• Chapter 12: The Remainder of Monday

    Sparks flew as Aeulus and Nirdaya’s blades clashed. They pushed each other back and clashed again. And then they did the same again. “I must congratulate you, Aeulusiò,” remarked Nirdaya as their blades clashed again. “You’ve lasted about five minutes. You have ten minutes left before our fun time is over!”
    Why is he toying with me? We both have an equal chance of winning, observed Aeulus. We are equals. Why is he looking down on me? He pushed Nirdaya back and summoned orbs of wind that circled around his right hand. “Cyclone!” snapped Aeulus flicking his wrist. The orbs sped towards Nirdaya, and then circled him. After the fifth rotation they exploded into a cyclone of strong winds that threatened to rip the entire apartment apart. “There. That should have worn you out enough,” breathed Aeulus.
    “That was one hell of a show, Aeulusiò di Aria,” chuckled Nirdaya behind him. “But your timing was a bit off. You should’ve waited until I was off guard—which is happening right about now.” Aeulus spun around, swinging his blade correspondingly. The blade connected with Nirdaya’s left arm and stopped. “Ooh, I forgot to tell you. Don’t underestimate me.” Nirdaya pushed the blade away with the swing of his arm and slashed down with his sword, which was in his right hand.
    Essence rose from Aeulus as the blade ripped from his right shoulder to his left hip. Damn it. How did he pierce my skin so easily? It was like a hot knife through butter…
    “I’m actually a thousand times more powerful than you!” added Nirdaya as he swung his blade again. Aeulus flew out through the window, essence rising from his right leg. He caught himself and created a platform of air. “I don’t even need magic to stand on the air,” whispered Nirdaya from behind him. Aeulus swung around. “Too slow,” chuckled Nirdaya from behind again. “Fire,” he whispered. Five explosions sounded from behind Aeulus. Five pangs of pain burned from his arms, legs, and back.
    He’s too fast. I barely got a chance to move before he teleported again, observed Aeulus, grimacing from the burning pain. “Fuego magic?” stammered Aeulus, noticing the smoldering ash that fell from his back. He broke into a mocking laugh.
    “What are you laughing about?” questioned Nirdaya.
    “Fire feeds on oxygen, right? And my air magic could move that oxygen. But, since we are high up in the sky, all of the exhaust from cars and humans comes to us. Carbon dioxide kills fire,” Aeulus gripped his sword with both hands, “and I could move carbon dioxide, too. Whip!” he swung his blade horizontally. A thin arc of grey wind sped towards Nirdaya, who’s confused expression gave way to a grin.
    “Fire.” Nirdaya pointed his blade at Aeulus and fired five bullets. Then, he stopped the arc of wind with his hand. What the hell? stammered Aeulus in his mind as the bullets bounced off his body. “It’s amazing how single-minded you could be, Aeulusiò di Aria. First of all, the way you held your blade when you summoned that arc of wind showed me that, since carbon dioxide is a heavier element, it takes more energy to move. Also, you are weaker since your body needs oxygen to function.” He reloaded his gun-blade. “Didn’t you notice the cylinder and the sawed off barrel under the blade? I only say ‘Fire’ to trick you into thinking that its fire magic. You would get cocky and act like it were just magic, when it’s in fact the cutting force of a metal projectile!” chuckled Nirdaya. “Droha may be a lazy scientist, but she sure can teach many great tactics from just a few pieces of data!”
    “Damn you,” murmured Aeulus, panting. It’s a good thing that was on my torso, or else the bullets could have pierced my back. Who is this guy anyway? He looks like he’s too frail and fragile to fight, yet he is stronger than even one of the Elites!
    “Looks like ten minutes passed. Five minutes before I have to finish you and you only barely scratched me!” cackled Nirdaya. He sped towards Aeulus. “Try not to die, because I want to show you something before you do!”
    Aeulus raised his blade as Nirdaya swung his sword, the force of it overwhelming him. He lost his guard, nearly dropping his blade. Nirdaya swung again, slashing across Aeulus’s chest. Essence rose into the air like smoke from an overheated car. Nirdaya raised his leg and kicked down on Aeulus’s shoulder, sending the latter down to the asphalt of the street.
    Aeulus caught himself a split second before he could reach the ground. “Cyclone,” he muttered, summoning five orbs of silver wind around his wrist.
    “That parlor trick again? Are you out of ideas already?” Nirdaya dove down from the sky, ready to hack at Aeulus once again.
    “Disperse.” Aeulus outstretched his hand. The orbs of wind went to five different directions, following the line made by his fingers. He raised his blade just in time to stop Nirdaya’s sword. “I’m getting tired of you, Nirdaya,” whispered Aeulus. “So I’ll show you a new trick, and I promise it isn’t a parlor trick. Twist.” The orbs of wind zipped towards Nirdaya at a neck-breaking speed and exploded into a large funnel cloud that roared up to the sky. Aeulus summoned a Wiatr shield around him while Nirdaya was flung around in the wind until it finally died. Nirdaya fell to the ground, cracking through a few inches of asphalt. “There…” breathed Aeulus, relieved that Nirdaya did not even make a move. “It’s done.”
    “Not even!” cackled Nirdaya. “It only started! I have to admit that that trick was powerful!” Nirdaya jumped on to his feet. “But I have a powerful trick up my sleeve.” He rolled his left sleeve up.
