Eight Gods on a Windowsill

When my sight returned, I was greeted by a very familiar sight. A tall eight-fingered carrot of a man, whose muscles and edgy haircut made him look like a cross between Arnold Schwarzenegger and AJ McLean. His deep green eyes burned with ferocity. Only after having spent time in Ashe'gard did I realize just how different Abryi dressed from the rest of his people. While most people would think of kings and emperors as dressing in an overly elaborate or militaristic fashion, Abryi chose to dress in a more humble manner than that. Yet, the boldness of his people with their body accents was absent from him. He wore no overtly noticeable piercings. He wore bands around his tendrils made of gold and steel. The plate on his shoulder appeared to be bolted down but was rather fashioned in a way that the mail shirt that he wore beneath was adhered to it and was fashioned shut with a leather belt beneath. His pants were made of silk with steel plates sewn through. He did not attempt to hide his readiness for battle. Even now, Malda was trained on the two kobolds.

"Mara, how did you get yourself into this?" He remarked.

I laughed. "Easy for you to say when it was because of you that I am in this situation. Do you not finish what you start?" Then, I inquired, "I thought Lousfrith was repairing the weapons?"

Now, it was his turn to chuckle. "You think a Minor One is going to take forever when there is bigger fish to fry out there?" Abryi tossed something at my feet wrapped in a white swaddling cloth. "You might need this. It'll assist you better as you hone your abilities."

At this point, Hagnr and Zoldya were getting quite antsy with all the small talk we were making. I bet they were feeling like quite the nonissue here. I could feel their will heighten as it bore down on the air pressure. Of course, Hagnr was the first to bark. "If it isn't the war criminal himself, what do you think you have the right to after I made you leave this place? Why bring your soldiers here again?" He didn't even wait for Abryi's answer. "This time, I am going to make sure that your precious little empire is in shambles."

"I authorized no such thing." Abryi countered. "Harvey, you know anything?"

"Nothing."

I turned to the voice. Up high on the top of one of the bluffs was an unassuming man with short comb-over-style brown hair and a pair of pajamas under a bathrobe. The one and only Harvey Alford Dent. I withdrew my attention from Harvey, now understanding how Abryi arrived so easily. Instead, I focused on the package in front of me.

Inside the swaddling was a leather belt with a holster combination and my onyx sword. It's no wonder that Abryi thought this would help me greatly. I could focus my abilities through it. How much different can a weapon be after it has been restored to its original enchantment?

Very. Came Lillith's response. Enchanted weapons were meant to make heroes of mortal fractions. They are not easily used to their fullest capacity nor are they able to be used by just anyone.

I immediately put on the belt and sword as Hagnr and Zoldya came rushing towards us. Abryi readied himself. I braced for impact. And, as they clashed with my barrier, I heard it.

"Dead Space."

Instantly, all visibility beyond two miles was gone. Not just blurred, gone. It was as if we were trapped in a box. I couldn't begin to contemplate it at that moment. It took all my efforts to focus on the two in front of me.

"Mara, I will handle Hagnr. You take care of Zoldya." Abryi commanded. "Just worry about incapacitating them. I don't want to create any more hostilities than there already have been. I have to get to the route of what Hagnr was implying."

I nodded.

I lit my hands in black flames as I lowered my barrier. Whatever this ability that impaired our vision was, it was probably Harvey's doing to make sure that the battle was contained. As Zoldya came in even closer to land an emblazoned hit of her own, mine connected first. "Gorgon Dragon Flash Strike." A flurry of hits struck her body all over, leaving behind black flames with each impact and pushing her back far enough that I had time to draw my blade.

"Interesting." She noted my attack. "Such newfound precision. I wonder if that good-for-nothing goldbrick's arrival made you feel more keen to destroy what you do not understand."

As Abryi was going blow for blow with Hagnr like two frat boys drunkenly fighting over the same college strumpet, Zoldya and I were merely sizing each other up. While I knew Hagnr was skilled enough to make his flames so concentrated that it became like a laser made from plasma, the only thing I could tell from his sister was that she used lightning. I wasn't even sure how.

She must think that we are building an army for the sake of taking over the known universe or something. I remarked to myself.

I doubt she even knows of A'grappa's arrival. Came Gilgahlad's voice. Such shortsightedness.

You're one to talk. Tiamat quipped.

Enough arguing you two. Kaddyr scolded. The pot calling the kettle black.

I searched through my mind, trying to figure out a good technique I would have to restrain her. Nothing came to mind. All my barriers and abilities were meant to destroy or prevent destruction. If her brother could burst through my barrier, I doubt I could hold her in one. There were a few sealing techniques that Uth and Gilgahlad had, which I could use, but that forced me to weaken her first.

"I guess I will go with that after all." I commented aloud, watching the confusion on Zoldya's face. I ignored her as I placed my hand over the onyx. Each one of the onyx spines became enveloped in a different ability I had within myself. An element of each kind. Earth, wind, fire, water, ash, and lightning. "Druidic Charm." My voice steadied, my eyes transfixed themselves on her, and my focus was clear. Zoldya Halfhand must die.

My movements became more fluid, my speed increased, and my attacks became sharper. I wasn't about to let her have the best of me. Not now, not ever. I pressed her back as I attacked, keeping her on the defensive. She did her best to dodge every single one of my attacks, careful to not let any of them make contact with her. I could sense she had an idea of just how much mana was poured into my blade and what its strike would do. I wasn't giving her the chance to even strike back in a counterattack. While I was swinging at her one way with my blade, my other hand was similarly coming at her from the other side. Eventually, she was going to have to block my attacks. At that point, I would have her. Finally, I saw an opening. She hesitated. I came down with a heavy strike before her, making contact with the sand just in front of her body. "Senju Rajomon." Instantly, six tall barriers of each of the elements encased her where she stood.

I turned away from her, now focusing on Abryi and Hagnr. "That was a little easier than I thought it would be." I quipped.

"Almost too easy, wouldn't you say?" A voice replied next to me.

I spun in the direction of the voice. Zoldya was standing there unharmed, emitting swathes of lightning, like armor, scorching the sand all around her. Behind her, there was a definite scar of burnt glass that led back to the box of barriers I had made to contain her. I cussed, releasing the barriers. "Much."

"My turn." A sneer crept across her face. The air pressure began to heighten even more as the lightning surrounding her began to go wild. The lightning lashed out against the sand and sky and anything in reach.

Abryi and Hagnr paused mid-strike. The both of them looked over at her. Hagnr's tone came out very worrisome as he remarked, "Here she goes. You might want to hide behind something."

Abryi looked surprised. "She's grown quite strong in the last ten years." Then, he added, "Wait a second, are you actually telling me to hide? Are you finding some empathy for your enemy, Hagnr? I thought I was just some war criminal that you wanted to put down."

 "Nothing so easy as that." He responded. "You were the strongest person I have ever fought. It would be a shame if you were to die so easily to my sister."

"Yes, I am sure that is the reason." Then, Abryi turned to me, "Mara, Hagnr is right; you might want to find cover."

"I have a better idea." I teleported over to Abryi, grabbing onto Hagnr and encasing us in several of my strongest barriers. "Dashastarah Parvatah."

"Flash Drive."