Archon of Ashes (Fantasy/Horror)

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I'm sitting here, drooling, wanting more of that story. WE WANT MORE! WE WANT MORE! WE WANT MORE!!!! Good job Shura! I really hope you publish this one day. I'll probably buy all your works. They're bloody amazing! Keep up the good work!

 

All hail! Absalutly and utterly brilliant

 

brilliant shura. how long is this gonna take to finish?

 

Shut up Dalveen, we don't want it to finish! Amazing Shura!

 

Agreeing with everybody else. When you have finished it, you will go and get published. UNDERSTOOD? And you will not DIE. Because this must go on and those other stories too.

 

hey i didnt say i wanted this finished all i aked was how many more posts untill we get the shura story back

 

Well, I'll try my best not to die, Eze.

As for Dalveen's question, probably not in a long time. Shura the swordsman needs a break and so do I. The first chapter or so of Duel & Descent is almost done. Maybe I'll post a teaser topic this weekend, folks, though nothing more for some time.

Meanwhile, I intend to work on Archon and Axe & Thunder. Thanks for everyone's support. Archon will be updated this weekend again, as usual.

 

Cool.

 

It's sunday and no updates yet

 

Sorry for the delayed update, folks, but I've recently been rather ill. Anyway, here it is.
I've tried to make Varleon as different from Shura as possible. Do let me know if I have succeeded, eh?

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Chapter 5: Wrath of Chaos

Lilliana Von Seros stood behind her desk, her child’s face coldly impassive as she listened to Marcus’s report. The younger vampire carried himself with a disgruntled air, for relations between the Councilor and her servant were far from cordial.

“ Has he fed?” She asked curtly. Marcus shook his head in ignorance.

“ I wouldn’t know.” He replied, shrugging his shoulders. “ If he has, I’ve not seen him do so.” The Councilor’s ancient eyes caught him mouthing the words ‘little *****’ silently. Lilliana’s gaze fell upon another vampire in her office. He wore the form of a young man with aristocratic features and was clad in a black business suit. She sent forth a mental command and the suit-wearing vampire’s swinging fist sent Marcus sprawling onto the floor.

Marcus struggled to regain his feet but Lilliana’s servant dropped a foot upon his chest, pinning him to the floor with his unholy strength. He began to exert pressure slowly and Marcus felt his ribs start to crack.

“ Enough, Charles!” Lilliana barked. Charles removed his foot, allowing Marcus to struggle into a pained crouch. He tried to stand but Charles rammed a heel into the back of his knee, causing him to kneel before Lilliana.

“ Do you know my opinion of you, Un-chosen?” The Councilor’s question was rhetorical as she addressed Marcus, using the term for a vampire created without the permission and approval of the Twilight Council. Marcus did not bother to answer. He flashed a contemptuous smile and said nothing. Charles backhanded him violently, flooring Marcus again.

“ Get him out of my sight.” Lilliana said in disgust. Charles smiled at her and dragged Marcus’s prone form out through the door of her office. She cast her gaze about the remaining three vampires in her office. Two of them had the bodies of slim, dark haired women and the third was a hulking brute of a man with his scalp shorn of hair. All three of them were clad in business suits similar to the one worn by Charles. They were her progeny, trained in the arts of battle from childhood and turned into vampires upon acquiring maturity. For years, they had been training, seeking to unlock the unholy secrets of their blood that would grant them the powers befitting that of an undead warrior. Varleon’s return gave her much cause for relief but still; she felt a shiver of pride as she looked upon her newest Archons.

“ Instruments of my will, together we shall reinstate my power over the night once more!” The Councilor proclaimed.

**************************************************


Varleon left his room in the Von Seros Complex and Ivan intercepted him, biding him to halt. The Archon looked at him curiously.

“ The Lady Von Seros requests your presence in her private room, Mr. Bastodene.” Ivan informed him. Varleon frowned in puzzlement.

“ Am I not supposed to keep order in her domain? Why would she keep me from my duties? He asked. The servant merely smiled and shrugged. Varleon sighed and nodded. “ Very well, I shall head there now. Goodnight, Mr. Ivan.” Ivan bowed.

