Chapter 8 Seeking the Monster Within

"IF YOU EVER SEEK A MONSTER, THEN JUST LOOK WITHIN."

***

PHASE ONE

His regal robes fluttering with the passing winds of this desert's swirling dunes, Ormius held that whip in his left hand, the insignia of the gods of godsland.

"You said the timeline of the ranks of existence has been distorted." Ormius repeated.

"Yes lord Ormius", the man kneeling behind him answered.

"Who is it", Ormius snarled, his fangs digging into his lips, the blood trickling down his jaws, "that would dare defy the the will of the cadre of gods ?"

"And the Erama ?" Ormius asked further.

"There has clearly been a distortion of its dimensions.", The man replied.

"A distortion", Ormius sighed as he walked past the kneeling man into the dense winds, "make sure you find who it is Ortival."

"Yes my lord", the man replied fading into the air.

"I thought after the downfall of that arrogant rat things would end up going the way I planned", Ormius said to himself as he walked through the desert winds, "But thousands of years after the death of Secregard, I still haven't been able to gain the control of the ranks of existence, with the cadre of gods about to rebel, each god scheming over having me ousted, the three Balances planning to bring forth the downfall of the gods, and ..."

The skies thundered as Ormius paused, those purple streaks of flames trailing down from the burning clouds like spears, striking the ground they set this entire terrain ablaze.

"And that bastard's riddle of time", Ormius sighed, "Secregard", he snarled, "even before your death, you had already made things difficult for me."

***

Balkyre Fang watched the ticking hands of the stopwatch in his palms, Ormius hadn't seen anything yet, Fang smiled. When he was done crushing these mites, he was going to come after them.

"Those godly bastards ..." Fang smirked, none of them was going to escape his wrath.

"So it's true as they say", Fang heard that female voice coming form behind him.

The speaker's identity was someone who Balkyre Fang was familiar with all his life.

"Why feign ignorance", Fang answered rising from his seat at the table, "when we've been playing in your palms all this while Theonis ?"

Theonis growled, she felt like tearing this brat alive, her purple eyes blazing, Theonis was confronted with another gaze as irritating as the gaze of their father, the patriarch, Duke Balkyre Mor.

"What makes you so bold to stare at your elder sister in such a manner ?" Theonis spat.

"That's because you're in the position of being seen as the prey." Fang answered.

"A drunkard's riddle", Theonis brushed Fang's reply aside.

"Don't think I don't know why you're here Theonis", Fang whistled staring at the stopwatch, "since you didn't bother to ask yourself, I'll do the talking."

"Vague statements", Theonis cuddled the cat in her hands.

"Didn't Arman and Dartor pass my message ?"

Theonis felt like exploding, so Fang was the one who had tortured her subordinates to death.

"You won't get away with this Fang", she smiled.

"Remember Arman's dying words", Fang reminded, "Balkyre Fang is a demon."

That cold sensation ran down Theonis' spine, why did it feel like she was actually standing before a demon. Fangs eyes were completely different from those of a drunkard, it was the eyes of a beast staring back at her.

"I'll only tell you this", Fang said walking away, "to me, this game of power already has a winner and that winner is me."

PHASE TWO

"Morca Olan", arch sage Verna repeated her question, "are you the one toying with the dimensions of the Erama ?"

"Why", Morca Olan sighed, "wouldn't I do it if I had the power to."

"Why wouldn't you ?" Verna echoed.

"That statement doesn't exempt the Sage Majors, Varna", Morca Olan continued as he strode gracefully to his throne, "wouldn't you have tried to alter fate a bit, if you had the power to do so ?"

"I'm the one asking the questions here", Varna probed calmly.

"And it so happens", Olan replied sitting on his throne, "that my answers are also questions."

Arch sage Varna knew coming to face an adversary would likely yield no result, but it seemed that Morca Olan was both aware of what was going on with the Erama and at the same time also ignorant of who was capable of causing such a phenomenal shift in the transition of existence.

"So you're trying to justify your ignorance ?" She asked.

The winds blew through the windows of Morca Olan's castle, the wolves howling from the hills, a red moon and screeching bats, this was a world devoid of sanity and light, the very meaning of darkness itself. Staring at the statues of gargoyles lining the sides of his throne room, that wry smile took over Olan's lips, making him suddenly exploded into laughter.

"So you meant to find out if I was the one !" Morca hollered.

"Why else do you think I'm here ?" Varna repeated.

"We aren't innocent either are we ?" Morca continued, "Forming an alliance with the Waves, do you think you're the only one capable of harnessing the reins of celestial power Verna ?"

"Just as I had imagined", she sighed, "you already know. But", Her fangs baring themselves unveiled that beastly smile, "how does it affect this game of gods ?"

PHASE THREE

"Rising to the peak of existence", the man in a red leather outfit said, "the state of the underworld really is a disaster."

"Why not make the conflict more heated lord Legacy ?" The being in a brown robe standing behind Legacy said.

"Making the conflict more conflicting isn't worth it", Legacy replied, "the winner of this war is already clear."

"Then what's the need to fight a battle that has already been won ?"

"As if you don't know already First Grandeur." Legacy sighed.

"The Calamities are about to be released my lord." First Grandeur bowed.

"Now", Legacy smiled, "this is a better game to watch."

***

The wind whistled past him as he made his way through the bends of the streets of Malma. Fang could sense that feeling, it was murderous, but not murderous enough to make even a hair on his skin stand.

"Well Theonis really hasn't learned !" Fang said aloud as he walked through the path leading to his mansion.

To each side of the road was an endless stretch of trees, their crooked branches like the claws of Waregoyles and their fruits like the eyes of ravenous bloodsucking bats, this orchard resonated the foreboding event about to be witnessed.

"Finally", Fang said as he saw that figure walk out from the shadows, "you've arrived."

***

"I can see that you've found a reliable companion his majesty, prince Magrez", Balkyre Erva whispered into the prince's right ear after they clasped arms.

"What's wrong with that Balkyre Erva ?" Magrez replied with a grin.

"It's just that", Erva smirked, "your flower of hope will soon be nipped in the bud."

"Isn't this the second attempt."

Erva's eyebrows twitched for a moment, then the smile returned.

"So you were aware all this while weren't you ?" Erva tagged.

"If I wasn't, there wouldn't have been any problem either, isn't that right Balkyre Erva ?" The prince replied.

"Confident indeed", Erva saluted, his arm still clasped with the prince's, "but one victory doesn't guarantee that you've won the war."

"And a war is made up of single victories", said the prince, "make sure", Magrez released himself from Erva's grip, "that you aren't the next to fall under my claws."

Watching the prince walk away, Erva beckoned a steward to give him a glass of wine.

"Refreshing", Erva sighed, "really refreshing, knowing in advance, yet still confident in that brat's capabilities. What is so intriguing about Fang, that makes even the prince this arrogant."

***

Climbing into that carriage, Megraz's gaze met the other seated figure's.

"Only a monster is capable of subduing the seven elite families father, and", Megraz said, "Balkyre Fang is that monster."