"Hello my old enemy." A figure cloaked in blue said grimly as he raised his scarred hand to point at another man. The subject of this greeting was an elderly man who stood menacingly in the middle of a clear field with St. Augustan thriving in tufts around the massive ant beds. "You always have been a dull one when it came to conversing." The earlier man said after a moment. "So I suppose it's about time we get to the real reason we're both here!" The man reached down his long silvery beard and reached into the confines of his cape to pull out a long wooden stick which had quite clearly not been there a moment earlier. He reached into his mind to find the familiar warmth of his magic. Merlin the Great, as he was known in days to come, did it with great ease his power being so great and his many decades, some thought it more likely to be centuries, of experience. "Invorgoralty!" He bellowed to the Earth where his wand aimed. A deep sunset orange poured like molasses onto the ground eating away the grass and enriching the soil. "May the order of the Great War have it's rules enforced on this arena." He placed his wand in a tiny leather sheath at his side and spoke once more. "I will give you a fair warning, I am in a very bad mood today, and my powers have been spiking to miraculous highs in my age so woe is it to he who fights me with fits of strength!" His voice grew louder as he spoke and he stared directly into the shadowed hood where two slits could be seen.
"Merlin, my friend, you forget we are the same age. I too can reach strange bursts and plan on killing you so I can begin training my heir." Merlin chuckled slightly, ignoring the silvery shade the ground was taking.
"Turismo, Turismo, I have already began young Tekin's training so if I don't kill you, he, in the vigor of his youth most certainly will."
"You forget my heir will be born as I was, from the shadows of death, formed by the loss of blood, and given life by the taking away of the same."
"In killing you I will delay the return of the war! You cannot stop me from saving my people!"
"I have before…" Turismo said. He lowered his hood revealing a red face with thick black ropes of hair slid in their rough collapsing braids to the proper parts of his chin, and down the back of his head. He raised his hand and suddenly projected images on the air. Merlin started to turn away but knew he would become living target so looked forward, tears gathering in his eyes.
The first image was a still photo of Merlin sleeping in a small room, apparently a very old one, with a peaceful look on his face. Then the image slowly began to rotate and show the door. It passed through this door and then the one to the outside. The planet was barren and Turismo stood by the door holding a sound barrier at its crevices. Three other wizards stood in front of the village.
"Are you all at your sections?" The much younger Turismo called. They all yelled some sort of affirmative then together called out, "Furious flames, fed on hate, burn all life from here to Hell's gate!" The flames shot out on the houses and screams could be heard for miles, just not within Merlin's little room sealed from sound. Someone escaped from the house nearest Turismo and struck the dark leader on his neck with a jagged rock. Blood spurt from his mouth and the sound barrier fell. Merlin awoke with a jolt and snapped his fingers to summon his wand. The messiah paid dearly for his actions as no writing can truly describe. Turismo grabbed him and teleported far away leaving his minions behind. The man was dipped in a thin layer of nitrogen everywhere but his head and then oil. The oil was lit on fire and the nitrogen kept him on the edge of death. He was then healed to full power. Next Turismo poisoned him with injections in every major nerve and vein then curing him, at death's door. Finally he was sealed in a room were spikes covered the walls and ceiling closing the walls to the point of torture just beyond total annihilation then the ceiling fell just scraping his head until the floor gave him the long awaited relief.
While Turismo vented his anger on this weak mortal Merlin walked out the door to find the town in flames. "Healing rain from the sky destroy this evil with your place upon high! "He yelled this so angrily the rain fell and destroyed the pure hatred of his words. This kept the wizards from knowing the rain was special, until they saw a yellow stream flowing down from wherever it hit, melting the power of these monsters like acid breaking their will and stopping the flames. "Who ordered this?" without will to lie and knowing the rain would kill anything they told in evil they responded.
"It was Tuna Risameno Telkeno."
"Demon spawn! How dare you speak a language so foul in my presence! You call him the king of darkness? Turismo is nothing more than his name is in the language of elves 'Master of Lies!' He was a mistake of a wizard who wanted more power! The place of rainbows is gone forever. So I will allow the shadows to come once again." He clapped his hands and a large leather volume shot to him. "Sealed be magic and bound by fate let them remain here where the day is always late!" Suddenly the sun dipped in the sky like an ice cube in water, lowering until its place is taken. The dusk that never ended seemed adequate punishment for destroying the physical manifestation of joy on the living plain so Merlin teleported back to the Earth with rough tears cutting the dust on his face.