“ Likewise, Mr. Bastodene.” He said. Varleon left him and made his way through the many corridors of the Von Seros Complex before coming to an elevator that required a keycard. He inserted it into the control panel and the doors slid open.

“ This is an age of both great convenience and tedium indeed.” Varleon thought to himself as the elevator doors shut with him inside. Within moments, he stood outside Lilliana’s room. He knocked once upon it and entered when the Councilor’s girlish voice bade him do so.

“ What do you require…” Varleon’s voice trailed off as his eyes fell upon the spectacle within the room. Lilliana had her fangs buried deep into the throat of the woman with the unfocused eyes that followed her everywhere. She fed and her thrall moaned softly in ecstasy. The Archon frowned. It was deemed unsightly to feed in front of others, according to ancient vampire etiquette. Still, Lilliana had told him to enter. The Councilor removed her fangs, letting the sweet scent of blood waft to Varleon’s nostrils.

“ You have not fed since your return, Varleon.” She said, pushing aside her thrall’s head so that her neck was exposed. “ Come, do not neglect your needs.” The Archon was not impressed.

“ I am ancient, far more ancient than you, Lilliana. My blood holds enough potency for me to go without feeding for years.” He stated, turning to leave. “ Now, if this is all you have summoned me for…”

“ Wait!” Lilliana cried. “ What pressing matters have you to settle that you cannot bear one more moment in my presence than is necessary?”

“ The influence of the Chaos Cult is insidious and tenacious. Now that Magra Serra has been largely cleansed and brought into line, I would suggest that you confer with your fellow Councilors to counter the Cult worldwide.” Varleon said.

“ Your duties are being carried out already, my faithful Archon.” Try as she might, Lilliana’s girlish voice and body made her attempts at allure and seduction ghastly and sinister at best. “ Let us enjoy this night together.”

“ Marcus? He is sharp-eyed and keen of wit but he is no match for the least Cultist.”

“ Not him. My progeny guard my domain now.” Lilliana went on to elaborate about the newest addition to her forces and Varleon listened intently, nodding at various details. It was the customary practice of many Councilors to do so.

“ A wise move, Lilliana.” He congratulated her. “ Still, I have no need to feed, though I thank you for your offer.” Lilliana began to speak but a ringing tone caught her attention. She walked over to a small screen set upon the wall and depressed a button.

“ Yes, Ivan, what is it?” She snapped. The servant’s face flickered into view. “ I thought I told you that I was not to be disturbed?” If Ivan was the least discomforted by his mistress’s wrath, he did not show it.

“ My apologies, Lady, but there is something that I think you should see. Channel fourteen.” Ivan reported. Lilliana walked over to the television in her room and turned it on impatiently.

The news was being aired on Channel fourteen. Footage taken from a camera atop a helicopter depicted a scene of chaos. The wreckage of numerous cars lay in burning heaps and no small number of corpses littered the ground. An individual stood amidst the destruction, waving a long, cylindrical tube in one hand and gesturing wildly in the air with the other.

“ The suspect began his murderous rampage in Magra Serra’s commercial district shortly after the sun went down today.” The news announcer’s voice crackled over the television’s speakers. “ Police have failed to subdue him, suffering heavy casualties instead. The suspect is armed with a rocket launcher and the death toll so far has been unconfirmed, though authorities estimate that up to sixty civilians and police officers might be dead or injured.”

The camera zoomed in on the rocket-launcher wielding individual and Varleon saw that it was a vampire clad in a long coat of leather that reached to his ankles. Purple and green tattoos decorated the flesh of his face and he bared his fangs for the world to see. Abruptly, he leveled his weapon in the direction of the camera and pulled the trigger. The scene blurred out in static.

“ The suspect has been demanding that an ‘Archon’ show himself and he has so far ignored all attempts at negotiation.” The news announcer reported. Varleon spun on his heel and headed for the door, his fists clenched tight but Lilliana called out after him.

“ My progeny can handle this.” She said. Varleon looked over his shoulder, his expression one of utter doubt.

