Saga 1: Hell
Part 1: Union
Chapter 1: Silas and Altzar
Silas, a lean boy with blue eyes and black hair, ran through the streets of Deserto Hills clutching a ham leg, chased by a butcher wielding a cleaver.
"Get back here, you little thief!"
"Catch me if you can, hamburger belly!"
Trevor, walking down the street with three soldiers—one with a spear, another with a bow, and a third with twin daggers—saw the chaos and muttered,
"Why is every backwater full of troublemakers?"
Silas spun and smashed the ham into the butcher's head, knocking him out cold.
"You three, go rough him up so we can get back to the mission," Trevor ordered.
"Understood," said the spear soldier.
He lunged at Silas with the spear's shaft, but Silas dodged, flipping to the ground, holding the ham in his mouth, placing his hands on the ground, and kicking the soldier's chin. The man staggered back, clutching his jaw.
"Son of a—"
"Bring it, punk!" Silas said, taking a fighting stance somewhere between Muay Thai and Jeet Kune Do.
The spear soldier ignited his weapon and swung down, but Silas dodged and launched a flurry of punches, finishing with a kick to the chest.
The dagger wielder zipped toward Silas with an electric surge, attempting to slash his ribs. Silas barely bent backward to dodge.
"Shit! That was close!" Silas muttered.
The archer fired an ice arrow. Silas flipped back to avoid it.
"This kid's tough," the dagger wielder commented.
"You grew up on the streets alone, didn't you?" the archer said, grinning.
"What does that matter?" Silas shot back.
"Of course you did," the archer smirked.
The ice soldier started firing arrows rapidly. Silas dodged as the dagger wielder surged forward, hitting him in the chest with a close-range electric blast and throwing him back.
"I'm not as undisciplined as those two," the dagger wielder said.
"Who are you calling undisciplined?" the archer asked.
"Hey Altzar, I think we're screwed this time," Silas muttered.
A voice whispered in his mind:
"I'm conserving energy for their commander. Fighting without a physical body drains too much. I need to cross the barrier between the spiritual and physical planes."
"I don't know why, but it's the same when I try magic," Silas thought.
"It's probably our bond. If it breaks, we can fully unleash," Altzar replied.
"If we stay together, I'd do anything to see you face to face," Silas said.
"You're nuts, or did you just smoke crack?" the archer laughed.
"Shut your mouth, idiot!" Silas barked.
Silas surged forward.
"My brother is real!" he yelled.
The dagger wielder tried another electric surge, but Silas jumped over him and closed in on the archer. He fired multiple arrows, all dodged by Silas as he advanced.
"Try your luck," the archer smirked.
The ice soldier leapt and aimed downward.
"Arctic Winter," he called.
"Can you learn that?" Altzar asked.
"I don't know—it's the first time I've seen magic in a technique," Silas thought.
An ice arrow shot at Silas, but he shielded himself.
"An elemental mage is resistant to their element. I'll handle the shooter, you take the soldier," Altzar instructed.
"Let's go!" Silas shouted.
He extended his hand to the dagger wielder. "Arctic Winter!"
A blast of icy wind erupted from his hand, hitting the dagger soldier, forcing a clumsy counterattack. Silas kneeled into his stomach, sending him reeling. Altzar's energy blast hit the archer, knocking him out.
"He's terrible with magic… that attack freezes everything in a 30-100 meter radius, and he just shot a gust of cold wind. Yet it hit perfectly on first try. Not just a kid—a combat genius. But why so weak? Still caught me off guard. This wind stiffened my joints; I'm at a third of my physical capacity," thought the dagger soldier.
"When I hit him, my knee got electrocuted. My leg's numb. He's not like the other two. His power isn't higher level; he's just better," Silas thought.
"This is getting interesting," Trevor muttered.
The soldier advanced.
"Bring it, big boy!" Silas said, wary.
The dagger wielder attacked again with electricity. Silas jumped back, then advanced. The soldier swung horizontally; Silas ducked and kicked his chin with his heel, then rose and struck his head with a shin, toppling him.
"Impressive," Trevor said. "Name?"
"Where did you come from, man?" Silas asked.
Trevor's expression screamed he thought Silas was an idiot.
"Okay, let's start over. I'm Trevor, an officer of the Fumiguens army, the human kingdom. Nobody beats three experienced soldiers like that. Your name?"
"I'm Silas Everybunny. What do you want? The only one running this city is me," Silas replied.
"That kid's gonna cause a massive mess if he keeps punching everyone," said a man at a bar.
"Every wannabe vigilante ends up screwed," another added.
"You're under arrest for assaulting authority and theft," Trevor said.
"Try me," Silas shot back.
Trevor advanced, punching Silas. Silas defended, but the punch erupted in an explosion, hurling him four meters and injuring his arms.
"I'm an officer, idiot. To give perspective: army ranks—recruit, soldier, corporal, sub-sergeant, sergeant (classes 4-1), lieutenant, captain, lieutenant colonel, colonel, generals 0-10 stars, four marshals, supreme military captain equal to the king. They're just soldiers; I'm a vice captain," Trevor said smugly.
"Look at me—who cares?" Silas said, rising.
"I'll make you care, prick," Trevor growled.
He advanced, striking with explosive blows. Silas defended.
"KABOOM!" Trevor punched his stomach, sending Silas flying. He exploded beneath Silas to jump, then aimed a crushing strike, but a force field blocked him.
