Chapter XIII

Glass dust and debris, ashes fluttered through the valley like flaming birds. The smooth and fine grass swayed to the rhythm of a blackened breeze. The smoke ran, and everything moved northward. The currents fled the fight; the animals followed in the same direction. All of nature was fleeing. Flames covered the forest, a combustion of green flames moved between the trees, like torches the height of fifteen men; very soon everyone would narrate the battle of the Valley of Angsiss.

Emsys's body remained buried; his leg and arm were completely compressed by the rocks, but his mind and hopes were intact. He didn't know if his plan would work, but having hope wouldn't kill him; the collapse would take care of bleeding him out.

The shadow stretched across the valley. Meid lay face up with his intestines out, fury still painted in his eyes.

-- Damn bastard, completely stained the breastplate. Listen, kid, I know you're here. I hear how you breathe, I hear clearly how you choke back the sobs for this bastard.

-- You know he came here to kill you. It was thanks to him that I found you, but don't worry, you'll soon learn.

Vaf was hiding in a nearby mud pit, soaked with mud, and worst of all, he was crying.

-- Come out already, boy. It's all over, just you and me. That friend of yours is gone. I'm the only one left in this forest.

Vaf felt it was true; his master hadn't appeared. It turned out that Meid was his executioner, not even that wizard's crows were nearby. He was alone. He saw the flames and lightning. In this desolate scene, he saw a rabbit. They both stared at each other. Vaf cried silently, as it was the only living being left to accompany him, with big eyes and cottony ears. Their connection lasted as long as Minjard's spear allowed. The blade entered through the rabbit's forehead and split its eyes in two slashes.

-- Haha, it's a good hiding spot, but you have a destiny with me.

He grabbed Vaf by the arm and pulled him out. The veil of wet earth fell away. Vaf no longer resisted, knowing he was alone and would never escape from this entity disguised as a man.

The dark verses, the spectral rhymes were pronounced; the darkness was to cut the valley's reality in one stroke and manifest the vortex of Mitras. Minjard was impressed, having never erred in these holy words. What's happening? His god was not attending. The Viruida spear vanished from the rabbit's skull. Minjard felt a strange heaviness. The plan had worked.

The claws that blackened the sight of fifty men in one night struck full force into the general's belly, who hadn't noticed the creature's approach. Fortunately, the armor he wore was his own and not a concession with the god of specters. The general dismounted from a twisted trunk, feeling fear and strangeness, having never faced such a disadvantageous situation. But a figure like him could only demonstrate confidence and ease.

He unsheathed the flaming sword from his belt and removed the armor, as it slowed him down. Melkar was larger than ever, and Angir knew they had to finish him once and for all. He was not one of those brothers.

"Aahgrrrrrerrrahrrrrr" the beast's furious wave made the oaks and cinnamon trees vibrate. Minjard, true to his style, charged first, holding the flaming sword in his right hand. The holy weapon ignited the air in green flames. Emsys saw the excitement of combat in the eyes of the one who had promised to be his executioner. The claws sizzled and clashed with the general's burning obsidian. They clashed two, three times, alternating between left and right. At the third clash, Minjard slipped behind the beast, but its speed allowed it to recover. The contenders took two leaps back and charged again. The obsidian blade's edge was fiery. The general knew the only way to defeat this beast was to cauterize its wounds, preventing the blood fusion. Despite losing his powers, his weapon gave him a significant advantage. Melkar deflected the attacks with its claws. It was when the general set the field ablaze with otherworldly flames. The flaming sword allowed him to unleash fiery waves as he wished. Emsys defended, and the gusts began to scorch the creature's forearms. Melkar couldn't even approach, the magical display was such that much of the forest was already burning. It was time for Angir to get involved. Emerging from behind Melkar and with the help of the Utue sword, he contained and deflected the flames. The weapon, gifted by the volcanic tribe, allowed him to store great amounts of heat without the iron becoming soft. Angir and the beast advanced through the scorching gusts. Seeing that they were soon facing him, the general launched his fire-charged sword to pierce both opponents with a single thrust. Emsys gathered the creature's flesh to take the impact and threw the weapon far from the fight. Both seized the opportunity to attack the assassin, who dodged their strikes or reflected them with his gauntlet. He remained as quick as ever. Soon they cornered him near a pit. Believing victory was near, the general seemed exhausted until suddenly, the flaming sword re-materialized in his hands, and with a horizontal slash, he slashed open the bellies of his two attackers. Seeing the efficiency of his attack, the general regained strength upon seeing the blood flow and attempted a second attack. Emsys protected his ally with a flesh shield, which wouldn't last long against the greenish flames, thinking Angir was close to leaving this world. But the indigent sorcerer hadn't come to the battle without guarantees.

-- Listen to me, Vaf. We need to finish off that man now. I need you to replicate the magical concentration I taught you, but do it on me. Only then can I face him.