“ I recognize him from battles long past, Lilliana. Gustav Von Richter is one of the Cult’s greatest warriors. Fledglings, no matter how well trained, will be no match for him.” The Archon pointed out. Before Lilliana could respond, Varleon had already depressed the switch that opened the door to her room and walked through. Lilliana could only watch his departure forlornly. Her features underwent an abrupt change as door slid shut, contorting into a mask of feral rage.

**************************************************

Varleon stepped through the main doors of the Von Seros Complex, only to find Marcus awaiting him with his car at the ready. The younger vampire flashed him a sardonic grin.

“ The Batmobile is ready, Mr. Bruce.” Marcus quipped. His amusement only grew as Varleon stared back in blank incomprehension. Marcus sighed and shook his head in mock exasperation. “ Expression of a different age.” He explained.

“ It will be faster if I run, Marcus.” The Archon told him. Pulling his head back, Varleon cast his consciousness about Lilliana’s domain, easily locating the demonic and murderous presence of Gustav Von Richter. Marcus shrugged, doing his best to keep from breaking into laughter, for he knew that modern technology still unnerved Varleon, no matter how much the Archon denied that fact.

“ I’ll see you there, then.” Marcus got into his car and revved the engine. Varleon’s hand clamped down on the front hood, easily holding the car in place with his unholy strength.

“ No. This is out of your league.” He instructed. Marcus opened his mouth to protest but his words died in his mouth as he spotted four shadowy figures materialize behind Varleon.

“ Yes, little scum. Stay here where it’s safe.” The vampire known as Charles spoke, his voice little more than a throaty growl. “ The night belongs only to us, the true lords of the undead!” He directed a scathing glance at Varleon.

“ Your time has come and gone, old man. We have little need for antiques.” Varleon turned towards Charles and locked gazes with the impudent youngling. His intense glare seemed to scour every dark and secret corner of the younger vampire’s soul and Charles had to gulp and back away after a few moments.

“ We have little time for such nonsense.” One of Lilliana’s female enforcers said. “ Let us be off. There is much to do this night.”

“ Wait, let me tell you more about Gustav…” Varleon began. The four vampires paid him no heed, fading into streaks of shadow as they sped towards the devastation downtown. “ Stupid children!” The Archon swore at their departing forms.

“ I’m still going, man. You need backup, right?” Marcus looked questioningly at Varleon. He shook his head.

“ Gustav’s power outstrips every Cultist we have fought so far, Marcus. It is best if you stay away.” The younger vampire started to protest anew but Varleon had already left, leaving behind a blurry afterimage as he sped away in the direction of Lilliana’s enforcers.

“ Damn it!” Marcus swore, banging his fist in impotent anger against his dashboard.

**************************************************

Gustav Von Richter stood amidst a sea of carnage and devastation, cackling madly as he surveyed the results of his bloodlust. Charred bodies littered the roads, many of them the undersized corpses of children, for the spot he had chosen for his display lay near one of the many orphanages in Magra Serra. The city’s police force had been mobilized but the puny mortals were hardly a match for him, one of the Chaos Cult’s greatest warriors. He had fought against the True Archons and two of Guilanox’s progeny have fallen to him. He feared nothing for he knew that he was invincible.

“ Fire!” A group of men clad head to toe in the black uniforms of SWAT teams pelted him with bullets from their submachine guns. Gustav laughed in their faces. Lesser vampires might have to scramble and dodge but the streaking projectiles bounced off his skin, inflicting little more than pinpricks of sensation. With a roar, he leapt forward and swung his rocket launcher in a great arc, sending two SWAT team members spiraling into the air, every bone in their bodies broken. He closed a gigantic paw over another man’s head and crushed it easily. His opponents gave a collective cry of terror but Gustav would not let them escape so easily. He kicked out and snapped another man in half before impaling another on his claw-like fingers.

The Cultist tore a man into two bloody pieces from groin to neck and wielded the halves of the body like a pair of macabre flails, breaking bones and crushing skulls with every swing. When he was done, he loosed yet another rocket from his weapon into the barricade that the police had created with their cars, laughing at the resulting explosion and carnage.

“ ARCHON!” He bellowed, shattering every glass surface in the vicinity with the unnatural strength of his voice. “ SHOW YOURSELF!” His words trailed off into an unearthly shriek of fury, causing the eardrums of every human who could hear him to explode in gore.