"DON'T TOUCH MY BROTHER!" Altzar yelled.
Altzar's spectral image, identical but all white, swung his arm, slicing the air. Trevor defended but was thrown back.
"What the hell was that?!" Trevor shouted.
"Silas, our physical ability and magic are too limited. We can't beat him like this," Altzar said.
"How do you know we're limited?" Silas asked.
"I see everything inside you, and our bond… it's connected," Altzar explained.
Trevor advanced.
"We have to run," Altzar warned.
"Not that simple. If I turn my back, he kills us," Silas said.
Silas charged. Trevor punched; Silas dodged but fell to his knees, clutching his abdomen, blood spilling. Trevor kicked him with another explosion, sending him flying.
"Someone untrained or naturally weaker would've been split in half by that punch. You're good, but not overpowered," Trevor admitted.
Silas rose. If I run, he kills me. If I fight, I lose. I need to confuse him and vanish.
"Altzar."
"Yes?"
"Let's show who's in charge!" Silas shouted.
He closed in on Trevor, spinning with a kick. Trevor blocked with his arms. Altzar appeared, slicing Trevor's abdomen with a spectral strike.
"FRAG!" Trevor launched a sphere of light, breaking into multiple smaller spheres surrounding Silas, exploding.
Altzar shielded Silas. Silas surged again; Trevor attacked as well.
"Take this!" Trevor's palms glowed.
"Let's go all out! NOW!" Silas shouted.
"HEAVY DYNAMITE!" Trevor yelled.
A chaotic energy blast from Silas collided with Trevor's massive explosion, opening a crater and toppling building walls. From the dust, Silas landed a knee to Trevor's chin, followed by a punch to the side of his skull.
Trevor exploded around him, trying to move, but spasms in his legs forced him to collapse.
Damn! It's like a UFC fight. The chin and skull strikes were to hit my brain and weaken me. The knee whipped my skull, destabilizing my legs. The punch staggered me. The energy blast lifted the dust to block my vision. He fights professionally. Is he some kind of genius? Trevor thought.
As the dust settled, Silas vanished.
"What? Better get back to the mission," Trevor muttered.
…
In the desert, Silas fell from exhaustion, spitting blood, riddled with wounds.
"I've been running for two hours. He couldn't have followed me," Silas muttered.
"If not for the limits, we'd have destroyed him easily," Altzar noted.
"Can you stop saying that all day?" Silas groaned.
He rose and continued.
"Why is a vice captain here? The world's at war—they should be preparing," Silas wondered.
"Maybe someone you hit was important," Altzar replied.
"That's why all the trash working for Ortemis vanished. I hit the wrong people," Silas said.
"Ortemis controls sixteen cities. Desert Hills is the smallest. Chances you angered someone influential? High," Altzar explained.
A masked soldier appeared. "Hey… you okay? You look…"
"I just fell off a roof. I'm fine," Silas said.
"You look like trouble," the soldier muttered. "Know Desert Hills? I got lost."
"Two hours that way," Silas said, pointing.
The soldier left.
"Better head to the station," Élia said, moving through town.
She met Ranzo of Iron Sand, gray-skinned, black coat, black scarf, iron gourd on back.
"Who are you?" Élia asked.
"Doesn't matter. Die," he said, unleashing iron sand. Élia blocked with ice.
"I've been searching for you," Trevor called. Soldiers surrounded Ranzo.
"Well, the soldiers who lost to a schizophrenic kid," Ranzo sneered. Iron sand swirled.
…
Silas woke in a dark ruin. Zem, tattered black coat, long messy hair, stood before him. Silas jumped back.
"Nice fall. What are you two doing here?" Zem asked.
"Two?" Silas gasped.
"It's rare to see someone sharing their body with a spirit. I also locked your mana. Why?" Zem said.
Silas ran, but Zem turned into lightning, pressing a hand to Silas's forehead.
"Unlock," Zem said.
Silas was flung back.
"Why is your lightning blue? What did you do?"
"I broke the seal locking your mana and the spirit's. Year?" Zem asked.
"What the hell?" Silas exclaimed.
"Since the world's creation?" Zem pressed.
"How would I know? Nothing before the Reapers!"
"That cursed tribunal…"
Silas punched Zem. Wind flung debris. Electricity hit him.
"Calm down," Zem said.
Since when do I have this much power? Silas thought.
"Year 32,347. I am Zem, the spirit of lightning, created by Zeus. This is the main Templar temple. They fought 15,000 years to keep peace. I removed the seal locking your power and the spirit's," Zem explained.
"What?"
"You asked why my lightning is blue?"
"Yes. Soldiers' lightning is purple; yours light blue."
"My lightning is noble. Colors indicate type: generic lightning purple, noble lightning light blue, noble fire gold, generic fire orange, death magic black."
"Generic? Noble?"
"Generic weak, easy to learn. Noble powerful, requires talent and training. Learn to control mana, I'll teach you."
"Mana?"
"Universal magical energy. All magic uses it. Only limit: can't affect gods."
"You said you'd train me. Why trust you?"
"You won't leave here any other way."
"Silas, lock broken. Full power now," Altzar said.
"Then we start," Silas said.
Zem tossed him a gold necklace with a dark blue jewel.
"Put it on," Zem instructed.
"What is this?"
"I'm a spirit. This is my vessel."
Something's off, Silas thought. If this energy is theirs, I can't wait for perfection. Whoever this kid is… I'll take the risk, Zem thought.