fighting against the natural flow. Your actions bring nothing but unbalance to the flow of magic, can't you see?" Sophia continued, clearly irritated with Nuxta's words.
"Tell me, Nuxta. What are your real goals? What is the events to come, so dire that justify you killing thousands, breaking the balance of magic and bringing forth such chaos into the world? The descended might look weak compared to us, but you shouldn't underestimate them... Even if they face an unsurmountable wall, they will eventually find a way to overcome it and learn with it. They are capable to change the future, to shape their own destinies with their own hands through their ability to adapt and their will." Sophia continued.
"Why don't you give them a chance, Nuxta? Instead of trying to destroy them, why don't you try teaching them and guiding them? Help them to overcome the challenges that are to come. Help them to prepare themselves to protect not only of their own race, but of the world that they live in." Sophia said, unexpectedly, answering Nuxta's offer to join him with a offer of her own.
It was then that Sophia felt the aura of the Gaian royals, bringing forth an army to fight against Nuxta.
"I'm sure you already felt their auras... Don't fight against the tide, lest you want to be swept away by it. Sophia finished, her aura getting stronger by the second in an alarming rate as a multitude of ethereal, arcane chains appeared from the ground, materializing themselves upwards, piercing the clouds and clearing them from the sky with an almost deafening sound of the chains clattering against each other, weighting down as they connected to something way above the clouds. As the clouds disappeared, those below would be able to see where those chains were going to, a gigantic grimoire, hovering above what remained of the mountain. Shackled by thousands of chains of all sizes and sealed with countless spells. Despite all those seals, the power from the grimoire was palpable as it started absorbing soul essence from Nuxta and the summoned dragon. Interestingly enough, Sophia had left Zethelos out of the Grimorium Verum's detrimental effects, since he was actually fighting against one of Nuxta's subordinates.
"It's never too late to change sides, to learn and to teach, Nuxta. Your actions, even if you succeed will result in nothing but the complete destruction of the balance of magic in this world. An uncountable amount of knowledge will be lost together with the descended. Their history, their culture, everything they are and could possibly be. Without them, who have the infinite ability to shape the future, fate and the world with their own actions, the world will come to a halt. Become stale and rot away." she finished, extending her hand towards Nuxta as the Grimorium Verum floated above them, fighting against it's own restraints and seals.
Despite Sophia's oppressive aura and her conjuration of the Grimorium Verum, she still wasn't attacking Nuxta directly. It wasn't just an attempt to buy time either as it was clear, even for Nuxta himself, that she was indeed trying to hear his motives and his goals.
The foe of Zethelos roared in pain as the exploding rocks pelted its body. However when Zethelos unleashed a stream of soulfire he whirled around to avoid it, though part of its middle was damaged by it causing the Dragon to roar in pain. Its body was surrounded by lightning again but this time its very form turned into lightning. A roaring blast of its entire form went flying for Zethelos. Its destruction would engulf the entire mountain top. Even those below the mountain would feel the ground shaking. When the destruction cloud went up into the atmosphere standing high above and watching the Grimorium Verum was a masked man. He stood wearing attire that was similar to the scales of the Dragon that caused such destruction below. [color=08088A]"My name.. is Knives.[/i][/color] He watched the essence drain from him from the the Grimorium patiently. No longer seeming interested in the fight with Zethelos. He was enamored by the sphere and chains of power before him.
Nuxta looked up briefly at the Grimorium Verum. Its power challenged his own and attempted to drain, much like his comrades, essence. He looked to Sophia and smiled with confidence and a bit of humor. His head held high. "Futile." His essence was restricted from the Grimorium. "This world is to undergo an even greater culling. A renewal. A whole vision made real, one that was not chosen by us. But destined to become so." He raised a hand. A chain appeared within his grasp, a chain directed far below to the earth itself. He pulled gently and the planet itself pulsed with an aura like a heartbeat. Though only those who could sense it could tell. A massive power that was accumulated from the entire world itself rattled the chains of the Grimorium. "I wield something greater than you could possibly imagine. Despite how vast your knowledge is. There are some secrets you can never know." He released the chain and it vanished just as quickly as it appeared.
"There is only one hope for those who exist now. To follow me or perish."
Sophia was still uncertain about Zethelos and whose side he was on. While he was indeed fighting against the dragon summoned by Nuxta, she didn't know what exactly were his objectives and goals. But at least for now, she wouldn't interfere in their fight. The enemy of her enemy is her friend, even if temporarily.