From the flames, four shadowy figures emerged, moving so quickly that they seemed to have materialized out of thin air. They were impeccably dressed in business suits.

“ We are the Archons of Magra Serra. You have violated the rules of the Twilight Council and must now be Recalled to Sorrow.” One of them said, his voice brisk and professional. Gustav blinked in disbelief at them for a few moments before bursting anew into laughter.

“ You are mere fledglings!” He said. “ Go fetch the Archon, young ones and I shall not destroy you!”

“ Perhaps you suffer from a hearing disability, fool.” The young vampire snarled. “ We are the Archons and it is time for you to die!” With that, he and his companions began to circle Gustav, their fingers stiffening into claws and forms becoming indistinct as they picked up speed. Soon, a blur of darkness, which was all that could be seen of Lilliana’s enforcers, surrounded the Cultist.

Gustav merely chuckled derisively. He lacked the speed so commonplace to many vampires but he more than made up for it in other areas. He dropped his rocket launcher and flexed his arms in eager anticipation. A vampire burst out from the dark ring, snapping her foot into a kick that could bend a bar of steel. The blow rang off Gustav’s ribs and she flowed back into her orbit before the Cultist could respond.

Another vampire emerged behind Gustav and drove his fist into the Cultist’s back before stepping back. Gustav spread his arms out wide, his massive muscles rippling underneath the sleeves of his coat. Lilliana’s enforcers struck again and again, punching, kicking and clawing to no apparent effect on the Cultist’s body.

Eventually, Gustav decided that he had indulged the young vampires long enough and with a great roar, slammed both his massive fists into the ground. The impact was so great that the tarred road under his feet rippled. The enforcers materialized abruptly, for no matter how fast they moved, they were still land-bound. Without a solid foundation for them to step on, their speed would avail them nothing.

Gustav’s gigantic hand shot forth and caught a female vampire in mid-air. With as little effort as a man crushing a fly, the Cultist crushed her in his grasp. The enforcer shrieked and thrashed before fading away into ashes. The Cultist opened his palm and blew her remains into the air, leering as he did so.

“ My turn.” He said. Two thundering steps brought him to another vampire struggling to rise and Gustav kicked him high into the air. The force of the blow was so great that the vampire’s body broke into half as it traveled upwards. Gustav picked up his rocket launcher and sighted it at his bloody, tumbling form and pulled the trigger. Another of Lilliana’s enforcers perished horribly, his burning remains falling gently onto the two remaining vampires. The female vampire cowered in fear, all trace of her training and discipline gone.

Charles roared and leapt at Gustav, pounding his fists futilely onto the Cultist’s massive chest. Gustav chuckled and backhanded him, tearing off Charles’s left arm with a single swipe. He extended a huge finger and rammed it into the younger vampire’s side, shattering ribs and rupturing organs. Charles fell to his knees, blood pouring from his mouth as he looked up into his executioner. Gustav flicked his head off with a snap of his middle finger.

Stepping over the crumbling remains of Charles, Gustav advanced upon the final enforcer. She cowered with her face hidden behind her palms, whimpering and sobbing pathetically.

“ Perhaps I shall take my time with this one.” The Cultist mused. The battle had lasted for less than a minute after Gustav’s retaliation and he felt rather disappointed at the lack of challenge his opponents offered him. He reached down to pick up the whimpering vampire, much as a cruel child might pick up a kitten he intended to drown. His hand closed upon empty air, for another streak of movement had spirited her away. Without turning around, Gustav knew who stood behind him. His shoulders began to heave in laughter.

Varleon held the last surviving enforcer in his arms and his features were grim as he looked upon his ancient adversary. A sudden gale of foul air caused the flames surrounding them to dance wildly, casting the two foes in a myriad of ever-shifting shadows.

“ You.” The Archon said, his voice unwavering despite the fact that Gustav was at least twice his size. The Cultist spun around, spreading his arms in a grotesque parody of joy.

“ Yes.” Gustav growled. “ Me.” Varleon set Lilliana’s enforcer onto her feet and the younger vampire sped off into the night, seeking to put as much distance between her and the scene of battle as possible.

