A blur tore through the ancient pines surrounding the Blackthorn Estate. Branches snapped and leaves scattered in the wake of the purple monstrosity that was Vanderznak. He flew erratically, listing heavily to the left.
"Damn this imbalance."
Vanderznak cursed. He glanced at the ragged stump where his left arm used to be. "I need biomass. Any peasant will do. A farmer, a guard... just need to absorb..."
KABOOOOOOOM!
A shockwave ripped through the forest canopy. Vanderznak spun in the air just in time to see a mushroom cloud of fire erupt from the heart of the estate. His laboratory, his life's work, disintegrated in a blinding flash.
Vanderznak threw his head back and laughed.
"Kuhahaha! Foolish Priest! You must have been caught in the blast radius! Blown to smithereens!"
He clutched the boy tighter against his chest. The child squirmed, but Vanderznak didn't care.
"I am happy. Truly happy! That cockroach is finally dead. Because of him, I have to start all over from scratch. But I have you."
He looked down at the boy with a possessive glint in his eye.
"You are the key. With your genetic code, I will speed up my endeavors tenfold. I will reclaim my glory."
CHOMP.
"Ouch!"
Vanderznak looked at his forearm. The boy had sunk his teeth into the purple flesh.
"It's useless, brat," Vanderznak scoffed and shook his arm. "My skin is comprised of an X-Factor genetic modification derived from the armored hide of the Titan Armadillo. Your little bites are useless. Behave before I discipline you again."
"Papa."
The boy released his bite and looked past Vanderznak's shoulder. His red eyes widened.
Vanderznak chuckled. "Papa? Are you opening up to me already? I appreciate the flattery, truly. But don't think calling me 'father' will save you from the scalpel. I am still going to dissect you until I comprehend every inch of your strange biology."
WHOOSH.
A strange shift in the wind pressure ruffled the feathers on Vanderznak's wings. A chill that had nothing to do with the night air ran down his spine.
Vanderznak realized too late what the boy meant. He wasn't talking about him.
He glanced behind him.
A fist encased in black chitin and blue lightning filled his vision.
CRACK!
The punch caught Vanderznak square in the face. It sent him crashing through the canopy. He smashed through branch after branch, tumbling uncontrollably until he hit the forest floor with a thud.
The impact jarred his grip. The boy flew from his arms and landed in a pile of leaves. The leather satchel tore open.
FLUTTER.
Hundreds of pages of notes, blueprints, and formulas scattered into the wind like confetti.
"No! My research!"
Vanderznak scrambled to catch a drifting page, but it floated out of reach. He glared up at the hovering silhouette of Zareth.
"You! You are like a fart stuck in my ass that just won't come out!"
Vanderznak screamed hysterically.
He flared his wings.
"Die!"
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Dozens of compressed air blades shot from his wings. They tore through the trees and sliced trunks in half as they raced toward Zareth.
Zareth dropped from the sky. He landed beside the boy and curled his body around the child. He presented his armored back to the onslaught.
SHING! SHING!
The wind blades struck his exoskeleton. Sparks flew. Zareth gritted his teeth as the force bruised his spine, but he didn't move. He endured.
Vanderznak saw his attack fail. Panic flared.
"I refuse to die here!"
He launched himself back into the sky. He flapped his wings furiously and abandoned his research to save his skin.
Zareth stood up as the barrage ceased. He looked at the boy.
"Stay here."
The boy nodded.
Zareth ignited his feet.
BOOM!
He shot upward like a rocket.
Vanderznak flew as fast as his mutilated body allowed. He pushed his wings to the breaking point. He broke through the cloud layer and soared into the moonlight.
"This must be far enough, right?"
He looked back.
Zareth was a dot in the distance, but he was growing larger. He was catching up.
"Persistent bastard!"
Vanderznak angled his flight higher. He climbed into the thin, cold air of the upper atmosphere.
"Come on then. Let's see you follow me here."
Vanderznak sneered. He deduced Zareth's weakness instantly. Flames required oxygen. As the air thinned, combustion became less efficient. Zareth's propulsion would sputter and die. He would hit a dead altitude.
Vanderznak soared above the clouds for a full minute. He checked behind him. Nothing. The sky was empty.
"Kuhahaha! Science wins again!"
His flight relaxed. He allowed himself a moment of relief. But then…
ROAAAAAR!
The cloud floor behind him exploded.
Vanderznak spun around. His jaw dropped.
It wasn't Zareth propelling himself with fire. It was a monster.