Other than Nuxta and the two dragons, she was able to sense a... strange new presence. It's owner was a man that, surprisingly enough, wasn't interested neither in the two dragons fighting nor on her and Nuxta. Instead, he seemed to be simply floating, standing still and admiring the Grimorium Verum as it drained his own essence.
As Sophia heard Nuxta's words, it became clear to her that it was indeed futile to try and change his mind or even talk to him at all. He refused to acknowledge the power the Descended had to change fate itself with their own hands and seemed to be certain that the 'culling' he mentioned was the only path forward. But what really surprised Sophia was when Nuxta made a chain appear within his grasp and pulled it. The second he did so, Sophia could feel the planet itself pulsing, responding to that power, making even the Grimorium Verum's chains rattle.
Instead of fear though, what was clear on Sophia's expression after Nuxta did that was pure curiosity. It wasn't thirst for power nor greed, but a pure curiosity and desire to uncover the secrets Nuxta had hidden within him.
But when that moment of curiosity passed though, Sophia's expression became dark as she closed her eyes for a brief second, disappointed.
"Despite all your knowledge, despite all your power, you're nothing but an arrogant fool who believes that he knows everything and holds the ultimate power, blind to the ever changing world that surrounds you." she said.
"You speak about protecting the world's ability to change, yet you actions did nothing but to simply destroy and erase everything until now, going as far as to disturb the natural flow of magic in this world..." Sophia said, her aura spiking aggressively.
"You say you are only the beginning, an agent of something bigger. Someone who is bringing change to the world. But all you brought till now is complete and utterly destruction. If this 'destiny' you speak of is really unavoidable, then your very existence is unnecessary. Yet you are still here, trying your hardest to control everything, to force your view and your ideals on others. You are nothing but a tyrant, Nuxta. And as such, you will be crushed by the weight of your own greed and ignorance." Sophia finished.
Shortly after she said that, a deafening noise echoed through the remains of the mountain as the chains binding the Grimorium Verum shattered, only the magical seals remaining. The Grimorium stopped absorbing essence, but in exchange it started absorbing every single spell and magic casted by those other than Sophia or her allies, effectively rendering them useless.
"The descended are coming, Nuxta. The Gaians are only the beginning. All those whom you claimed that are 'looking forward to this moment' reject you and your ideals. They all see you by what you really are. A blind, arrogant fool and a tyrant." Sophia said, looking directly towards Nuxta.
"Your words, fool. What do you have to say? Can you still say this 'vision' you talked about isn't only your personal ideal? Take a look at what your actions caused, Nuxta. The flow of magic and the world itself was in perfect balance until you came. What good do you think you can bring to the world by completely destroying it?" Sophia asked, with a hostile tone in her voice.
"I have been asking you since I arrived what is your true goal. The reason behind your actions, yet you couldn't answer that. Instead you only contradicted yourself. I ask you once more, do you still think you're in the right even after all that happened? I am struggling to understand your reasons... So far, to me you are nothing but a fool who wants simply to create a world where you have complete control over everything." She completed. It was clear by her aura and her hostile tone that her patience was running out.
Meanwhile
As the dust of the lightning dragon's explosive attack cleared, the massive form of Zethelos was on the ground; his metallic scales crackling with sparks and glowing with heat. Long, weak breaths, that sounded like grinding gears made it apparent that the ancient dragonlord was once again on the verge The eerie light and flames that once billowed from Zethelos' massive form began to flicker, and fade, until finally they died.
Zethelos; the devourer, had fallen for what seemed to be the last time. The void inside him pulled once more, as his rising chest became still. Yet, as his mind began to fade, giving way to the abyss, he suddenly felt something..... Something...... Familiar.....
A memory; one that hearkened back to the first moments of the dragonlord's life, suddenly surfaced. The frail, weak hand of a newborn whelp reached toward the heavens, seeking to grasp the enormous white beard of the towering presence before it; the only presence that seemed to bring it joy; even within the darkness that it had been trapped in before.
The flames of Zethelos suddenly sputtered back to life, as unholy light once more filled the dragon's eyes. The earth itself quaked as he forced himself to stand, weakly raising his head to stare at Nuxta. A mixture of fear, outrage, excitement and so many other emotions at once surged through him as he stared, his mouth agape. For once, the dragon god had forgotten everything about pride, and honor, and everything else... Even the fact that the Grimoirum Ventum itself; partially unsealed, floated above the battlefield was lost to the sudden sensations that riddled his body and mind. But for that power to be in the hands of Nuxta? He was truly at a loss for words.