“ Four centuries, Sanguine Seraph! When the cathedral collapsed on you all those years ago, I thought I had lost a worthy opponent!” The Cultist advanced menacingly. “ Come, let us do battle!”

“ Is this how you would spend your immortality, Gustav?” Varleon asked him, not bothering to assume a battle stance. “ There are countless wonders in the world and an never-ending stash of knowledge to acquire. Is this all you amount to? Battle after battle and a pair of hands stained black with murder?”

“ Your preaching is inconsequential, Sanguine Seraph! Who amongst us would seek such ideals with his dark gifts? They struggle for power to rule over the mortals and their brethren alike! Councilor or Cultist, their motives are the same! Shepherd of humanity or Tyrant of darkness, they simply seek to impose their will upon others!” Gustav spat. “ I care little for such nonsense! I desire only battle and carnage! My motives are pure and my means are purer!”

Varleon cast his gaze around, taking in the sights of the countless bodies strewn about and a look of wrath came over his normally composed features. He brought his right fist up and clenched it.

“ You are nothing more than a rabid beast!” The Archon growled.

“ A beast of death and destruction!” Gustav roared, throwing back his head as he did so. “ Who can stop me? Which god has the might to defy me?”

“ I am no god, but I shall put an end to your madness!” Varleon declared, shifting into a battle stance.

“ Yes! Smite me your unholy wrath! Sear me with your righteousness!” Gustav laughed. “ If you can!” He drew back his massive fist and struck. Varleon snapped his leading foot up and intercepted the blow with a kick.

The resulting impact was concussive enough for the flames surrounding them to dance in an orchestration of madness.

 

brilliant. i realized no one was posting a reply, is that because there all speachless at the quality of the work?

 

Brilliant, amazing ect.

 

I believe you did succeed in making Varleon different from Shura. I was half expecting him to charge the other lad, but instead he tried to change Gustav's views! Very un-shura.

 

Sorry for the delay folks, been working on too many story projects. Maiden of Pain was rather draining on me, as I had to delve into deep amounts of psychoticsm to make it truly twisted.

I'm also working on a redone version of part 1 of the Shura story, retitled Son of Strife. It's at least three times longer than the original 'Legend of Shura' and a lot more detailed. Hopefully, I'll get that published as well as my submission for Maiden of Pain.

Enough of my rambling, then. Here's the next part!


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Chapter Six: A Warrior’s belief


Count Iaius stood upon the roof of a tall building, looking down upon the battle between Cultist and Archon. His arms were folded across his chest and his walking stick was grasped casually in one fist.

“ Ah, a sight to behold indeed.” The Blood Magus spared a glance over his shoulder for the vampire that stood behind him. “ I have not seen you for some time, lovely one. I did not expect such a fate to befall you.”

The vampire did not reply. She appeared to be a slim, petite young woman clad in a long, black coat. The hilt of a massive broadsword strapped to her back jutted over her shoulders.

“ Zelkan sent you to destroy the Archon, I presume.” Iaius turned to face her, spreading his arms and adopting a menacing poise. “ You might very well succeed for you have grown much in power since I last saw you. Alas, I cannot allow this.”

The vampire made no move to draw her weapon. She simply stood there, her gaze faraway and unfocused. Seeing this, Iaius lowered his arms and relaxed.

“ You are here merely to observe, I see.” The Blood Magus returned his attention to the battle. “ I have no objections, then.” An eager gleam came into his crimson eyes as the fight went on.

“ Yes, show me your power, Archon!” He said. “ Show me if it is strong enough!”

**************************************************

Cultist and Archon battled furiously, exchanging blows capable of leveling buildings and parrying or neutralizing them. Gustav roared with delight, caught up in an unholy frenzy as his massive fists pounded again and again at Varleon’s dodging form. The Archon dodged some and blocked the rest by intercepting the incoming fist with swirling motions of his hands and redirecting the terrific impact away from his body. He launched snap kicks and elbow strikes at his huge opponent who simply absorbed them into his seemingly invulnerable frame.

Gustav’s fingers tore into the concrete at their feet and he ripped a huge chunk of the pavement away, lifting it into the air. His other fist pounded into the impromptu boulder, shattering it and sending a rain of concrete shards hurtling towards Varleon.

