DUKE FANG - GODS ATEMPORAL

"SEATED IN MY THRONE, I'LL WATCH THE UNIVERSE SWAY INTO OBLIVION. TO ME, EVERY APOCALYPSE IS NOW A LEISURE."

***

PHASE ONE

That man in a black and hooded cloak emerged from the darkness of this eerie tower, a horsewhip in hand with its lash placed on the second and the sound of his tapping boots echoing on this hallway all was dead silent, until...

"Show yourselves", the man ordered.

No reply came.

"I expected this", he said to himself, "you wouldn't come out unless you all are provoked and, I know just what to do."

The whip disappeared from his hands and in its place was a bouquet of grey flowers, which faded into ash as the man lifted it to the air. The ash spread across the room and those eerie screeches were heard.

"I know you can't resist it", the man said, "now come out !" He ordered.

They emerged from the darkness, their black scales steaming of fiery veins and their eyes blazing blood red, wolves with wings, they were known as Waregoyles.

"Set of bastards", the man intoned, "you really are hard to deal with, why make it difficult for me by wasting my precious roses."

The Waregoyles howled in anger, they had been irritated by those ashes, this was one of the things which weakened them - the roses of Ercol. Unable to contain their rage, they charged at the man who stood still at the spot, not moving an inch - why would he ? When he was Lord Raven.

The horsewhip took form in his hands again, lashing at the air it ignited itself into flames. That flash of lightning transformed the tower into a sea of white and in that instant, the mask of the man came to light, half was painted black while the other white.

"It's been a long time since when I dealt with the likes of you", the man said, his whip lashing at the air like a live snake, "why don't I deal with you first."

His being frayed through the distance as he charged at the group of Waregoyles whose eyes were ablaze and glowing red, they were enraged at the one who had dared invade their territory adding to that the roses of Ercol had its own effects too.

"Why don't you all just stay out of my way", the man said, his whip lashing at the first making the waregoyle explode into a mass of flames, howling and growling it could do nothing but roll on the ground as it was consumed by the flames of the whip.

"It's not over yet", the man said as his being frayed through the distance, the flashes of lightning engulfing this chamber in its apocalyptic white.

PHASE TWO

The last waregoyle fell to the ground as it rolled on the floor its hide burning with flames and soon it faded to ash.

"Well, well, well",the man yawned, "was that all ? But I did learn something new today, never give a waregoyle an Elcon rose", the man exploded into an insane fit of laughter, "I already knew that alright, but it was worth laughing over even though it wasn't funny."

Moving around the bones of the waregoyles, that red line trailed his steps and his cyclical motion made a certain pattern of geometric shapes with a pentagram at its core.

"It still exists", the man mused, "even though it is now a myth, well I am a myth myself." The man exploded into another fit of insane laughter accompanied by the booming thunder and flashing lightning. He was the darkness that lurked at this hour.

"Let's just get this over with, I really don't have time to waste."

Saying this, that portal rose from the formation which had appeared, shooting to the dark sky, it rivalled with the lightning itself engulfing the skies with its bloody red.

"The Decagon cores sure know how to keep track of the Valtur, but", stepping Into the formation, "they can't rival this vampire."

***

"ALL HAIL LORD RAVEN !", the members of the Dark Blade rose as the man in that dark cloak took his seat at the head of the table.

Staring straight ahead, not minding their presence, lord Raven said as though he was speaking into nothingness.

"We simply can't reverse the Orcan winds of Phelmur, with the Sage Majors still at their peak", Lord Raven said, "But I have had enough of their games", placing his hands on his chin, "six centuries of alternating time of the dark era is still untouched and only a decade has been harnessed, time really is an illusion."

***

Seated around that tree who's every branch was tied to a dangling cube bearing pentagrams, these women were immersed in their thoughts as they scanned through the winds of Phelmur.

"Who is capable of causing such a rift ?" Sage Major Maya wondered aloud.

"Could it be Morca Olan ?" Sage Major Cama suggest as she played with her hair.

"I don't think so" the woman at the head of the table differed, "Even Morca Olan can't rival the intricacies of the Erama." Arch Sage Varna said.

"Then the one who must be doing this is more powerful than Morca," Sage Major Telma, the fifth sage suggested.

"Even Olana isn't worthy of being this unknown being's rival."

Walking in, the maid slowly took the cups from the women's hands, and the only thought in her mind apart from their discussion was.

"I have to tell master Morca about this."

PHASE THREE

"The Balkyres have really expanded over the centuries", the guard to the vampire prince, Mernon Vantila said as he stared at one of the Balkyres mansions through the window of their moving chariot.

"The only thing that bothers me", prince Magrez said, "is about the fate of the youngest son of duke Balkyre."

"You mean the fourth ?", Mernon asked.