"Your words and actions fit the lowly intellect of a Dragon. A shame so many considered you gods. Now in the face of true knowledge you defiantly act out. For it was your power that ruled. I will rule by knowledge. The flow of magic as you say is merely the ignorant deduction from one who does not have true knowledge." Nuxta looked up and black stones began to encase the one who stood before the Grimorium Verum. His essence was no longer being absorbed. It then molded into a black armor around the man. Whom did not flinch at what was happening. He merely let it shape around him and remained suspended in air. His wings however remained untouched. Visibly currents of white and cyan would spark between his wings.
Nuxta looked back to Sophia. Her words made him seem a bit remorseful as he looked to the ground. But he returned to face her with confidence. "I will be victorious whether or not you submit to me. I will be the victor of this world. I will rid this world of its filth. I will return the beauty of the entire vessel and keep its contents within indefinitely. In that way we will have an eternity of prosperity. One free of loathing and death. For I alone will bare that weight." He looked at his two hands. The black gauntlets he wore shimmering with an ebony glitter. "For I already bare the weight of death in my hands." He seemed a bit remorseful once again. But when Sophia mentioned how the others were coming he closed his eyes and seemed to sigh.
"I am aware the entirety of the kingdoms forces are against me. I do not fear them. I welcome them." He flapped his wings once and a loud boom could be heard. He was moving at an incredible speed instantly. He roared through the sky and reached the incoming flying soldiers the Queen had gathered. "I will show. I alone am capable of baring this weight!"
Gaia's Struggle against the Dark
"Dust storm now!" Cried the Queen. She lifted her spear into the air and a giant whirlwind nearly large enough to cover half the mountain whirled before them with the combined manipulations of the soldiers. It blocked Nuxta's vision of the large group. But he continued through. Tearing through the storm as a black helmet covered his head. A spear then appeared in his hand. Clearly he was capable of activating spells. But to what extent was unknown. He arrived at the other end of the storm expecting to be tearing through some Gaians. However he was alone, the storm held and kept whirling at his back. He turned to sense that the group was indeed inside the storm. "Amusing." He held a hand up to the whirlwind. It entered the storms edge and he watched, like a hand in the water, it dash across his gauntlet. As he did so he felt the presence of something massive come from the storm. A giant Gaian rushed out and grasped Nuxta. "I have'em!" He held on tight and with a few flaps of his own massive wings turned and went back into the storm. Nuxta watched barely concerned as this happened. They entered the storm and inside the soldiers were waiting. They all together covered Nuxta in sand as soon as the giant let him go.
"Take the armor off!" The Queen commanded. The soldiers all manipulated the wind and earth to try and seep the sand into Nuxta's armor and remove it. This was not immediate. It was clearly taking time, but with Nuxta stuck inside the sand it seemed like it would work. Giant bowl like stones were lifted and suspended around the area in preparation to encase Nuxta in hundreds of layers of various metals and stone. Queen Allo Niscent even helped in the attempt. The Gaian group watched as they tried to remove the armor. Hoping in due time it would come off. Or at the very least Nuxta could be held at bay. The sand storm itself was formed into the encasing of sand that whirled around only Nuxta.
"Fool!" Sophia said with a mighty roar after she heard Nuxta's words as he got ready to fight.
"Change is beauty! Your vision of beauty is of something that does not move nor change, something stale, rotten... dead." She said, her voice thundering through the skies as she spoke, seething with rage.
"You could be so much more, you could do so much more... But you chose your fate. You say you will bear this 'weight' alone? So be it." Sophia continued as she saw Nuxta putting on his armor.
The figure that was previously admiring the Grimorium Verum didn't escape Sophia's attention. She saw when he was encased by dark stones, forming a black armor around the man. Even though it was almost certain that he was somehow linked to Nuxta in some way, there was nothing he could possibly do regarding the Grimorium Verum, at least not without capturing Sophia herself, whose soul was literally fused with the Grimorium.
"They are here. You will regret underestimating the Descended's will and tenacity." Sophia said, with a smirk as a huge whirlwind covered half of the mountain in a dust storm.
The Queen had arrived together with her warriors. Despite the Grimorium Verum being on the second seal already, it was clear that whatever was the power that Nuxta had, was somehow able to ignore the authority that the Grimorium Verum had over magic, at least to some extent as it was clear that he was still able to use spells. Sophia watched concerned as Gaian warriors started their daring plan to go against Nuxta, encasing him in the middle of the storm and trying to remove his armor.
