Chapter 28: Thalorian

Thalorian, Limiria, and Haverian headed out the building in the opposite direction of Yoru and Josh.

“Is this really the best idea?” Thalorian asked Limiria. “We just found Yoru, and know we’re splitting up.”

“We’ll be back together in a week, he’ll be fine,” answered Limiria.

Thalorian didn’t want to say anything but he disagreed with Limiria. The three of them walked out into the freshly started rain. Mud squelched under his boots as he turned the corner into the woods just outside of St.Albert. For the second time during his time in the ‘modern’ era he didn’t know where he was going. At the beginning of his journey time felt longer than it was. Now it felt fast, as if everything was happening at once.

Thalorian’s nerves had reached their peak. He felt he was going to snap if another brick was piled on top of him. His fears, his anxieties, all of them building up and building a circus of terror on his back. Every fight was another life lost, another time he beat the odds.

“Thalorian? Thalorian? Thalorian!” yelled Haverian, trying to get his attention.

Thalorian, realizing his name was being called, answered “Oh, what do you need Haverian?”

“You have drifted off, you were talking about Yoru, and then almost walked into a tree,” said Haverian.

Thalorian looked forward and saw that there was a tree directly in front of his face. “Thank you Haverian.” he looked back at Haverian and still wasn’t used to seeing him back as he was fifteen thousand years ago. His memory fluttered back to when he first met Haverian when he was five, Haverian was the son of a blacksmith and Thalorian was supposed to be mayor of Hirenlia. They grew close and he left to the Fields of Ash because his parents thought Haverian was insane and were to banish him, Thalorian stormed off. In a way, Thalorian’s parents saved him by banishing Haverian.

The trio continued walking. Their destination was back in Calgary. If Thalorian knew anything about Garret it was that he waited for his targets where he knew they would go, the Fields of Ash, Gorn, and now Calgary. Thalorian was conserving his mana for his fights with Bigteeth and Garret. If he was to kill them for the second time he would need all the help he could get.

Thalorian could tell that Bigteeth and Garret had grown stronger in their time in the Nightmare. All people must.

Thalorian shook himself out of his thoughts and looked up, he saw that they had made it out of St.Albert and were on the main trail to Calgary. Boots trudged in the mud and conversations were had along the way. Dead One… he was strong, but in our fight he felt like he was holding himself back. And Haverian, how could he do that? It’s impossible.

“Thalorian, shouldn’t we just teleport to Calgary?” asked Limiria, wondering why they hadn’t already.

“I’m reserving my mana for the fights with Garret and Bigteeth, but I think I can spare a little bit for a teleport,” said Thalorian. “I don’t have very much mana but I have enough.” He looked up, down, left and right before deciding it was safe, “Heven Welyeh Sha Koon.” The world twisted and rapped around the three comrades and spat them out into the streets of Calgary.

Thalorian’s gaze shifted. He was expecting the city he had briefly visited before. Tall, modern buildings touch the skies, people walking down the streets on their way to their next appointment, but now the tone had darkened. People were running amok, talking about ‘The End of the World’ and ‘gray demon monkeys.’ Thalorian saw a small building full of people near him, Droks ran in and out of the building, dragging out metal boxes and other assorted items.

Thalorian walked through the streets once more, this time ready to defend. He peered into any building that looked like a bar; eventually Thalorian had found The Drunken Peacock once more. The place he had gone to after finding Yoru for the first time. As Thalorian approached the door a group of Droks smashed through the window, tumbling onto the ground, motionless bodies. I don’t know if that's a good or a bad sign.

Without saying a word Limiria opened the door, just a crack, to see inside and saw Bigteeth sitting in a chair made of bodies. Garret sat beside him, talking with Cravel and Crael. Bigteeth raised his head as Garret threw a knife at the door. Limiria closed it, blocking the knife.

“Well, they know we’re here now,” said Haverian. Haverian opened the door to a dropkick from Bigteeth whizzing past his face. Thalorian drew his sword and slashed at Bigteeth, who blocked Thalorian’s blade with his thick skin.

Limiria dashed forward and attempted to cut at Bigteeth, but was blocked by Garret, with a dagger.

Garret pointed up before saying, “Look up,” Limiria looked up to see Cravel and Crael with weapons drawn. The female shadowspawn unleashed a barrage of bangs from their metal contraption Thalorian now knew as a gun. Haverian dashed above Limria, several spots of blood appeared on his body but he managed to spin kicked the two of them. Limiria parried an attack from Garret, before Thalorian ran in and slashed at BIgteeth.

“Ha! Bigteeth takes no pain from your pitiful slashes!” roared Bigteeth, bringing his arms down like a hammer. Thalorian jumped back and dashed forward after Bigteeth had raised his arms and cut at his stomach. Bigteeth swung another treetrunk arm at Thalorian, who parried and sliced some skin off Bigteeth, who winced in pain. Thalorian kicked Bigteeth in the chest and he stumbled back a few steps.