"You know too well Mernon", the prince confirmed, taking a sip from his glass of wine, "who else will it be if it's isn't Balkyre Fang ?"

***

His burning whip cut through their hides as he made his way through that army of vampires and werewolves, they were his kind weren't they ? But why was he killing them ? Did it matter ? They were standing in his way, and that alone was enough reason for their deaths - to stand in the way of Lord Raven, such a sin had only one atonement - death.

The flashing lightning set the skies ablaze in its white flames and the blue moon was a pearl that shone of rays of innocence and ... what ! The moon smiled, a devilish one, a serpent like tongue lashing through it's lips, innocence ? What a mockery, these were the nether realms, there was no innocence apart from blood.

***

"The youngest has come to realize that he is no match when compared to his siblings." Mernon said without any form of concern, why would he care over the power struggle of a vampire family that had nothing to do with neither him nor his lineage.

"Indeed", prince Magrez sighed, "it really is painful to be seen as the underdog, in a world where power and wealth are supreme, there is nothing left for the weak to do but hide."

"WEAK MY FOOT !", Prince Magrez thoughts yelled, "THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL THINK. BUT AMONG THE FOUR HEIRS TO THE TITLE OF DUKEDOM, BALKYRE FANG MIGHT BE THE STRONGEST."

***

Walking over the lifeless bodies of vampires and werewolves, his boots squeezing out blood from their cold flesh, playing with the whip in his hands, he lashed at the skies which resonated with a boom of thunder and a flash of lightning.

"Indeed I am the strongest !", Lord Raven roared to the skies.

"THE WORLD IS A SCHEMING HEAVEN AND A TREACHEROUS HELL."

***

PHASE ONE

The sounds coming from this bar were loud, the drunken cheers of men could be heard and the smell of alcohol reeked from all within this bar. But there was one who was at the centre of it all, he was the cause of all this commotion and steering the drunken minds of these men even deeper into the sea of false fantasies, it was no other person than Balkyre Fang, the son of Duke Balkyre Mor.

"Hahaha !", Fang laughed, his cheeks red from having drank way beyond what his head could handle, "come on lads", he steered the spirits of the men at the bar, " even the king of vampires can't stop me from having my fun, not to talk of that old man called Balkyre Mor !"

"Damn Balkyre Mor !" The men yelled.

"And damn his mercenary children !" Balkyre yelled throwing both hands into the air with wine spilling from the brim of the bottle in his left hand.

"But aren't you a Balkyre, master Fang ?" One of the drunk men asked with a smirk.

"Come on lads !" Fang yelled, "I'm not Balkyre's son, I am", he swaggered as he took a sip from his bottle of alcohol, "Balkyre's prodigal son !"

"BALKYRE'S PRODIGAL SON !!!" The men of the bar cheered.

"Master Balkyre !" Another called, "I think you are more fit to be the duke than your eldest brother Vanficus."

"YES !!!" The men of the bar hailed, "BALKYRE FANG SHOULD BE NEXT DUKE."

"Hold on boys", Fang calmed the men down waving his hands, "who cares about a stupid title, when I can steal enough money without having to sweat a single day. Why bother myself with damn politics when I can enjoy for the rest of my life without working a single day."

"Such a wise decision master Fang", one of the male vampires called Vervan said.

"Indeed Vervan", Fang said, "why waste my time knowing that after my father's demise I shall inherit a part of his fortune. That's how you play politics friends."

"WISE MASTER FANG !" The men at the bar cheered.

"Because of this", Fang said beckoning to a vampire barmaid who brought a bottle of wine with a bronze cap to fang, "I shall reward you all with the most expensive wine in the entire province of Malma."

The cap burst from the brim of the bottle as Fang opened it with his mouth. The foam frothed unceasingly and Fang poured it all over himself.

"Malma's most exquisite", he burped, "the Alpha Centuria. A bottle for everyone, drink to your contentment and let's all be merry like cherubs !"

***

"I can't believe his majesty, the prince will send us - the elite guards of the royal family to keep a constant eye on a fool." One of the two vampires sitting at a dark corner of the bar said to his companion.

"His highness, prince Magrez has his reasons which we can't question.", The other replied.

"It makes sense", said the first as two other cloaked vampires walked past them quietly leaving the bar without anybody noticing, "being that we aren't the only ones watching him."

"I can smell their blood", the first observed, "can you ?"

"I can too", the second confirmed.

"MANE'S CITADEL", the first mused, "Mistress Theonis' personal guards of mercenaries."

"She too is part of this hide and seek game isn't she ?" The first suggested.

"It may be, just like his majesty, the prince", the second guard analyzed, "she too has her suspicions about what Balkyre Fang is capable of doing."

PHASE TWO

The two cloaked men climbed into the chariot waiting for them at the corner of this dark and silent street. Stepping into the dimly lit interior of the chariot, the outline of a female vampire could be seen seated with a fancy fan and hat which had a veil that covered her face. The only thing that couldn't be hidden were her burning purple eyes.