"Aww." Turismo mocked "Are you a little sad? They were weak anyway. But I didn't expect no magic at all! You made yourself the only defense! How uncharacteristically cocky."
Merlin was crying now too as if the events had not occurred ten years before. His voice stopped the sobs and he said boldly, "You are instigating me today aren't you? You hoary man! You cannot bludgeon me away unless you kill yourself as well! "Now the ground was rising up clean well divided stones and clear pillars at each corner. "May the battle begin, and may the stone of time keep away from you." He said as if it was a toast to a bright future.
"I must hurry!" The thirteen-year-old Tekin Kashami uttered to himself as if he were leading a horse and saying the right command would speed him up. The woods were thick and the journey would have been arduous at a walk, but running his face was slit all over by thin branches and his bottom lip was swollen. He could probably heal himself instantly but he didn't even fell the bruises and scrapes in his haste. He dodged some gossamer the might have been spider web but for the fact spiders had not lived in that forest since Merlin had sealed away the darkness thirty-two years before Tekin was born. Tekin refused to stop, his body was sore from hard training with his 'grandpa Merlin', and he hadn't eaten all day and it was now approaching three o'clock. No, his will fed him and tended his wounds. He had to see this fight. Tekin was certain this opportunity would never come again. Things would have been very different if he had been wrong. Tekin suddenly sensed a shot of power." Two that far apart? They've got to be toying with each other." Tekin told himself and anyone, who was listening, be it deer, rabbits, or the divine who Merlin rarely spoke of to Tekin except when training. (Merlin certainly believed in God but hated the mutated versions the world had to get more worshipers.) Tekin saw an arena through the dense trees and began to crawl on his stomach to watch but remain hidden. Turismo dropped his cloak revealing a frail body that, but for his magic, would be on life support eating slop for food.
Suddenly Merlin reached for the magic once again and pulled forth a spell that took hours of studying to perfect. "Emanate Entex Kara Sham Interval!" A huge red ball appeared from his wand and a black arm was dispelled from it. The arm's very existence strained on Merlin greatly, but it's massive strength made it worth it.
"Spear from the Shadows!" Turismo sent out the counter-spell a long black streak that hit the hands palm directly.
Merlin's face looked as peaceful as death while he told Turismo, “Put all you've got into that spell and relieve me of the pain from stealing your soul." A horrible realization came to Turismo's face like winter to an already dying land. It was too late for proper resistance and even if there had been time Turismo did not have the ability to compete with the raw energy of The Seal of Time. The hand hit his chest and slowly sunk through his flash like it was foam that slowly collapsed. Turismo had a dull look on his face, due to the immense slowing of his heart rate for the extraction process. Suddenly the hand squeezed and he looked like he was choking. Then he seemed to sleep standing up a small white piece of ectoplasm was removed. It was shriveled and looked like a squeezed chunk of Play-Dough. A yellow liquid was dripping off it and a few drops returned to him like a magnet. "Esta!" A transparent ball with a pink tint appeared around the soul as the arm vanished. Merlin pointed at the ball with his wand and then let his arm swing downward. As if it was on a hinge, the Esta fell as well. "The Earth's inner flames should teach him. Shouldn't they Tekin?" Tekin stood up in his hiding place in surprise. "Well if you thought you were hiding I'm seriously offended." Merlin lifted his wand up again bringing the soul with it. "That yellow goop is his life force," He explained to his grandson and heir, "I want to evaporate as much as possible. Of course, some already returned but I can easily shatter his will. The ball dove down again then came up immediately. "Very good. Now Tekin hide further in if you must stay." Tekin followed orders and quickly dug a bunker to hide inside. He ducked behind the glorified mound of dirt and watched them return to the vivid battle. Turismo's soul flew back into him and a look of sheer hate flashed onto his face. Turismo became suddenly absorbed in the heat his soul had felt. He grasped his face, then his shoulders, completing by falling over and grasping his chest to try to heal his soul.
"Light from the… Cough!" He gagged. "Light from the … sky make … my soul strong again!" He yelled out gasping for every breath. He suddenly stood calmly straighter and began to breathe deeply.
"I'd like to see you pull that spell off again," Merlin chuckled, this was magic conserved for the souls of the righteous and every bit of deceit in your life made it more difficult to draw upon.
"I won't have to." Turismo responded.
"Brsingra Eltama Enaballet burn in your homemade chamber of hate!" A burst of flame shot from Turismo's chest and formed a cage around him."
"Spell that was deployed on me, reverse your energy and set me free!"
"Eat dirt!" Merlin waved his hand and sprayed sand into the air.
"Taking cheap shots now are we?"
