Ensiron:
Spoiler (Click to Show)
Intelligence operations revealed the last haven for The Descendants to be an underground lake deep within the mountain range near the city. At Alexandria’s gates stood Revenant, all members in attendance they stood in a group of four on the outside while one stayed behind in the city.
“Ensiron.” Rio started in his cold, growling low voice, stepping back towards his unarmored and white-haired friend. “Are you certain you do not wish to see the reward of your efforts?”
Ensiron scoffed. “If I could I would, but I can’t keep putting off these talks the other Ethereals want to have with me. Last night I could barely get away from them after our meeting.”
“It is awe inducing,” Rio stated with rising humor, “to see how you treat gods so carelessly.”
“They are only gods on their best days which don’t come often, mostly they are nothing more than annoying in-laws.”
“I can relate to you entirely on that subject!” Rio’s red eyes shut tightly as he mischievously laughed and habitually ran his right hand through his messy, blue hair. Ensiron joined in for a moment only for both of them to be silenced by Rio’s face being smashed against with a tome the same size as his head. The tome’s owner was Kraden, one of the five Revenants and the daughter of the in-laws Rio spoke of. Once Rio finished reeling from the unexpected retaliation his sorrowful gaze fell upon the black haired and blue eyed beauty that struck him. “What? Was that for all those times you told me to wear a helmet?”
Her stance had relaxed and her robe, which Ensiron felt was too long to be on her in the midst of battle, settled back down along the dusty dirt road covering her leather shoes. “Don’t be so base. You wear such little leather padding in the first place, but a helmet would do you some good.” Rio chuckled, running his right fingers through his hair. “If you have time to joke about my mother and father, who love you dearly, then we have obviously overextended our goodbyes.”
“Heh, it was only a quip.” Rio rebutted motioning to hold her, an effort which was halted once Kraden held up her book. To his relief she opened it and pulled out a blood dotted and edge torn papyrus paper with faded scribbling etched into its fibers.
“The ritual of the abyss, is almost ready to be set in motion. They’ve already acquired the blood of a hero,” Toya and Karu, the other two members of Revenant, cringed as she spoke. The two of them plus their fallen brother Enzu made a fearsome warrior trio known far and wide for their unique three-man fighting style as the fearsome Tremor Triplets. Toya with his tower shield outfitted with a crossbow in the center, Karu with his spiked tower shield, and Enzu with his bladed shield managed to fight in unison as though they each shared a single mind. “All the Descendants need now is to wait for nightfall to begin their ritual. Leaving now, close to sunset, I have predicted we shall find their enclave and ritual chamber in the midst of them performing it which means we can strike when their defenses are lowest. At least, this is the plan we discussed and decided on last night. I know none of you want to deal with their ritual being successful do you?” She asked as she placed the paper back in the book and closed it.
Rio’s attitude, and everyone else’s, had become heavy during the short lecture. He turned his head to Ensiron who simply nodded upon eye contact. “For Enzu.” Rio stated in force, triumphantly raising his fist to the sky.
“For Enzu.” The surrounding members joined in, raising their weapons into the air as well.
“May his soul rest peacefully.” Ensiron added. The others nodded in agreement before taking off.
***
The train had left the station half an hour ago and already Zero’s day had become more annoying than how he started it. “As if being cursed to have a rock forever stuck in my shoe wasn’t bad enough, I ran into this Lucas kid.” Zero thought as he stood atop the train facing the young blue haired fighter. They both entered the train at the same time in very unruly moods that, combined with the stale air, lack of elbow room, and the constant whirr of a baby shrieking pushed both the fighters over the edge and they were asked to take their fight elsewhere. Since both needed to get to the city they needed to stay on the train and the only way to sedate their rage and get where they needed to go was to fight on top of it. They were immovable statues held firm by their resolve to quell their own anger. Just as Zero was ready to declare the start of this battle, a familiar voice rode to his ears along the roaring air.
“Ensiron.” The word escaped Lucas’ mouth but the voice didn’t match that of the young brawler from before. This new voice came with a low, cold growling.
“R…Rio?” Zero’s mind reeled at the thought.
“No Lucas, this is my fight. I’m finally getting the chance to punish the one who did this to me.” Zero remained silent as Rio went on. “I’m glad you understand. Now, Ensiron I’ll pay you for what you’ve done to me!” Rio bellowed as he charged forward along the train top at blazing speeds. Zero jumped back to avoid the first blow and summoned his sword to deflect the second. As he went for a horizontal swing, Rio ducked under the blade and countered with a roundhouse. Zero caught the attack inches from his face and pushed Rio back. Regaining his balance Rio fell into his fighting stance. “After all these years and you’re still just as good a fighter, if not better. Must be nice to be a god, live for all eternity and betray any human that crosses your path!”