"Did you notice anything suspicious ?", The woman asked her henchmen.

"Nothing of any importance concerning your younger brother, Balkyre Fang, madam Theonis." One of the men replied.

"You said nothing concerning Balkyre Fang, what does that mean ?" Theonis asked fanning herself from the dry wind.

"The royal family's guards are also watching over Balkyre Fang." The second henchman revealed.

"Interesting", Theonis mused, "and what would make his majesty interested in an ordinary drunkard ?"

"If I'm not mistaken", the first henchman said, "it's the same reason as yours but in a somewhat different motive."

"I already know who it is Arman" Theonis replied Arman, her first subordinate who was a werewolf.

"Let me make a guess madam Theonis", said Dartor the second henchman, a vampire, "it's prince Magrez Vel Nor."

"You are correct Dartor", Theonis affirmed, "he's the only one amongst the three prince's who doesn't deal with the Balkyres and yet he's stalking a black sheep of the family. None of the other princes would associate themselves with a waste like Fang, they would rather come to us who have the power and influence to turn the tides. The second prince's actions make him even more suspicious."

"What do you suggest we do madam Theonis ?" Arman asked.

"Let us play this petty game together", Theonis replied, "act like we don't notice we are being watched, why pay so much attention when it comes to a waste Like Fang ? But if the prince turns Fang into a threat, then I'm afraid", Theonis bit her lips, licking the blood which rolled down her jaws, "the end of that batling of a brother is just around the corner."

PHASE THREE

"His majesty seems to be against the passing of the Bill of Five Annexations." Said counsellor Morman to the first prince.

Artor stared through the window of his room, he knew who was the real cause of this. Although he was the first son, he was supposed to wield as much power to do whatever he pleased, but that wasn't the case. Having a second and a third brother, both scheming demons with no limits to what they could contort, his position as the next king was threatened.

"It's as I have said earlier", prince Artor replied, "Magrez must be eliminated."

***

Their hands clasped, the cold and dead hands of monstrous manipulators of the upcoming generations of dark creatures. They ruled the underworld and the underworld was the blueprint of their imperial game.

"It's been a while madam Theonis", said the third prince, Valoris Greta.

"It's most gracious of you to come to my humble mansion his royal highness." Theonis said taking a bow.

"When you say humble", the prince said, "you mean exquisite."

"Not at all his majesty Valoris Greta", Theonis replied, "it's nothing compared to the royal family."

"Indeed", the prince replied, "but hearing this from a Balkyre makes it even more unbelievable, hypocritical would be the right word to use in this situation."

"Your highness", Theonis blushed, feigning denial, "why would I be deceitful to his majesty."

"This isn't a matter of deception", the vampire prince explained, his green eyes glistening with the intense fire of a hawk, "it's a well known fact that throughout the entire Vercan realm, the wealth of the Balkyres can only be rivalled by the royal family alone."

"THEIR PETTY GAMES, RATS SCURRYING THE FLOORS OF A BAITED REALM. I WISH THEY KNEW THAT THEY HAD DIED, EVEN BEFORE THEY WERE BORN."

***

PHASE ONE

"These damn writers !" Fang yelled as he dropped the book on the table, "don't they know how to write anything apart from romance ?"

"But you always read it master Fang", the female butler of Fang's mansion, Artena, a werewolf, said as she poured his tea into a cup.

"I do ?" Fang looked a bit surprised by her remark, "well", he shrugged, "maybe it's because I can't help it."

"So what kind of stories do you like master Fang ?" Artena asked.

"Don't tell me you don't know", he said, "the legends, epics and tales of the ancients and the future, one with battles and endless wars, the conquest of empires and realms ..."

"I get it, I get it, master Fang", Artena said, "now you can have your tea" she said handing the cup and saucer to master Fang who was sitting at the side of the window in his room.

"I know that's your specialty", she reminded, "especially fooling people around with your acts."

Balkyre Fang gave a guilty smile, Artena knew alright, that he wasn't just some prodigal who was waiting for the demise of his father, the patriarch of the Balkyre family, Duke Mor. Fang was capable of doing worse than that, even the demise of the Vercan realm was something Fang could bring about with his eyes closed.

"The prince and your sister have been keeping an eye on you lately.", Artena reminded.

"Let them play their game", Fang said, that board of geometric patterns taking form before him as he drank his tea, it's surface filled with those game pieces which Fang moved deftly as though he already knew the outcome of the moves he was making, even before he had made them.

"What they don't know is", Fang said as he took the position of another game piece which burned into the air, "that the board itself was my doing."

***

"You said that the Sage Majors have confirmed that this being is more powerful than even Olana ?"

"Yes master Morca", the female shrouded in a red cloak replied.