Two massive, serpentine dragon heads burst through the mist. They were attached to Zareth's back, writhing and snapping.
FWOOSH!
Both heads spat torrents of purple fire. The flames engulfed Vanderznak before he could react.
"GAAAH!"
Vanderznak crossed his wings to defend himself, but the impact stalled his momentum. He dropped like a stone, falling back below the cloud layer.
He recovered his tumble and stared at Zareth.
"Two heads? You've evolved again?"
Vanderznak marveled at the mutation. The H.A.D.E.S. gene was aggressive. If this continued, would Zareth eventually manifest all eight heads of the legendary beast?
"What am I thinking about at this moment?" Vanderznak shook his head. "I must kill that cockroach!"
He unfurled his burnt wings and dashed ahead. He intercepted the attacking dragon heads and caught them in his wing claws.
"Die! Die!"
He punched Zareth's face repeatedly with his remaining hand.
Zareth took the hits. He waited for the rhythm.
WHAM!
Zareth caught Vanderznak's fist with his right hand.
"Got you."
RIP!
With a sickening tear, Zareth ripped Vanderznak's right arm from its socket.
"AAAAHH!"
Vanderznak screamed as blood sprayed the sky. Zareth didn't stop. He grabbed Vanderznak's waist with his mutated left hand.
ZZZ-ZAP!
Thousands of volts of electricity surged into Vanderznak's body. The scientist convulsed. His scream parted the clouds.
As the electricity fried his nerves, Vanderznak's consciousness began to drift. His life flashed before his eyes.
…
Twenty Years Ago:
The Golden Spire Academy of Alchemy nestled in the peaks of the Verdant Mountains like a jewel. Air ballons drifted lazily around the central tower, carrying scholars and nobles alike. The air smelled of fresh trees. It was a paradise of intellect.
Timet B. Vanderznak, fifteen years old, walked down the paved path with a stack of books in his arms. He had short red hair and an average face that blended into the crowd. But his mind set him apart. He was the top scholar, the envy of his peers.
And he had a secret.
"Timet!"
The voice drifted from beneath the ancient oak tree in the center of the quad.
Timet stopped and turned. A smile broke across his face because he knew that voice.
Lillian Liemmech sat in the shade. She wore the pristine white uniform of a senior, and the sunlight filtered through the leaves to dabble her skin in gold. She was the Headmaster's daughter, the jewel of the academy, and the only person who looked at Timet without a sneer.
"Lillian," Timet said as he hurried over. He sat beside her on the grass. "I brought the notes on cellular division you asked for."
Lillian tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and smiled. "You are a lifesaver, Timet. I don't know how I would pass Professor Holralg's theory class without you."
"It's simple, really."
Timet opened a book and pointed to a diagram.
"Most students focus on the magical application of the Gospel, but they ignore the biological foundation. If you understand the cell, you understand the soul."
They studied until the sun dipped below the peaks and the gas lamps flickered to life along the path. Other students walked by and whispered behind their hands.
A tall boy named Jareth sneered. "Look at him. The rat is trying to court the swan."
"He's just riding her coattails," another laughed. "Without her protection, he'd be cleaning the latrines."
Timet heard them, but he ignored the insults because Lillian placed her hand over his and spoke softly.
"Ignore them. They are just jealous of your genius."
She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. The scent of her perfume; a distinct blend of lavender and crushed lilacs filled his nose.
"Goodnight, Timet."
Timet floated back to the dorms. He felt invincible.
But the illusion shattered the moment he stepped into the dormitory hallway. Jareth and two of his lackeys waited for him in the shadows.
"You think you're special, don't you?" Jareth stepped forward and cracked his knuckles.
"I don't want trouble," Timet said as he backed away.
"Too bad."
They beat him. They didn't break his bones because that would leave evidence, but they bruised his ribs and bloodied his lip. They kicked him until he curled into a ball on the floor.
"Stay away from her," Jareth spat. "She is royalty. You are trash."
The next day, Timet sat in the infirmary while he dabbed at his swollen eye. The door opened and Lillian rushed in.
"Oh, Timet!" She gasped and ran to his side. "Who did this?"
"It doesn't matter," Timet mumbled. He flinched when she touched his bruise.
"It does matter." Her eyes filled with tears. She opened a jar of salve and began to apply it to his face with gentle fingers. "I will speak to my father. I will have them expelled."