“What? Rio I-“A blow to the stomach was connected before Zero could finish his statement. The force of the hit sent Zero flying back to another cart and when he regained his balance on one knee he found Rio already following up the blast back with an axe kick. Zero rolled out of the way and amplified the already racing wind to gust Rio off balance who went tumbling towards the end of the cart.
“Coward! Fight me like a true warrior!” Rio yelled as he charged back to Zero. Blow after blow was attempted and parried by each fighter. Zero would dodge and redirect strikes from Rio as he weaved around and deflected swings of the sword. In the midst of this flurry of blows Zero had been pressured to the side of the cart. As the train turned towards an oncoming tunnel Rio took a swing at Zero who lost his footing attempting to dodge and slipped off the edge. In a moment of quick thinking Zero propelled himself with a blast of wind onto a nearby door jam, opened it, and secured himself inside the train. He walked to a nearby middle aged couple ordering food from a stewardess and grabbed a glass of water off her cart.
“So you wanted the salmon ma’am and you sir, wanted the chicken yes?”
“That’s right.” The woman jubilantly responded. As Zero sipped his water another stewardess walked by with two entrées on her cart. He stopped her looked down at the two dishes, one a robustly seasoned yet dry looking piece of chicken next to peas and mashed potatoes, the other a juicy red orange salmon with a side of asparagus and a some poached potatoes. Zero took a piece of the fish and no sooner had he made that decision did he regret it. The tasteless rubber had in that instant made a mockery of everything chefs stood for in Zero’s opinion. He spat it out instantly and guzzled three more glasses of water and before he could catch his breath he lectured the woman.
“Ugh! What is that? Did you just take an old tire and color it up with some spray paint? My god woman! How can you even take pride in serving this to your customers? Ugh, oh! Oh god that was terrible. I’m-I’m sorry but that is just unacceptable even compared to the stuff I ate centuries ago. Which let me tell you, was awful as well. Ugh, I…I…I need more water.”
As he took more water off the other stewardess’s cart he heard the woman speak.
“Um…on second thought, I’ll have the chicken.”
The train had left the tunnel before Zero could finish his drink and no more than a moment had passed since they were in the light when a fist burst through the ceiling and ripped Zero out of the train and back onto the roof. He sat up and noticed his remaining water had spilled on him in the event.
“Great. I just got this jacket cleaned.”
“Ensiron! I will never forgive you!”
“Whoa Rio, two things: one, we need to end this quickly so I can get my jacket to a cleaners so it doesn’t get moldy cause leather and water just don’t mix. And two, IF YOU’D LET ME EXPLAIN MYSELF YOU WOULDN’T BE SO ANGRY!”
“You can’t fool me again!” Rio yelled as he rushed Zero once more.
Jumping to his feet, ready to trade blows once more Zero said to himself, “Centuries pass and still you don’t listen.”
***
“What do you mean my time here is almost done?” Ensiron queried, a furious frustration shaking his voice.
“It means you’re almost done fighting bad guys here! Yup! Ha-ha!” the small girl answered joyfully. Her white blouse bouncing as she dance along to her inner joy and innocence.
“Alright…I still do not understand why though.” He looked at the two Ethereals in front of him. “Maybe it’s because Time is a little girl…and acting like one and you Space are a gorilla but you’ve still got your big-“
“My big what honey?” Space snapped in before Ensiron could finish, swaying her head as she does whenever she pleases.
“Personality?” Ensiron weaseled and then quickly changed the topic. “Regardless I still do not understand why you’re both telling me to move on. What I’m doing with Revenant is it not honing my body enough? Am I not getting closer to a stabilized core so I can become an Ethereal? What is the trouble here?”
Ensiron’s glance fell upon Time for the answers, but though his personality may change the trait of him falling asleep at random intervals stays.
“Mmhmm.” Space started as she picked up Time’s body. “What he tol’ me, was that that group you with ain’t gonna be all lovey dovey forever. Somethin’s bout to go down an’ we wanted to warn you before it was too late baby.” She moved into the dark corner of the cave the three of them were in. “Imma tell you straight up, don’ trust that Kraden gurl. She trifflin and ain’t never gon’ nothing but a backstabbing ho.”