"Strange indeed", said Morca, "For him to be able to cause a rift in the Orcan winds of Phelmur and surpass the trickery of the Erama, he's indeed a being that can't be rivalled by most."

***

"Yes I am", Lord Raven said to the thundering skies, "I can be rivalled by none !"

The flashes of lightning which came with the drizzling rain swept over this terrain like a storm of white flames, not even the vampires, werewolves and beings of the underworld could withstand the thunderbolts and lightning flashes of the Ciaran Void.

"But I can", Lord Raven mused, "because I am unrivalled."

Taking a daring leap from the edge of that floating formation, Lord Raven fell through the mesh of lightning intertwining itself with the red clouds of this plain and when he finally landed on this barren soil, those seven pillars rose from the depths of the earth.

"Finally", lord Raven sighed, "the Seven Pillars of Ciara."

PHASE TWO

Dragging along the corpse of the weregoyle, sword in hand and blood now an ointment decorating his once royal robe, this ghostly form emerged form the hill of corpses. Staring at the skies brimming with the wings of these flying beasts, endless in their numbers, he knew that the end of this battle was far from over.

"Artor", Megraz mused to himself, "you really are desperate aren't you ? Unfortunately", he screamed to the skies throwing his sword away, "so am I !"

The skies thundered and those blue flashes of light fell like pillars of fire striking down that army of flying waregoyles, making them screech as they burnt.

"You think you came from hell", Megraz challenged, his claws and fangs elongating themselves, they raved of a monstrous scarlet, "I'll show you what real hell looks like."

His being frayed through the distance, leaping to the skies, Megraz began a massacre, the carnage was severe and it rained blood, the screeches intensified, but it wasn't enough to appease the enraged Magrez, they wanted his life, but before they could take his, he was going to take theirs.

***

"His majesty !" Mernon gasped as he saw the second prince walk into the courtroom covered in blood.

"What happened ?" Counsellor Morman feigned concern, but a stare from the bloody Megraz made him hold back. It was a daring stare that only said one thing, "You failed again Morman."

***

"How long will this petty game continue ?" Mernon thought aloud.

"As long as one player isn't left standing." Megraz replied as he and Mernon walked the courtyard of the royal palace, "Any news about Balkyre Fang ?"

"His majesty", Mernon complained, "why are you so interested in a black sheep like Fang ?"

"His being a black sheep is my trump card." Megraz replied.

"You refused to forge a relationship with the more renown heirs of the Balkyres yet you are pursuing the oddball among them."

"It's his oddity that makes him more useful." Megraz answered calmly, "Balkyre Fang's siblings are trying to woo the support of the royal family in order to strengthen their hold of inheriting the Dukedom, and the first and third prince want the support of the elite families of Verca especially the Balkyres, in order to strengthen their position as heirs to the throne."

"They each have their interests", Mernon pointed further.

"But two to four makes it a tug of war not between the princes, but the elite families", Megraz continued, "each family wanting the favour of the next king will do anything to ensure their candidate succeeds at all costs, making them disposable."

"With a surplus of allies wanting to gain the favour of the first and third prince, they have turned themselves into the princes' pawns."

"Don't forget Mernon", Megraz pointed out, "there isn't one prince."

"Since there are two masters ..." Mernon postulated.

"It doesn't matter who the elite families serve."

PHASE THREE

"It doesn't really matter who they serve does it ?" Lord Raven said as he studied the inscriptions on each of the Ciaran pillars.

"And it is their insolence that shall serve my purpose."

***

"But what makes the second prince view Balkyre Fang as the perfect option ?" Mernon probed.

"Because he isn't seen as being capable of rocking the boat ?" Magrez revealed.

"And his majesty wants him to sink the entire ship."

"You're correct Mernon", Megraz affirmed, "no one would expect that someone who isn't capable of squashing a flea, skin a living creature alive and with the smile of a ruthless killer."

***

"Neither rocking the boat nor sinking the ship is needed to be done from the inside", Lord Raven mused to himself as he stood at the centre of the Ciaran pillars, with its formation taking form above him.

"Being the sea, it'll take only a second for me to have them engulfed in the claws of my waves."

That halo rose from the core of the Ciaran formation rising to the skies it made the earth quake.

***

"Do you think Balkyre Fang is capable of becoming such an anomaly ?"

"The possibilities aren't solid Mernon", Megraz smiled, "but it doesn't matter how the tables are turned, whether upsidedown or inside out, all I know is that this realm will never be the same."

***

The Ciaran pillars began to crumble as the fury of that rising halo intensified. Lord Raven standing at its core with that deadly smirk of his lips, unfazed by the chances of being consumed in this rage of chaos. It didn't matter to him whether the earth crumbled or the heavens fell, after this ...

"The nether realms will never be the same ever again." Lord Raven grinned to the shattering skies.