A Shrouded World

Cracks appeared all along the miniature moon's surface as it began shattering apart before exploding, black aura consuming it and turning it to ash and rubble.

"How.. have you gotten this strong..?" Moorza asked in shock.

"Does it matter?" Akuro asked, his tone dead and emotionless. He turned his cold eyes to Moorza. "I don't have time to waste on you. Apophus is fast approaching, and I need to take my leave."

"No!" Moorza roared, clenching his fist as his white scales brimmed and his wings spread wide. His horns gave off a silver light as markings appeared across his body. "I can't let you do that. I will not let this world end!"

Moorza's body began to glow as it grew larger and larger, silver light shifting into the shape of a long, serpentine dragon with marvelous glimmering scales and horns.

Moorza rushed at Akuro, but something stopped him in his path, a cloud of shadows clashing against his talons. And then the shadows took on a solid form, a massive black dragon that towered over Moorza in size.

"Meet my newest pet. Erebus." Akuro said.

Erebus easily overpowered Moorza, pushing him back before slamming him to the ground beneath its weight.

Erebus's teeth sank into Moorza's neck, resulting in Moorza letting out a tremendous roar. The quartz pillars began to glow and hum with energy as a shockwave of silver aura exploded out from them, decimating everything in it's path, including Erebus who disappeared in a cloud of black aura.

Moorza's form changed then, shrinking as he returned to his humanoid state. He lay on the ground, panting and bleeding, his wounds slowly healing.

The aura from Erebus returned to Akuro, who's pressure suddenly increased dramatically.

Moorza's eyes widened as he realized the dragon had absorbed his aura and transferred it to Akuro.

"I think I've made it clear that you and I are not on the same level." Akuro said as Azazel appeared beside him, opening a portal of black energy.

"Damnit.. come back! Akuro, are you really going to let all your friends die?" Moorza called out, desperate.

Akuro turned back to face Moorza. "Their deaths." He said, "Are of no consequence to me."

"Well, well, things are getting quite spicy, aren't they? Shall we be off then, Akuro? The sky is going dark." Azazel spoke, looking up.

They sky had become shadowy and dark, the ground trembling.

Apophus was close.

"Yes. We are leaving." Akuro spoke, then disappeared through the portal, followed by Azazel, who was laughing all the while.

"Enjoy your end, Moorza."

•

•

•

Black aura shifted about Darius and the others as Gatekeeper began the teleportation process.

"Be prepared for anything, as you will find this place unlike any other you have ever been to." Gatekeeper spoke, and then, the next moment, Darius's vision went completely black.

Then, like a veil being lifted from his eyes, he could see once more, except now he and the others stood in a gnarled, unnatural world. The ground was covered in whiteish-red roots that all tangled and warped over one another, leading to their origins, countless grotesque trees with winding branches that twisted and thrashed about as if they were alive, red thorns covering them in the hundreds. Around the roots upon the ground were strange dark red crystals, thin and sharp, that jutted out of the black earth.

A stream of blood red liquid flowed by them on the right, and off in the distance Darius could see a huge, dark mountain, lined with the scarlet glow of the sky and black clouds coiling through the air. The roots all pulsated, as though they were fleshy, living things.

"What.. the fuck is this place..?" Onoma asked in awe.

"I don't know, but it smells and looks horrible." Inari complained, pinching her nose.

"It smells like.. " Darius tried to think of the a good description.

"Rot." Sedori said.

"Yeah.."

"So, we need to find a Titan's Stone here?" Onoma asked, "where would we even start looking?"

"I'm guessing there, I mean, it's practically screaming 'here, there is something special here'." Darius said, nodding towards the mountain off in the distance.

"What about Gatekeeper's warning? He said there were… things… here." Inari said.

"Not sure, but I'm sure we could handle it just fine."

"What makes you so sure of that?" Inari asked.

"He said they are neither god nor demon, that they were like nothing we've ever faced. So, I assume we should be careful, Darius." Sedori spoke.

"Look, we've got plenty of power. Honestly, the only beings I'm worried about facing are Akuro and Azazel, maybe a few others, including the Genesis Gods, but that is it. I'm not concerned about anything else because I know we can easily come out on top." Darius said, waving his hand.

"You don't think you're being a bit too overconfident, here?" Inari asked judgmentally.

"No, I'm just saying, we are all pretty strong."

"I mean, honestly, with what I saw from you two I'd say, yeah, we shouldn't have to worry too much." Onoma agreed.

Sedori turned away from the group, walking towards the trees. They didn't seem to react to him, other than twitching motions. Darius realized that at the end of each branch was.. a hand.

"That's just a little disturbing." Darius said.

"See, this is what I imagined hell to be like." Inari said, "Not Xinoll."

"This where the Titans used to be imprisoned." Sedori spoke blankly, as though he were somewhere else in that moment.

Darius looked over at Sedori. He could only imagine the memories the man had come back to him, from the wars he'd fought in, the Titans, to all those who died. Darius felt that he understood. He was in a war, too, after all.