Chapter 17: Yoru

Yoru trudged along the highway for hours. His feet pounded against the cold wood chips and grass. Each step felt like a million. Yoru was never much of a physical specimen, he was brain over brawn. He preferred digital sports over real ones and his stamina, well we don’t even talk about that.

“Ugh, it's been like six hours and I still can’t find grandma and grandpa’s,” muttered Yoru, “but I guess since mom’s mom and dad are dead it’s here house. I don’t know.

His eyes caught something metallic in the distance. Finally, civilization. Yoru ran as fast as he could, until he saw what the metallic thing was. It had giant spikes coming out of the ground, the metal shifted and turned to catch the sunlight, at every possible chance. Whoa, is this like an alien ship or something? Yoru approached the ship, dagger in hand. Look’s safe. Yoru slid down the crater this mass had created. The metal turned toward him and shot forward, like a missile. It crawled all over his body, twisting and turning, Yoru gagged and choked on the silver mound of whatever this was. Not safe! Not safe! It finally slid down his throat.

“What the fuck was that?” Yoru asked himself.

“A gralan, dumbass, kids these days,” muttered a strange voice, except as whatever said those words said them, Yoru's mouth moved.

“What, the,” said Yoru.

“Do you not know what a gralan is? Anyway names Ae’vora, what’s yours?” said the voice.

“Y-Yoru,” Yoru responded.

“Yoru, eh, nice name, anyway, there's some cool stuff in that wreck over there, look around,” said Ae’vora.

“Fine, I will, but not because you told me to,” said Yoru.

Yoru looked around in the wreck, shifting around rocks and plates of metal. He picked up a book titled: The True Art of Magic.

“So, you seem magical, any idea if this book is real?” asked Yoru.

“Kid, my name means magic of course I know if it’s real, and trust me kid that’s the real deal,” said Ae’vora. Yoru flipped through the pages.

“Feel the mana flow through your body, channel it into the palm of your hand and release it with a keyword…” Yoru read aloud. He stood up from his crouch and started trying to channel mana through his body, following the instructions of the book to the letter. His body started to glow a soft blue as mana flowed through him. “Oh my god, oh my god, I’m channeling mana,” Yoru faced his palm toward a tree and used the one key word in the book so far, “Zephra!” A blast of air shot toward a tree. A dent in the wood appeared as the wind hit it.

“There you go kid, magic, the real deal,” said Ae’vora.

Yoru peeked out of the woods and saw his grandparents house, “Finally, I’m back,” said Yoru. He walked up the patio and into the main house, his hand turning the knob on the door. “Mom, dad!” he yelled, quieter he added, “Harry.” His boots pounded against the floor boards as he looked through the wreckage that was his grandparents house.

Yoru opened the door to one of the guest rooms and the sight wasn’t pretty. The bodies of his mother and father lay on the floor, their blood spelt out a message, You’re next Yoru dear. Yoru turned around slowly and saw a figure behind him wielding a large curved blade.

“Hello, brother,” said the figure.

“H-Harry?” asked Yoru, stumbling back.

“No, no, no I’m the cashier from the supermarket,” said the figure.

“Really?” Yoru asked, confused.

“Of course not you idiot, I'm Harry, Harry what-ever-your-last-name-is,” said Harry.

“You are Harry Faun, my brother, damn I guess split personalities are a thing,” said Yoru.

“Oh dear brother you can call me Dead One, because I am one who is dead,” said Harry, chuckling. As Harry came into the light Yoru could see that parts of his body were missing, a chunk of his chest, his right eye and foot, it was disgusting. Harry, or rather Dead One, jumped atop Yoru and raised his curved blade and brought it down on Yoru’s arm.

“Why are you doing this!” screamed Yoru. Blood seeped from Yoru’s wound, but the same substance Ae’vora was made out of filled in the wound and started healing it.

“Why that’s simple, because I want to, things are just so much more fun when you’re the villain,” said Dead One.

“Zephra!” yelled Yoru, channeling his mana into his forehead. Dead One easily jumped back and slid onto the floor. Yoru stumbled up and cast Zephra again.

“If that’s all you can do, then I don’t even have to worry about dying here, again,” laughed Dead One.

“Ae’vora, got any other spells,” whispered Yoru.

“Just channel your mana kid,” Ae’vora whispered back. Yoru channeled into his palm and faced it back at Dead One, “Graxis Elia!”

Elemental power seemed to surge in his pal and the forces of magic fired out in a supernova of strength. “You can do that?” Yoru whispered to Ae’vora.

“Kid, I already told you my name means magic, all I need is a suitable host to cast from, and you kid are the only suitable host I’ve found in years,” said Ae’vora.

“Impressive, but still not strong enough to scratch me,” said Dead One clapping.

“But that was my trump card!” said Ae’vora, confused.

“I thought you had it all okay? All I had to do was channel!” yelled Yoru.

“So did I, but apparently your brother is a lot stronger than a rank four spell, which for a guy without mana means he’s very strong!” Ae’vora yelled back.

“My brother got beaten by a grade two in a fist fight, trust me he’s not that strong!” Yoru retorted.

“Well whatever happened to him, made him a lot stronger!” Ae’vora retorted.

“And I thought I was the one with the wacky personality, this guy talks to himself, with different names and voices, weird,” said Dead One.

“Look kid, just channel and I’ll just use something else,” said Ae’vora.

“Fine, but don’t you run out of mana at some point?” asked Yoru, channeling.

“At some point yeah, but you got a few more spells left in you, Fornen e’xsen!” yelled Ae’vora, a blast of force shot out of Yoru’s palm and struck Dead One. His body began to twist and turn, it warped and snapped.

“Dammit! Arex No Narin Hen!” yelled Dead One. A golden light consumed Dead One as dark red goo floated out of him. “Ha! I take it back, maybe you are worth my time, dear ‘brother’,” laughed Dead One, doing finger quotes over brother. Suddenly a blade pierced Dead One’s chest, blood pooled out of the wound and dripped down onto the floor. “Well this is awkward,” said Dead One, snapping his fingers before disappearing.

“Who are you?” asked Yoru, looking at the man dressed in a strange, medieval attire with a blade that stood behind where his brother once stood.