The Archon’s body blurred into a dark streak, dodging the shards of concrete and charging towards Gustav as he did so. The Cultist swiped a backhand as Varleon neared, only to catch air as Varleon slid in low and caught his ankle in one hand and his belt buckle in another. With a mighty heave, Varleon flung his opponent high into the air and dashed off towards a building, relying entirely on his speed to run vertically up its pitted walls. He soon overtook the ascending Cultist and leapt off the walls to intercept Gustav’s massive form. The Archon slammed both his fists into Gustav’s back, sending him hurtling back towards the ground.

The Cultist braced himself and landed on his feet, creating a huge crater in the street. He laughed in contempt, hardly hurt at all. As Varleon descended, he was swatted aside by Gustav’s huge fist and sent flying into the wreckage of a police car, hitting the ruined vehicle with such force that it flipped over and bounced a few times before coming to rest.

“ You will have to do better than that!” Gustav bellowed, his voice thundering down the length of the street that more resembled a battlefield than a city district. Varleon burst forth from the police car and landed in a crouch before the Cultist. He tore off the remains of his shirt and jacket.

“ Oh, I will.” There was a gleam in his crimson eyes previously absent. Gustav felt a chilling tingle run down the length of his spine as he beheld the visage of his old nemesis, the Sanguine Seraph. He roared away his fear and raised his hands, forming them into claws.

Varleon obliged him, breaking into a charge so quick that Gustav’s eyes failed to register the movement until the Archon’s fist had pounded into his broad chest. The force of the blow was so great that despite Gustav’s massive bulk, the Cultist was flung off his feet and sent flying. Gustav snapped his hand down, digging his fingers once more into the concrete in a bid to arrest his flight and regain his feet. Varleon was there, following his progress and knocking away his hand with a sweeping kick, sending the Cultist into a spinning twirl. The Archon caught Gustav’s neck in the crook of his elbow in the midst of his spin. A single heave sent the Cultist slamming into the concrete once more, his body creating a furrow as it slid along the street.

Gustav leapt to his feet, turning a complete circle in the air before landing. There was a feral grin of delight on his face. “ That’s the spirit, Archon!”

Varleon did not respond. He began walking towards Gustav, his fists clenched by his sides. Gustav swung his fist in a thunderous right cross as Varleon moved into range. The Archon snapped his leg up and brought it down into a heel-strike upon Gustav’s fist, deflecting the blow. Before the Cultist could even begin to stagger off balance, Varleon’s knee crashed under his jaw, snapping his head back. The Archon rained a flurry of blows onto Gustav’s staggering body, ending with a final kick to his midriff that sent the Cultist flying once more.

Gustav roared as he climbed back to his feet. Bruises now showed on his face and a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. Even the regenerative abilities a vampire was cursed with could not keep up with the damage Varleon had inflicted on him. He took a step forward, and stumbled to one knee, his vision swimming.

“ Yield.” Varleon walked right up to stand before Gustav. “ Submit to the will of the Council or be Recalled to Sorrow.” A pale blue radiance began to emerge from the Archon’s skin as he called upon his command of Negative Energy. Now, his touch would reduce any vampire to a pile of ashes within moments.

“ Why have you held back your Death Touch until now, Archon?” Gustav growled. “ Do you take pleasure in my torment?”

“ No.” Varleon said, the gleam of battle-fury fading from his eyes to be replaced by a somber look. “ I was simply reluctant to destroy one of your age and wisdom.”

“ Age and wisdom?” Gustav echoed incredulously. “ Your words make little sense!”

“ We have withstood the passing of millennia, Gustav. We should not die like this, tearing and raking at each other like rabid beasts.” Varleon went on. “ A death in battle is hardly a worthy death. Live, Gustav, and find a cause worthy of an immortal’s dedication.”

“ Live? We are already dead, you fool!” The Cultist leapt forwards, seizing Varleon’s hands in his own. The Archon cried out, thinking that Gustav was doomed but the tattoos on the Cultist’s flesh flared, generating crackles of arcane power that withstood Varleon’s Negative Energy.