"NOW... SUFFER THE WEIGHT OF YOUR OWN IGNORANCE!" Sophia shouted, with a mighty roar that seemed to make even the skies tremble.
With Sophia's shout, the magic seals keeping the Grimorium closed were shattered. Finally unsealed, both the pressure and the sheer way how magic seemed to bend and twist at the Grimorium's mere presence were astounding. Clear even to those who weren't sensitive to magic. With the Grimorie fully unsealed, Sophia's power was at it's peak. Not only that, but the Queen and her warriors would also receive it's power.
The second the Grimoire was fully unsealed, the Queen herself and her warriors would feel their very souls flickering as their beings was replete with bottomless energy coming from the Grimorium Verum. That feeling, that power that many sought to obtain in the course of history and the same power that was deemed too dangerous to be controlled was now aiding them. The sheer amount of power seemed to almost make their very bodies, their very souls burn like a wildfire as Sophia stood above them with her wings open. They were not alone.
That said, a frightening power began to gather next to Sophia as she readied her breath. The pressure coming from her mouth was easily perceiveable even to the warriors that were far away from her. Surprisingly enough, she didn't fire. Instead she waited. It was clear that she wouldn't fire unless she was absolutely sure the brave Gaian warriors wouldn't be harmed by her breath. Not only that, but that also made it incredibly clear that Sophia, the Dragon of Knowledge trusted them.
Even with Grimorium Verum fully unsealed, Zethelos knew the Gaians stood little chance against the terrifying power that Nuxta now wielded. Furthermore, the dragonlord knew that in his current state, that regardless of the side he took, he would perish if he stayed. In a desperate act of self-preservation, the massive dragon threw himself off the side of the mountain, and into the woods below. Upon impact, Zethelos' massive form shattered into countless shards of ashen obsidian, as his aura suddenly vanished.
Within the Gaian forest, a man slowly, and painfully hobbled through the wilderness, staying within the shadows as they made their way to the city they once called home.
With increased essence their hold of the sand was greatly enhanced. Some could even feel the sand they were controlling as if a mental link. "Raaah! We got this!" Grunted soldiers putting all of their effort into this precise attempt the Queen had planned. She had to come up with something ever since the attack on all of the Kingdoms. The capital was unharmed but the towns where their food sources were farmed were greatly damaged. So with great conviction did she enact this plan. But she remained observant of what was happening within the sand. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened with shock. Then it turned into a determined glare. "Harden now! The soldiers were taken by surprise a bit. The plan seemed to change. Instead of taking the armor off it was now being solidified around Nuxta. Enchantments were being written on the side of the diamond shaped structure Nuxta was being encased in.
Now the sand storm was no more but the winds remained. Forming a giant visible whirlwind with the snow and dust of the mountain. Mages of Gaia cried out spells to infuse into the stone, these were royals of Gaia who studied under the Magoi. Their power encased the diamond in a barrier. However. As their essence was pouring into the stone to amplify it a silent stifled cry was let out. Then another. The Mages were dropping from something striking them. Something black with a blue streak behind it that moved with blurring speed. By the time they noticed it was too late, three of the mages were slain. Their section of amplification was weakened. This black armored knight with electric blue wings spiraled into the diamond's weak point. An explosion erupted with a visible electric charge behind it. "Enemy in sight!" Stones were thrown in mass towards the diamond structure.
The man standing on the structure was within a crater. He looked at the ground below him. "Undo these bindings." He smashed a fist into the crater's center. It began to crack and give. He was then sent flying as the structure broke apart entirely. Nuxta was now free. The Queen of Gaia looked to Sophia who was prepared to fire on him. "No it can't be..."
Supported by Sophia and the Grimorium Verum, Queen Allo, her brave Gaian warriors and mages put all their effort into the plan. Despite facing an unimaginably powerful enemy, not even a single one of them faltered, truly giving everything they had. But unfortunately, not everything was going as planned...
Sophia observed with apprehension as she saw the plan suddenly changing with the sands hardening around Nuxta instead of trying to take his armor off. Fortifying enchantments, seals she watched with a mix of anger and apprehension as the mages tried everything in their power to keep Nuxta trapped inside the diamond structure. It seemed to work at first, then something started taking out the mages, one by one. A blue streak moving with frightening speed almost instantly took out tree mages before it got inside the diamond.