Vaf, still scared and breathless but happy, as he wasn't alone as he had been made to believe.

-- Of course, sir. I think I can do it from this distance.

-- Good. Don't move from here for anything in the world. If you stop feeling me, it means I've died, and you must run, understand?

Vaf nodded, as it was an urgent situation, and sadness would have to wait.

Angir was a very skilled mage, able to use construction configurations, magic dispositions that allowed him to control elements of nature. The problem for all mages was lacking an energy source, but the brown mage had the support of the orb and its unlimited energy.

He returned to the battle and healed the wound inflicted by the cursed weapon. The fight continued. Emsys removed the barrier, and the sword exchanges resumed. The viruta fell off after each clash. Melkar manipulated his flesh to attack with eight monstrous tentacles that struck and whipped the general, who dodged them. Angir took advantage and struck himself with lightning to mold it using the construction configuration. As Minjard sliced through the tentacles, he was surprised by an electric arrow that fried his chest and sent him two meters back. Emsys didn't waste the opportunity and furiously lunged with the beast, connecting two slashes to the general's face and arm. In a furious shout, the general unleashed fiery waves to regain distance. Angir, seeing this desperate attempt, charged the ground with lightning that demolished the surface until it struck the general, who dodged, losing position. The three then moved in to finish it. The general decided to finish the creature first and with a furious thrust pierced Melkar's belly, cauterizing the wound and leaving a hole in the creature. He dislodged the sword from the beast's side to give Angir the same dose, but his arm was stopped by the beast's magical flesh. Minjard sliced through the tentacles holding him to continue clashing with the creature. The clashes were furious. The general knew if this wasn't his last battle, it would be his greatest victory. Melkar blocked with its claws the strikes of the burning obsidian. The general was expecting a surprise attack, as the indigent mage had disappeared from the battle. Melkar extended an arm to grab the sword and met a quick cut that severed his arm. The general decided to end it and charged a fiery strike against the beast. Emsys reasoned it was necessary to take the hit to finish this battle. As the general approached rapidly, he saw his prey through the beast and, fired up with the desire to win, pierced the beast through both sides.

-- I can see you, and I will give you the same fate as your puppet, just wait.

Said the general, looking into the dark brown eyes of the summit mage.

-- I think you and I will say goodbye here. Thank you for not taking me seriously.

Melkar spoke these words, convulsing and spitting blood from his mouth. This disgusting spectacle distracted the general, who soon found himself covered by Melkar's living flesh. The flaming sword wouldn't come out; the crushed bones held it back. "Damn it, where is the other bastard?"

The general was right. His concern was not unfounded, as he could see a luminous spark illuminating a mound of earth. About 30 meters away was the wretch, along with the kid, concentrating the charge of several lightning bolts directly into Angir's hands. In a blink, the electric arrow pierced through Minjard and Melkar's intestines, frying the combatants' torsos and leaving a trail of flames and destruction that reached the river.

Minjard fell to his knees, the emblem of the specters slipping from his fingers, the lightning had drained his strength to lift it. One of his arms was fried; there was nothing to be done. He didn't feel despair or anything, just tired, tired of fighting. Blood was pouring out from his abdomen in a torrential cascade, he was so exhausted that he even felt relief at not being able to move. He began to feel every wound; there was no doubt, he was going to die. Die, die like so many lives he had extinguished. In death, there is nothing but the void, the darkness. You are not dead if you go to the Underworld or the valley of the specters, but no dimension would receive him. His god wasn't listening; the sword no longer responded to him because when one surrenders, the deadly flame sword seeks a new bearer. The landscape was already dry, the dawn and the fighters had synchronized to bring calm to the valley. Minjard looked at the panorama, the last memory he would take with him was beautiful; he saw his killer approaching with blackened hands, for a magical display of that magnitude is not free, but it's a nice mark. Now everyone would know him as the Brown Sorcerer with Crimson Hands. Who would pursue him after knowing he had killed the general, the executor, the inquisitor of Reden?

-- Finally, it's over, I hope this is the end you expected for your life.

Vaf didn't speak, he just watched, but he had an expression of relief.

-- It's what I expected, it was a great fight, and they were good opponents.

The general was someone who greatly respected fights; he was passionate about them and would only have accepted death if it came in this form.

-- Why? What did I do to you?

Interrupted the pupil.

-- Ha, nothing, son, nothing, I just needed you.

-- For what?

-- Someone like you would have helped me recover something I lost, something I took from myself.

No one understood anything. Was it a trick? Did he want to touch some sensitive nerve for pity? Angir didn't want to waste any more energy.

-- It's time, say the last thing you have to say, murderer.

-- I am from the Fields of Earin, and my name is Héctor Dehfrey.

Angir didn't hesitate any longer, and looking his victim in the eyes, he thrust his sword into the general's throat. The general didn't flinch; he kept his back straight and chest raised even as the blood streamed from his neck. Soon, his lifeless face hit the muddy ground.