“I only understood half of that. What do you mean I cannot trust-“
“Ensiron!” A distraught female’s voice sounded throughout the cavern. Kraden came rushing in and fell over at the mouth of the cave. Ensiron rushed to her side and lifted her over his lap. There was blood around her stomach where she was gripping a wound.
“Kraden what is wrong? Where is Rio?”
“The cultists they knew we were coming, they set up a decoy summoning circle and ambushed us. Toya and karu were killed in the assault, but they took Rio hostage.”
“How did you escape?”
“Rio, he pushed me out of sight and I made my escape. I figured since you needed to talk to your fellow gods and that you do not like doing it in public that you would be in the nearby caverns so I checked each one until I heard your voice. Please Ensiron we have to save them.”
Ensiron nodded and helped Kraden to her feet. The two then set out to the entrance of the cultist’s enclave. Before they entered she held out her hand in front of him. In it was a small spikey leaf that Ensiron eyed quizzically.
“Eat it.” Kraden commanded before Ensiron could question it. “The cultists have some sort of magic around the area that affects the mind, this nullifies it.”
He took it and as he chewed the leaf Kraden winced in pain at the wound in her abdomen.
“Are you sure you’re alright?”
“I-I have to see Rio saved with my own eyes. I’ll be fine. I have a spell in place that’s closing the wound slowly. The cultists had weapons that weakened my magic with each strike.”
“That’s odd, the cultists we fought didn’t have any more than basic weaponry.”
“Guess they were saving all the good stuff for the more important people.”
“Hmm. You could be right.”
He hoisted her arm over his shoulder and they walked into the enclave. The cave system was winding and dark, but Kraden directed Ensiron as they trekked down its cramped moist expanse. They rounded a turn and a good length away was an opening to a large, moonlit area. When they reached the opening Ensiron put Kraden down and instantly noticed a battered, bloodied, and shirtless Rio on his knees with his arms tied down at the center of a large summoning circle with markings carved into his body. Ensiron cautiously walked sword drawn towards the gigantic inscription. To him there appeared to be only Kraden, Rio, and himself in the area. He even expected the bodies of Toya and Karu to be present but they weren’t either. He turned around to face Kraden and spoke, but no words came out of his mouth. His body felt numb to him but his mind sounded with alarm. He saw her, with another of the same leaf he ingested earlier only now hovering slightly above her hand and glowing a bright yellow. He watched as her mouth formed the name ‘Rio’ and he found himself compelled to repeat.
“Rio.”
Rio lifted his head and acknowledged his ally’s presence. “E…Ensiron?”
He thought about everything he could say to him in that moment, yet not a single word of his own escaped his lips. All that came out was the poison corrupting his speech.
“Heh-heh-heh, Rio. What a fool you were. If only you were wise enough to know what was really happening here.”
Rio’s head remained in the same suspended state, his face was too bloodied to make out proper expression to match his words. “What’s…really happening? I do…I do not understand…Ensiron…”
“Last night, after we made our plans. I took a deeper look into the Descendants and the abyss. I discovered that it’s not a spell to raise Cthulhu, it’s a spell to manifest his power into one being. Also it was not the blood of a hero that they needed to complete it, what they needed was something more difficult to obtain, the soul a hero!” Rio didn’t speak. Ensiron unwillingly continued. “That’s what this runic circle you are chained to is for, to take your soul Rio.”
“Ensiron…we…we were brothers in arms. How could you?”
“Easily, I need to become stronger than my Ethereal brethren and this was one way to do just that. Now, it is not enough to get the warriors soul, oh no, you see it has to be in pain it has to be on fire when it leaves the body so that it has enough torment in it to deliver to Cthulhu.”
“Rio!” Kraden’s voice resonated throughout the chamber. Ensiron felt his body slowly returning to him as he turned to see her grabbing at her wound more desperately than ever with blood pouring onto the ground through her robe. The leaf was nowhere to be seen.
“Kraden! Ensiron, let her go!”
“I’m free!” Ensiron whispered to himself. “Rio! You have to listen, everything I said just now-“
“Why should I listen to you traitor?!” As Rio’s anger rose, so did a blue aura begin to appear out of the runic carving on the ground. “You and I, Ensiron, we fought countless battles together. I left my home to join your crusade and to think that you, a god, would turn around and use me for your own selfish gains!
“Rio! No listen! Ri-“Ensiron had lost voluntary