"No," Timet said. He grabbed her wrist. "Don't. If you do that, they will say I hid behind your skirt. I have to prove them wrong with my work. I have to be better than them."
Lillian looked at him with admiration. "You are so brave, Timet. You really are brilliant."
The bullying continued for weeks, but it backfired. Every bruise Jareth inflicted only served to bring Lillian closer to Timet. She spent every waking moment with him and nursed his wounds and his ego.
Timet fell in love. He believed she was the only pure thing in a world of variables.
Then came the exams.
Timet and Lillian walked through the alchemy gardens. The air was thick with the smell of strange herbs.
"The application for Professor Zalwach's Elite Class is tomorrow."
Timet vibrated with excitement. "I'm going to present my thesis on Tumor Remnants. I believe we can reverse-engineer their regenerative properties."
Lillian nodded slowly. "That sounds... ambitious. I am applying for the Gospel Tech division. It seems safer."
"We will be in the same building then. We can still study together." He smiled.
The exam was rigorous. Timet stood before the board of elders and delivered a presentation that was nothing short of revolutionary. He answered every question before they finished asking it. He demonstrated a chemical reaction that synthesized minor tissue repair in seconds.
He left the hall with his head held high. He knew he had crushed it.
Two days later, the results were posted on the Great Board.
Timet scanned the list. He looked for his name at the top.
It wasn't there.
He looked at the middle. Nothing.
He looked at the bottom.
Timet B. Vanderznak: REJECTED.
The world stopped. Timet stared at the paper until the letters blurred. He turned and sprinted to Professor Zalwach's office. He burst through the door without knocking.
"There must be a mistake!" Timet shouted.
Professor Zalwach sat behind his mahogany desk. He polished his spectacles with a silk cloth. He didn't look up.
"There is no mistake, Mr. Vanderznak."
"But my scores!" Timet slammed his hands on the desk. "My theory was perfect! My practical application was flawless! You admitted it yourself during the presentation!"
Zalwach finally looked at him. His eyes were cold and dismissive.
"Your science is brutal, boy. It lacks... aesthetics."
"Aesthetics?" Timet whispered. "We are scientists, not artists!"
"We are Alchemists!" Zalwach stood up. "We seek the divine symmetry of the world. Your work is grotesque. You talk of Tumors and flesh-warping as if they are tools. You have the mind of a butcher, not a scholar. I will not have your filth in my class."
"You are a fool!" Timet screamed. "You are scared because I am smarter than you!"
Zalwach's face turned red. "Get out. And don't bother returning to your dorm. Your enrollment is hereby revoked for insubordination."
"But you can't do that!"
"It is done."
Timet was thrown out of the gates by the guards. He stood in the mud while rain soaked his clothes.
He went to Lillian. He found her in the library.
"Lillian, you have to help me," Timet begged. He gripped her hands. "Speak to your father. Make him see reason."
Lillian looked sad. She squeezed his hands. "I tried, Timet. Really, I did. But father trusts Zalwach's judgment implicitly. There is nothing I can do."
Something inside Timet broke. The sadness hardened into a cold, diamond-hard resolve.
"Fine," Timet spat. "If they want results, I will show them results. I will prove that my 'grotesque' science is superior to their pretty theories."
He retreated to the slums at the base of the mountain. He rented a damp cellar and turned it into a laboratory. He worked for three weeks without sleep. He stole chemicals. He slept on the floor.
Finally, he held up a vial. The liquid inside glowed a vibrant, toxic green.
"Perfect Cellular Restoration," Timet whispered.
He invited Lillian to the cellar.
"Watch," he told her.
He took a scalpel and sliced off his own pinky finger. Blood welled up. Lillian screamed.
Timet drank the potion.
FZZT.
Steam rose from the stump. In three seconds, the bone extended, the flesh knit, and the skin formed. His finger was back. Perfect.
"Oh my god," Lillian breathed. She stared at the finger. "Timet... you did it. You actually did it."
"I need an audience."
Timet's eyes were wild with lack of sleep and triumph. "Use your connections. Set up a duel. Me versus Zalwach. In the Grand Amphitheater."
"Are you sure?" Lillian asked.
"I have never been more sure of anything."
The day of the duel arrived. The amphitheater was packed with students, faculty, and nobles. They jeered when Timet walked onto the stage in his ragged clothes. They cheered when Zalwach entered in his silk robes.
Timet scanned the crowd. He saw Lillian in the front row. She gave him a small, encouraging nod. She was his anchor.
The Headmaster announced the challenge: "To demonstrate the most potent restorative agent."