Much to everyone's despair, a moment later, the structure gave in and the bindings were broken. Nuxta was free once more. When Queen Allo looked at Sophia, she couldn't see the kind, motherly dragon that Sophia was known to be, instead, Sophia's eyes were burning with rage as she bared her fangs. Once more, those who were looking at Sophia were reminded of her true power and how fearsome she could be when enraged.
The time for words had ended. There would be no more attempts to understand Nuxta's goals or try to change his mind. Despite Sophia's patience, despite her kindness, everything had a limit. And she had reached hers. Baring her fangs, ready to fire, Sophia flew up to the skies with a single powerful beat of her wings. In a second, above the clouds she hovered, looking down to where Nuxta was. Then, she fired.
The first second after Sophia fired on Nuxta, it made silence. All the sounds of battle, the screams, everything became silent for a brief moment as the beam made of pure heat and energy flew down towards Nuxta, piercing the clouds and immediately dispersing them, making Sophia's silhouette visible, her wings open as she fired. It was just after she fired that it came. A terrifying screeching sound, almost as if the air itself was crying being cut by Sophia's breath. When it got a few meters away from Nuxta, a rift, a tear in the fabric of reality appeared right in front of him, making Sophia's breath attack disappear inside it.
At the same time, two rifts just like the previous one appeared, on opposite sides around Nuxta and a third one appeared right behind him, where he couldn't see it. Happening in less than a fraction of a second, the beam appeared once again, coming out from the rift which was behind Nuxta, on his blind spot.
Nuxta didn't seem to even look at the multiple rifts opening around him. They seemed to to be of no concern of his. He was clearly seeming confident in his armors ability to defend against any attack. However the nature of the spell concerned the one who had helped free Nuxta. Who was defending from a strike from a large Gaian knight with one arm. "Master!" He yelled. Feeling the inevitable attack of Sophia's incoming to his leader. But as her portal opened to hit Nuxta in the back there was nothing he could do. Being hit with absolute zero Nuxta's armored body began to coat with ice. Ice that formed as result of the spell rather than the accumulated moisture. Covering Nuxta in a solid thick layer of ice. His body then began to plummet.
Soon crash landing into the cratered tip of the mountain. Covered now in rubble as well. The ice seeming mostly unharmed. The Queen of Gaia sighed with relief. Pointing to the remaining follower of Nuxta, the winged knight. They charged to fight him, the smaller Gaian forces reaching him first only to be deflected back by chaotic bolts of lightning until shields of stone were floated before them and hurtled at him. He broke them with his fists but it forced him to deal with the soldiers more and more. [color=08088A]"You FOOLS!"[color] He shouted beneath his helmet. Dragonic raging eyes beneath the casted shadow gleamed bright cyan as he darted with unnatural speed to combat the knights.
Despite having succesfully struck Nuxta with her breath attack, Sophia doubted that it would be enough to even incapacitate him, given both his powers and the armor he was using. Despite the Queen of Gaia's relieved expression, Sophia's eyes were fixed on the crater where Nuxta fell. She could only hope that it would be enough to make him retreat or maybe incapacitate him, but given what she felt earlier, that strange power he held, it was unlikely.
"Don't lower your guards! It's not done yet..." Sophia said, both to Queen Allo and the gaian warriors as she looked to the crater where Nuxta was.
Looking at the center of the crater, Sophia saw the mountain of rubble where Nuxta was trapped. His follower was undeniably a threat, the most sensate thing was to fight them one at a time. That said, in order to try and buy some more time for the Gaian warriors and the Queen, Sophia fired her absolute zero breath once more, aiming at the center of the crater, creating a frozen tomb encasing Nuxta. Hopefully that would give them some time.
"Master!" The black armored minion shouted. His blue electric coated wings unleashed a furious amount of lightning from his body. He surprisingly strong. Crushing Gaian Soldiers armor with his bare hands as he tore through them to get to the ice. But the sheer number and size of the Gaian forces kept him at bay. It was enough to hold back even a massive dragon. He kept fighting furiously. Keeping them at bay precisely to keep himself form being engulfed by their numbers. It however seemed hopeless. His deep care for his so called master shown through his furious rage at Sophia and the Gaians.
While he struggled on the mountain seemed to have reshaped its peak with ice from Sophia's attacks. The pillar containing Nuxta holding strong. Things were quiet save for the battle above.
It seemed to grow quiet around the pillar of ice that was Nuxta's prison.