Limiria jumped up and swung her sword in a crescent moon shape at Cravel and Crael, slicing their chest. Haverian boosted off the wall of The Drunken Peacock and grabbed Cravel to the ground. Haverian punched Cravel in the face while Limiria disarmed Crael and kicked her to the ground. Cravel and Crael were out for the count.

Garret walked towards the two of them, clapping slowly, “My arch enemy is Thalorian, but you two will do.” A sinister smile slowly grew across Garret’s face as he raised his arms, “Scororn oirarara shunown arery shukman tan, Carnival of Demons.” Five Demons rose from the ground, heads covered in a red ooze. Limiria knew two of them as Kelbi demons. They had small skin covered ears on the top of their heads, blood red heads and orange eyes. They had a sharp, scaly torso and green furry legs with a lime-green long spider-like tail protruding from their back.

“Braris Elia!” Thalorian chanted, firing a blast of fire from his hand. Bigteeth ducked under the blast and punched Thalorian in the gut, sending him into the air. Thalorian recovered and dashed back toward Bigteeth, his shirt had a splatter of blood on it and he cut at Bigteeth.

Bigteeth struck the blade with his fist, sending dirt flying around and covering the battlefield. Thalorian dashed behind Bigteeth, and slashed again yet he hit no target. The sky rumbled above him as Bigteeth crashed down like a lightning bolt. Thalorian was caught under the falling lightning, making him tumble towards Limiria and Haverian, skidding along the ground. Thalorian stood up only to be fired into Garret by Bigteeth, and back to Bigteeth from Garret.

Back and forth and back and forth he went, getting hit around like a pingpong ball. Eventually he tumbled to the ground, battered and bruised. Arcane State! Come on! Activate already! He channeled his mana as he felt when he first unlocked the state, but nothing happened. He tried to feel the rage and anguish he felt, nothing. Thalorian picked himself up from the ground.

“I’ll do this without the Arcane State, I’ve beat you without it and I’ll do it again!” challenged Thalorian.

“Ha! You have moxie foe, but no one can defeat the almighty Bigteeth!” taunted Bigteeth in response.

Round two had begun.

Thalorian and Bigteeth ran at each other, when one punched the other blocked, a strike to the right, a step to the left. They were evenly matched.

Limiria countered a Kelbi demon's blow and stabbed in its chest. Haverian was handling well for someone who had just been revived. Haverian punched a Kelbi demon in the face, but for as many demons as they killed ten more took its place.

“Yes! Yes! Suffer under the might of my Carnival of Demons!” laughed Garret, swinging his legs on the side of a nearby building.

“Haverian! If you can hold off these demons I bet I can get to Garret!” said Limiria, dodging another demon’s sharp blow.

“Sure, for old times sake!” replied Haverian, kicking a demon in the chest.

Limiria ran out of the crowd of monsters using their heads as holds to reach the building. After making it to the top Garret stood up.

Pulling out a dagger he said in a menacing, “Welcome! Welcome to your demise!”

Back outside the bar Thalorian was going head to head with Bigteeth, slash after punch. “Ankst!” A wall of force shot out Thalorian’s palm and hurdled towards Bigteeth.

Bigteeth’s eyes widened. He was remembering how he died, a powerful spell shredding his body. His internal wounds flared as he took the blow head on, ripping his body. I- I can feel it, the mana! Thalorian’s mana flowed like a rushing river, he had obtained the Arcane State once more.

“Ha! What a hypocrite,” said Bigteeth, rubbing his shoulder, “Ha! Well Bigteeth has obtained a powerful ability as well!” Bigteeth’s veins bulged around his arms and his eyes took on a dull grey. “I am the perfect fighter.” Bigteeth’s voice was devoid of emotion, none of the characteristics of it were there anymore.

Thalorian and Bigteeth dashed at each other, firing several thousand blows a minute. They broke apart, Thalorian was tired but Bigteeth was exhausted.

Thalorian’s Arcane State had slightly boosted his healing capabilities. “Shan Vryon,” said Thalorian, healing his wounds.

Bigteeth felt the end, he couldn’t win. “Just do it.”

“I’ll make it quick.” Thalorian pierced Bigteeth’s skull and bore a hole in his brain. He was dead.

Garret parried Limiria’s slash, he let loose a flurry of blows to Limiria’s chest. Limiria stepped to the right and cut open his torso.

“Shan Vry-” Garret was cut off by Haverian kicking him in the jaw.

“Haverian! What are you doing here?” asked Limiria, pinning Garret to the ground with her sword.

“The demons started fading, I was able to get up here because of that,” replied Haverian. Thalorian climbed up the side of the building.

“Hey Garret,” he said with his sword to Garret’s throat. “How’s the havoc going?”

“Terrible, but I will be better soon, Jiyoda has almost completed his plan,” replied Garret.

“And what plan is this?” asked Thalorian, sliding his blade closer.

“Oh, you have no idea what's coming, do you,” said Garret, in a sly voice. Thalorian waited a second.

“Tell me.”

“No… now!” yelled Garret, Limiria quickly killed him but a figure had jumped down from a building, nearby.

They looked exactly like Haverian had when he was a poet, except they had light green skin and black streaks.They looked almost…corrupted. “Hello, brother.”