“ What?” He began, before Gustav snapped his head forwards into a ferocious head-butt that sent Varleon reeling away with a shattered face. Gustav broke both of Varleon’s arms at the elbows and slammed his massive fist into the Archon’s back, grinding him into the concrete.

“ You did not think I would come unprepared, did you? The Chaos Cult counts a multitude of sorcerers and diabolists amongst their number. One of them was bound to have a spell that could negate the very thing you Archons are so feared for, however momentarily!” The tattoos faded from Gustav’s flesh, their power spent.

Varleon’s wounds faded away swiftly and the Archon began to push himself up but Gustav dropped a heavy boot down onto his back, pinning him to the street. The Cultist leaned down and tore a huge chunk of concrete from the street once more. He brought it high in readiness for a final, crushing blow.

“ Your stupidity has cost you much, Archon! Farewell!” Gustav cried. Varleon growled and struggled to no avail under the Cultist’s boot. Gustav paused momentarily, though as a curious sound reached his ears: the revving of a car’s engine. He looked over his shoulder just in time to see a car driving towards him at full speed.

“ Hey you!” Marcus shouted from behind the steering wheel. “ Your ma’s a hooker!” Gustav had no time to step aside before the vehicle smashed into him with a terrific crash. The car’s metal frame folded over Gustav’s gigantic body as Marcus burst out from the windscreen to land rolling in a bloodied heap some distance away.

“ Argh! You little maggot!” Gustav flexed his mighty arms, tearing his body free from its metallic cage just as the fuel tank exploded, wreathing him in flames. The Cultist shrieked in agony, as he became a humanoid torch.

“ Oh, ****!” Marcus swore as he beheld the disaster. “ Old-timer!”

“ I am here.” Varleon’s calm voice came from behind him. Marcus spun about to see the Archon standing there, the remains of his clothes slightly singed. He had utilized his great speed to escape from Gustav’s pin split seconds before the ruined vehicle burst into flames.

Gustav turned towards Varleon, his flesh burning away. He growled. “ Archon!”

Varleon walked towards the Cultist and stood before him, looking up into Gustav’s agonized eyes.

“ The coup de grace.” Gustav said, his voice now calm and composed. Varleon nodded and clenched his fists. With a roar, the Cultist swiped at Varleon. The Archon dodged under the blow and countered with an uppercut to Gustav’s jaw. Bereft of his protective tattoos, Gustav was no longer immune to an Archon’s deadly touch. He fell to his knees, his body arching back so that his face was to the night sky. Even as he felt his undead frame crumbling away, Gustav’s eyes sought Varleon.

“ This is the way to die, Archon. In battle, like any true warrior should.” The Cultist reiterated. Varleon looked away, his face full of remorse.

“ No.” He disagreed, even though he was already speaking to a pile of smoldering ashes. Varleon looked at his battle-worn hands and swept his gaze over the many corpses that littered the site of battle.

“ No.”


**************************************************

Count Iaius clapped his gloved hands soundly as the battle drew to an end. “ Bravo! Bravo! Most entertaining…and informative.”

He turned towards the other vampire that stood beside him and flashed a patronizing smile. “ Do you not think so?”

The other vampire did not respond. Her gaze was fully riveted not on Varleon, but on Marcus. Her lips moved slightly as she mouthed his name. The Count did not bother to note her response anyway and he spun away, twirling his walking stick in a flamboyant gesture.

“ It was a pleasure to watch such a show with you, lovely one, but now I must depart on business of my own, as I am sure you have to as well.” Count Iaius called over his shoulder. “ Do give my regards to Zelkan, if you still have the mental capacity to do so, that is. Farewell!”

She paid the departure of the Blood Magus little attention as she watched Marcus lead Varleon towards an abandoned car. The younger vampire hotwired the vehicle, ignoring the Archon’s protests and the duo drove away into the night. Behind her, Count Iaius chanted an incantation and his body broke apart into a flight of crimson bats. The flock of unnatural creatures took wing and flew after the vehicle in which Marcus and Varleon traveled.

“ Marcus.” She said softly, touching a thin bracelet of silver around her left wrist. “ Marcus.”

