Valric

I knelt at the foot of a throne, constructed out of pure, golden light. The man, sat upon the cumbersome chair, answered to many titles: the weak and powerless one, he who has been defeated one million times before, the Sun Reaver, Valric. The shipwright and figurehead of the SC-1089V.

He was revered as both God and the Prophet. His belief, that weakness veiled strength, that submission ensured victory… earned the passions of one billion men and the terror of several more. His greatest victory and largest failure – The Triumph, in which his actions inadvertently led to the defeat of two hundred and fifty million enemy combatants during the battle of Skleritov, would forever haunt him with ghastly fervour.

Valric stared upon me with leaden eyes. He spoke with deliberation – each word rolling thick and slow off his tongue, like dripping honey.

“Y o u  m a y   r i s e.  C o m r a d e.”

I rose to my feet, still careful as to not gaze at him directly. Valric had only ever been a man I could regard from the corners of my eyes.

“I  d o  w i s h  y o u  w o u l d  l o o k  a t  m e  p r o p e r l y,  I l l u m i n a n t.”

“I apologise, Valric. Unfortunately, Selene has little use for blind, broken warriors.”

From my peripheral vision, I could have sworn I saw the edge of a smile creep across his shining face.

“Y e s.  S h e  h a s  a l w a y s  d e t e s t e d  w e a k n e s s.  D o  y o u  d e t e s t  m e,

I l l u m i n a n t?”

I rose from my knees and stood, brazenly before him. I could have sworn the brilliant light that encompassed him, flickered for the briefest of moments. Was it my eyes playing tricks on me or something else?

A rare, exposed moment of emotion. It appeared he was angry with me.

Good.

“Do not mock me Valric, I harbour nothing but affection for you in this heart of mine. I love you, akin to how a slave loves the brand that sears his cheek and marks him as such.” I spat.

Valric also rose from his seat. I had to shut my eyes to lessen his brightening aura, but my eyelids barely muffled the blinding pain.

“I n s o l e n t  b o y,  y o u r  w o r d s  m u d d y  y o u r  I n t e n t i o n s.  L e t’ s  a l l o w  o u r   w i l l s  t o  d o  t h e   t a l k i n g.”

Yes, Valric.

You know that is what I want. The opportunity to challenge you again, for ownership of the dream we once shared.

“Anoint me, Selene!”

Turquoise energy seeps out of my skin, bringing my moonlit armour and weapons along with it.

Before me stands nothing more than a man, his left arm outstretched above his head. A man, who has lost to me a hundred times before and yet, I have never won.

“A t t e n d  m e,  M i t h r a !”

He is suddenly enveloped in white light, purer than before. In his left hand he holds an almighty spear, twice the length of his own stature.

We level our weapons at each other. The point of my sword lightly grazes the tip of his spear.

“Let us finally end this conflict, Valric. Even if I vowed to lend you my power, it is because I follow the one deemed the strongest. That shall be you, no longer. I alone, see through your false light. You will not be the one to lead us to paradise. You will only kill us all.”

I take a split-second to locate his gravity and integrate myself into his orbit. I have done it so many times now, it is no difficulty for me at all.

I dash towards him at Mach speed, he responds by waving his spear in a wide arc in front of him.

“B l a z i n g   S u n,  W o r l d – S p l i t t e r !” he cries out.

I corkscrew and somersault over the fierce gash of light that hurtles towards me through the air. Landing at his feet, I launch my own overhead strike with Cynthia’s fang. Valric however, is too fast – thrusting his spear before my sword can pierce his skin. At the last second, I raise my shield “Mene” to cover my midsection and prevent his powerful blow from impaling me.

We separate, before Valric resumes his attack. He brandishes that spear as if he were ribbon-dancing, unrelenting yet graceful in his approach. He appears to be more than I can handle

but I’m not done yet.

I throw Mene towards him with all the strength I can muster. Whilst the shield sails through the air, the light dispelled from Valric’s attacks is seemingly absorbed.

“Dark Moon, Meteorite!”

Mene crashes into his left wrist – sending his spear flying off to the side. Red liquid drips from his hand, sizzling as it reaches the floor.

“Ah, so you bleed red just like the rest of us, Valric.”

He stands still, clearly taken aback, before slowly stalking towards me.

This is strange. What secret weapon could he have in sto-

CRACK!

Valric pounds my face with a wild haymaker, dropping me to the ground. I choke and sputter blood as he pins me down and ravages me with unrelenting blows.

He grabs the limp wrist of my sword-hand – pressing my blade against the bare skin of his neck.

“I t  a p p e a r s  y o u  h a v e  p l a c e d  m e   I n  a  p o s i t i o n   w h e r e  I  c a n  n o                l o n g e r  w i n,  I l l u m i n a n t.  I  a d m i t  d e f e a t.”

“No.” I croak. “I haven’t won yet”.

He smacks me once more and I collapse, unable to continue my struggle. He guides my blade to his neck once more.

“E s t e o r i c a.”

He beckons for the captain; her presence is so feeble I hadn’t even realised she was here with us until now.

“P l e a s e  w i t n e s s,  I l l u m i n a n t  h e r e  h o l d s  m y  l i f e  I n   h i s  h a n d s.  H e        h a s  w o n  t h i s  b a t t l e,  h a s   h e  n o t ?”

Valric regards her with eyes boring deep into her soul. She can hardly muster the power to speak.

“Y-yes Valric. Illuminant is clearly the victor of the contest.”

Valric releases my limp, hanging arm from his bloody grip. Cynthia’s fang goes clattering to the ground.

“Y o u  a r e  n o t  w o r t h y  o f  I n h e r i t i n g  t h e  p a r a d i s e  w e  s e e k,  M o o n            c h i l d.  C o n t i n u e   t o  s e r v e  b e n e a t h  m e,  a s  i s   y o u r  p l a c e,  o r  I  s h a l l  b e f o r c e d  t o  f o r s a k e  m y  t i t l e s  a n d  w r e a k   v e n g e a n c e  u p o n  y o u.”

Valric had been defeated one million times before but if he truly desired it, he could win any battle. He was unbelievably strong – to the point where he could dictate and control the flow and outcome of a fight, no matter the opponent. He chose to be defeated, for the sake of his ideals.

No matter how misguided they may be.

“You beat me with your bare hands then, huh?” I muttered, still strewn about the floor.

“Is that how you sacrificed two hundred and fifty million of our brothers and sisters at Skleritov? With your bare fucking hands!”

Silence.

“And for what, so you could repent for the other two hundred and fifty million that you murdered! – you think that makes things right?”

Valric says nothing. He just stalks back to his throne.

Finally, he speaks.

“E n o u g h.  L e a v e  a n d   c l e a n  y o u r s e l f   u p.   I’ m  t a s k i n g  y o u  w i t h                  l o c a t i n g  w h o e v e r   h a s  b e e n  I n f l u e n c i n g  t h e  A n c i e n t   B e a s t s  a s  o f   l a t e.  B r i n g   t h e m  I n.  A l i v e.

D o  n o t   f a i l   m e  a g a i n.”

I could only lay there and heed his words. The last thing I remembered, was Esteorica grabbing me by the heels and dragging me out the throne room.