"Light of the World shine brightly this day unleash your true power and seal him where I say!" Spells cast so quickly they were beyond recognition flew in a fury, and from his place in the forest, Tekin saw himself knock out Turismo with ease. The Tekin that appeared had white hair, rather than glossy black and his face seemed torn at by knowledge none should ever hear. He spoke something in a whisper to Merlin and it seemed his words had painted Merlin's face white. Merlin spoke in response and waved his hands for the strange Tekin to leave. Sorrow filled their eyes and they parted, little did Tekin know he saw himself just more than a year older. The Future Tekin disappeared without teleporting, simply becoming the wind.
Turismo groaned on the cold stone arena. "It's over." Merlin said.
"Not until I say it is!" Turismo spun on his hip to kick at Merlin's feet. Merlin jumped avoided the kick, and landed on his attacker's shin. That, of course, warranted a scream.
"I'll kill you!"
"I've seen this movie, you don't." Merlin said wryly. In a flash of energy Turismo was standing up and billowing with a thick black cloud. "Desperation! Calling upon the Elves? Even if they were still here, they wouldn’t dare touch the air you breathe."
"That is what I'm counting on." A look of anger came across Merlin's face.
"You would summon the Void?" In response, a black aura surrounded him. The Void is caused when one, in true need, calls for help but is denied. The Void is the final check for assistance, but to use it is a death sentence. The black flame that engulfed Turismo fed on his soul until it could burn no longer.
"I have, and I shall take you with me." Turismo said, like a man ready for a hearty meal. The battle occurred far too quickly for human comprehension, but ended with Turismo transferring the Void to Merlin and killing himself. The transfer occurred like one match setting off another and then the former fades to ash. Merlin, his fate sealed made a final bid for hope.
"Tekin, blood of my blood, come forth." Tekin darted forward and kneeled. "My life dwindles, soon I will die. But take my energy and seal it within yourself, never to leave."
"That would destroy you!" Tekin said.
Merlin coughed dryly. "Khu Khu!" Gasping he responded "And this monster won't?" Tekin sat speechless at this and decided not to argue. "I can here the tintinnabulation of death's seductive call." He closed his eyes for a moment peacefully "You are the business that has made me delay this for so long. You and your father before you kept me here preparing. But your father's hard headedness delayed both my and Turismo's plans. Arrogance caused him and Turismo's protegee to die. No he didn't die in any war; we had to tell you that to keep you from getting upset, and maybe hurting someone. You will learn, in time, many safeguards have been set to protect you. Time runs out quickly, hurry and fetch me a round stone." Tekin heeded and grabbed one from the Earth using a bit of magic. Merlin placed the stone in his left hand and pressed his right hand down on it. "Tekin, guard this stone with your life. In time, it will become a part of you, as I become part of it. Such has been my fate from the start, yet your destiny has far greater honor and weight on the Grand Scheme." Merlin spoke with a smooth air; strangely tactful as if he were selling a used car that hardly deserved the name. "I have only one more thing to say: When all you know heads to the new light in the east, 'Go west young man.' Never forget." Merlin removed his hand from the stone and an inscription of gold was there.
Two wands crossed at their middle with a ball of thunder at the top. The color of the wands was a blue that seemed to embody ecstasy and power. The stone itself was a bloody red and shimmered in the light like a ruby. Glistening as well was the ball of thunder that was clearly made of gold. Tekin stared in awe for a moment than looked up to Merlin. But Merlin lay on the ground his limbs askew and a silent spell having broke his neck. Tall above him stood a man cloaked in black with a hood that buried the eyes that scanned Tekin's face.
"I am Nox, trainee of Turismo and your murderer." His teeth flashed as his jaw moved in a gnawing manner, as if his words were peanut butter or the like.
"Prepare to suffer." Tekin coolly drew his wand and flicked it into his left palm threateningly. Nox merely chuckled.
"Threats from a little boy are worth less than the air they hang on." Nox spoke as a man dangling a treat above a cat or like a politician trying to incite a vicious reaction. Nox pulled back his hood and revealed two sparkling green eyes, and long golden hair. His skin was smooth and fair, and his lips seemed the top and bottom of a tightly locked chest made from time worn oak. Nox was unnaturally pale and his face seemed drawn yet well rested. His form was muscular in comparison to Turismo's and he couldn't have weighed more than one hundred twenty pounds. Broad square shoulders framed this icy face. I could spend hours on those green eyes yet the word cold does it in a moment.
"I do not fear you." Tekin announced.
"A foolish sentiment."
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Submission Name: Genesis - Begginings