**************************************************

They stopped the vehicle a few blocks away from the Von Seros complex and made their way there on foot, Varleon attracting a fair number of stares due to the state of his clothing. The pair entered the lobby swiftly; glad to be away from the many curious looks directed towards them. There, the sight of Count Iaius chatting amiably with the receptionist greeted them.

“ What the hell are you doing here?” Marcus cried. The Count ignored him, turning all his attention to Varleon.

“ Greetings, Archon of Magra Serra.” He bowed deeply. Varleon nodded in acknowledgement.

“ Greetings to you as well, Count.” He replied. “ Dawn is not far away. What brings you to this venue at such hours?”

“ I have come to propose a mutually beneficial and profitable venture.” Iaius said. Marcus’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“ Don’t trust him, old-timer! He’s a double-dealing, back-stabbing bastard.” The younger vampire warned. Iaius bowed once more to Marcus, as if acknowledging a compliment. Varleon held out a hand to forestall any more of Marcus’s outbursts.

“ My fellow Archon has named you untrustworthy, good Count. Why should I believe otherwise?” He asked.

“ I am untrustworthy in many matters, save for those that involve profit, for a businessman must maintain a degree of honor if he wishes to continue his business, does he not?” Count Iaius countered. “ The lady Lilliana has a history of hiring my services on a few occasions. Why, your very return to the world of the living was facilitated by my spells!”

“ There is little you can offer me.” Varleon said.

“ What about your memories?” Iaius pointed out. Seeing a look of interest grow on Varleon’s face, the Count laughed and went on. “ I can offer you a chance to dispel the mists that cloud your recollections!”

“ What would you want in return?” The Archon frowned.

“ Little, save for your presence and the employment of your Negating Touch.”

“ I shall destroy no vampire at your behest, Count! Regardless of the prize you offer me in return!” Varleon declared, fast losing his patience.

“ Calm down, sir. I have said nothing of killing.” The Count raised a hand in a gesture of pacification. “ I have located an Archon Shrine and require your aid in gaining access to it.”

“ What?” Varleon rocked back on his heels, trying to digest the shocking information.

“ The wards that guard its entrance can only be dispelled by an Archon’s touch, hence the request for your presence.” Iaius pushed his tinted spectacles higher up on the bridge of his nose, obscuring his crimson eyes totally.

“ What is it you desire from the shrine?” The Archon demanded.

“ An ancient tome, its whereabouts divined from questions directed at otherworldly creatures. I am a Blood Magus, and I seek the secrets within the tome.” Iaius said, a note of avarice entering his usually composed voice. “ How the tome came to end up within the confines of an Archon Shrine is unknown to me, though I know I must have it!”

“ I do not trust you, Count Iaius.” Varleon said. “ Yet, your offer is fair and reasonable. What secrets does the tome hold?”

“ Ah, sir Archon, if I told you about them, they would not remain secret anymore, eh?” Iaius chuckled mockingly. “ So what is your response to my offer?”

“ I agree to your terms, though you should know that I shall come after you if you bring peril to Magra Serra through the usage of whatever unknown lore is hidden within the pages of your precious tome.” Varleon said, waving a hand to silence Marcus’s protests.

“ The issue is settled, then.” Count Iaius dipped into yet another deep bow, the outlines of his body becoming indistinct. “ I shall contact you again on the date I would require your aid, Archon.”

“ Farewell.” Varleon acknowledged. The Count’s form broke up into a flight of crimson bats that flew through the glass doors of the lobby and into the brightening sky.

“ Bloody show-off!” Marcus growled. Varleon watched the Count’s departure for a few moments before walking towards the private lift. There was much he had to arrange with Ivan to smooth over the nature of the devastation wrought by Gustav.

 

Brilliant Shura. Lovley description on the battle scene

 

I LOVE THIS. And yeah, good luck on getting Shura published.

 

THREE TIMES LONGER?! *drools*

Anyhow, very groovy.

 

Really enjoyed that one. Good luck with your publishing.

 

Good luck with your publishing too, although I doubt the story on the Boards will be the same as the one on the bookshelves (assuming it got published, anyways).

 

Come on. Its been ages add more

please please please please please please please please please please please please please please