Zalwach went first. He brought out a cage containing a Rhesus monkey. With a theatrical flourish, he severed the monkey's tail. He applied a golden salve to the wound.
The crowd watched in silence. Slowly, over the course of five minutes, a tail grew back.
But it was green. And scaly. It was a lizard's tail.
"Behold!" Zalwach proclaimed. "Cross-species regeneration!"
The crowd applauded politely. It was impressive, but flawed.
"Pathetic!" Timet shouted.
He stepped forward. He kicked his own empty cage off the table.
"I don't need a monkey," Timet announced. "A true scientist stands by his creation!"
He held up a heavy cleaver.
"You call that restoration? That is a mutation! I have achieved godhood!"
Timet placed his left hand on the chopping block.
THWACK!
He severed his index finger. The crowd gasped in horror.
Timet didn't flinch. He grabbed his vial of green liquid. He looked at Zalwach and grinned.
"Watch and learn, old man."
He downed the potion in one gulp.
He held his hand up for all to see. He waited for the steam. He waited for the miracle.
But the steam didn't come.
Instead, a burning heat erupted in his gut. It wasn't the clean heat of healing; it was the dirty fire of corruption.
"Gah!"
Timet doubled over.
His hand didn't heal. It swelled. Massive, tumorous boils erupted along his arm. His spine elongated and cracked audibly as a hump formed on his back. His vision split as his left eye turned a sickly yellow.
"No..." Timet wheezed. He looked at the vial. "No!"
The liquid tasted different. Beneath the chemical bite, there was a sweetness. A familiar sweetness.
Lavender and crushed lilacs.
Timet fell to his knees. His body twisted into a mockery of the human form. The crowd screamed and recoiled.
"He's a monster!"
"Kill it!"
Timet looked up. He looked for Lillian.
She sat in the front row. She wasn't screaming. She wasn't crying.
She was taking notes.
Her face was devoid of the warmth he had worshipped. It was cold, calculating, and triumphant. She held up a vial of her own, a clear, perfect liquid.
Timet realized the truth as his bones warped.
She hadn't been protecting him from the bullies; she had been isolating him so he would rely only on her. She hadn't been failing to convince her father; she had been ensuring his expulsion so he would work in desperation.
She had come to his lab not to support him, but to sabotage him. She had spiked his drink with a mutagen and stolen the real formula.
"Lillian..." Timet gurgled.
Lillian stood up. She walked onto the stage and stepped over his writhing body.
"Professor Zalwach. It appears this student has failed. However, during my independent studies, I have perfected a formula of my own."
She poured her vial onto Timet's severed finger stump.
It healed instantly. Perfectly.
The crowd erupted in cheers. They chanted her name.
"Lillian! Lillian! Lillian!"
Timet B. Vanderznak lay in the dirt, a deformed monster, while the love of his life stepped on him to reach the stars.
…
Present Day
"I won't let it end like this!"
The memory of that betrayal burned hotter than the electricity frying Vanderznak's nervous system. It was the fuel that had driven him for twenty years. It was the reason he sought perfection at any cost.
"I will not be the stepping stone again!"
"And I won't be killed by you! Not until I make those bastards pay!"
He summoned the last dregs of his strength. He ripped the two H.A.D.E.S. heads apart with his wings. He wrapped his tail around Zareth and angled his body downward.
"Let's see how potent your flames are underwater!"
They had flown miles during their struggle. Below them lay the churning, dark expanse of the open ocean.
SPLASH!
They hit the water with the force of a meteorite. The impact shattered the surface tension and sent a plume of spray a hundred feet into the air.
The cold shock knocked them both unconscious. Their grip loosened. They drifted apart in the dark, silent depths.
This was the Sea of Meikai.
Locals whispered of this place in hushed tones. They said the water was cursed, inhabited by beasts that had survived since the dawn of time. Fishermen avoided it like the plague.
In the crushing dark, shadows began to move. Massive shapes with glowing eyes swarmed toward the drifting bodies, drawn by the scent of fresh blood.
A large, eel-like creature opened its jaws to swallow Zareth whole.
ZZZ-ZAP!
A spark of blue electricity crackled from Zareth's limp left arm. It arced through the water and illuminated the terrifying faces of the deep. The creatures recoiled, startled by the energy.
Zareth continued to sink. He drifted down, down into the abyss, peaceful in his unconscious state. The bubbles of his last breath rose to the surface, marking the end of his fable.