Mordred 15.1

15.

The Previous Realm

Merlin leaned on his staff for support. He had fought Keb and Neheb for a long passing of time but they were at a stalemate in the outcome. They have levelled the surrounding lands with their battle, and yet they were untouched on their bodies.

“Keb, you are powerful to fight me to this standstill.” The other two were on their knees heaving in deep breaths.

“No more powerful than my own.” Keb shook the staff on his hands. “Here lies the real power of Keb.”

The blast from the staff was all powerful. The staff hit the ground and where it struck, the ground broke open. The broken stones split from the ground regrouped to form a serpent made of stones. The stone serpent struck at Merlin but the later had created a shield to protect himself. The serpent of stones struck several times and then it stopped. It raised its head with its neck flatten to the rear while its skin spread out to the sides. It was then Merlin threw aside the shield and projected his mental blast in a narrow streak below the serpent of stone.

“Arghh!” Keb screamed out. He glared at Merlin. “You have cut into my soul with that.”

“Your soul now and then your body. Together I will end your life.” Merlin taunted him. It was then Neheb rushed into action. The younger son lashed out the venoms from its mouth at Merlin.  The venom spat out became small serpents that flew across towards Merlin. Those were not ordinary serpents but made from crafts. They will passed through anything solid be it magical or man-made. Merlin stepped back with his staff swinging at the attacking serpents. He was getting annoyed at the attacks and then called on the powerful mental blocks of his to break the magical barriers on the serpents before he used his staff to kill them. Each blow was loud and piercing into the souls of the battle hardened warriors then. Then there was silence.

“Enough of these senseless battles. If we are to continue, then let us fight in the Void.” Keb called out the spell which moved them into the hidden dimension. The battle was no longer in the physical realm but in an unknown dimension. The masters have chosen the unknown dimensions to battle it out. The dimension was neither of land nor sea, nor of skies and stars, nor of creatures and man, nor of reality and fantasy but of the vast void without a boundary nor of finite edge.

“Keb, you are an idiot.” Merlin called out. He stood on neither any flooring, he was in mid-air and yet there was nothing. “This is the Dark Realm. Even our ancestors do not tread here unless they …”

“I came here for a reason, Merlin. An attempt to tell you the truth of the true events that surrounds us from the beginning of our realm of Man.” Keb spoke out. “Here me out and then you may do as wished. We will not battle but confer on the real enemy.”

“No, Father. He is the enemy.” Neheb voiced out in anger. “He who slew many of ours deserved not to know what we do.”

“He must know.” Keb replied. “The truth will undo our war. If I had not stumbled on it, it will be the end of all of us and only the fallen ones will triumph.”

“No!” Neheb struck at his own father. The blow caused the father onto his side.  He then stepped away from the fallen figure. “The master is right. It will be time of reckoning soon when the non-believers will reveal themselves.”

“May the stars forgive me.” Keb cried out. “Have I released the evil among us? All I wanted to know who were they and how to stop them.”

“Yes, Father. You did find them but among them I found myself. I am now one with them.” Neheb told his father. “You have not failed them. You have only added strength to their desire to defeat all of you. Never will they be considered as the Fallen.”

“And never will I be considered as a failing Father.” Keb aimed his staff at Neheb. The coiled serpents on the staff moved away from it and formed into two serpents spirits. One was the dark spirit of venom and the other was of clear shades of speed. Both the spirits attacked the scaled figure of Neheb who tried to protect itself. The dark spirit punched itself through the chest of Neheb and pierced through the back. It released its strength of venom into the body and soul of the later while the clear spirit form with its speed coiled itself around the Neheb to constrict itself on the body.

“No!” Merlin shouted out but Neheb was dying in the grip of the spirit form. Just before its dying breaths, another form took on the spirits. It struck without warning and freed Neheb. Keb was thrown back by the back lash of his own power and was sent crashing backwards in the Void.

“You have failed, Neheb.” The unseen opponent called out. “For that, you are no longer a part of us.” 

Within seconds of the trailing voice, Neheb then fell on his face. His life force was gone from him. Keb who has just lost a son called out in pain. He struck out with the staff but there was none to hit on. With his power drained, Keb fell back on his back and moan the loss of his child.

“Who was that? Merlin asked. “You never use that spell before.”

“In the world of survival, only the strong can survived. The bringer of the life form holds the right to end the weaker ones. I did it for the same rule. My child is weak and thus need to be punished.” Keb replied. “I am by nature a creature of survival. Only the fittest deserve to live.”

“And for that you killed your son?” Merlin asked.

“No, the killing was not me. It was them who are our enemies.” Keb spoke out. “I was trying to tell you that. I brought us here so that they cannot hear us but I was wrong. Our enemies are everywhere.”

“Who are they?” Merlin asked.

“The Fallen Ones.” Keb whispered out.