    He has a hole in his arm. Aeulus eyed the hole with shock. Right where an artery belongs. “How could you live?”
    “How could I live? How could you live knowing that there’s blood rushing through your body? My father made me this way!” chortled Nirdaya. “He made me bloodless and heartless! My organs feed themselves, don’t you understand? The way I add food for them is by cutting into flesh. My ‘sword’ does not have an actual blade. Instead, it is made of Behmoth’s skin: the hardest type of skin ever created—and the most porous. You may have not noticed it, but my blade has three large pores around the tip! Have you not noticed the way I held back when I cut you? I could have dug in deeper and killed you, but that would have left me without food. How would I be able to show my true potential on an empty stomach?”
    “True…potential?” stammered Aeulus.
    “Yes, you see,” Nirdaya thrust his sword into the hole in his arm, “my siblings all have some type of special ability that I like to call their ‘true potential’. Some of us have a change in form, or a change of weapon. For example, my brother has the ability to change into a monstrous form in the right conditions. I have the ability to do this.” He pulled his sword out of his arm. Essence spilled from the pores in the blade, and then exploded from Nirdaya’s back. The essence that spilled from Nirdaya’s concentrated into four solid forms, resembling demonic wings that floated behind him. A hole appeared where his heart should be. Nirdaya rested the back of his blade on his shoulder. “I can grow four wings made of essence. And if you went through high school, you would know that essence is attracted to high concentrations of energy.”
    Aeulus gripped his blade tighter. “So you can suck my essence away with those wings?”
    Nirdaya grinned. “Yep. So try not to get cut, or else you’ll become nothing but a skeleton.” Without warning, he vanished and reappeared inches from Aeulus. Their blades clashed as the former swung down, and the latter stopped it with his sword. Nirdaya grinned, and then vanished again. Aeulus swung around in time to block another attack from Nirdaya, which sent him down towards the ground.
    The sound of metal sliding against stone screeched through the air as the tip of Aeulus’s blade grinded against the ground. Aeulus’s boots left skid marks against the asphalt of the street as he tried to regain his balance.
    “You are really good at dodging and blocking. I’m surprise you didn’t get hit at all since I changed into this form,” chuckled Nirdaya, his wings orbiting his body like sentinels. He came lowered down to the ground in a graceful manner.
    Aeulus glared at Nirdaya with nothing but contempt. “Shut the hell up!” he snapped, dashing at Nirdaya.
    “Again? We’ve been doing this all day,” muttered Nirdaya. He blocked Aeulus as the latter swung down on him. The wings moved behind him in their original positions. Nirdaya pushed Aeulus away, the latter spinning backwards into the air.
    “Cyclone!” commanded Aeulus. Five orbs of concentrated wind rushed down towards Nirdaya.
    “Oh, my.” The wings moved in front of Nirdaya just as the orbs hit them, creating a large cyclone which broke glass. Car horns filled the air and dogs barked wildly. “If I hadn’t blocked that, I would have gotten hurt! It seems that you have just brought up suspicion, Aeulusiò di—”
    Aeulus vanished and reappeared behind Nirdaya, the tip of his blade digging into the latter’s skin. “You talk way too much,” muttered Aeulus. He raised his blade and swung down. Nirdaya’s wings stopped it just inches before it could even touch their owner.
    “You really don’t pay attention, do you Aeulusiò di Aria?” Nirdaya spun around, slashing Aeulus across his chest. Essence spilled from the cut. Nirdaya’s wings glowed dark red. The black essence rushed towards the wings, concentrating at the tips. “I guess it’s over for you then, Aeulusiò di Aria. Stay still so that I can savor my meal.”
    Aeulus clutched his wound, stopping some of the essence from escaping his body. “I can still fight, Nirdaya,” he panted.
    “Humph. So persistent. Do I have to cut your head off? I don’t want to do anything so gruesome.” Nirdaya grinned and pointed the tip of the blade at Aeulus’s neck. “But I will do what I must.”
    Aeulus glared at Nirdaya. “Like I would let you!” He swung his sword horizontally. Nirdaya vanished and reappeared behind Aeulus, his back facing him. Essence spilled from Aeulus’s right arm. He dropped his sword, which hit the ground with a horrid clang. “Damn…you…” he muttered as he fell limp to the ground.
    “Two down,” sighed Nirdaya, willing his wings to dissipate into darkness. “What a shame. That just shortens the time until my imminent return to the headquarters. You can keep the last of your essence. You’ll die from essence deprivation anyway.” A cell phone vibrated. “Yeah? Aw and here I believed that I might spend some more time here. Oh, well. Very well, brother, I will return right now if father wants me.” Nirdaya leaned down so that his grinning face and Aeulus’s grimacing face were only two feet from each other. “You already lost, Aeulusiò di Aria. My big brother is looking for Mother right now.” Suddenly Nirdaya’s features turned dark, and then he vanished.
    Aeulus lied there for several moments before he finally began to feel limp enough to stop feeling his wounds. He closed his eyes. So that’s it then. I lost so easily. I barely did anything, and I’m going to die? No… Aeulus opened his eyes, and then tried to get up, his body protesting as if it gave up entirely. I’m not going to lose just like that. I will not be the coward who will give up just because of lost flesh. Snow had started to fall down on him. Aeulus staggered to his feet, using his sword as support. He stared up to the dark sky. “There is no way in hell or heaven that I will ever lose!” he howled to the sky. “Not even if the Almighty says otherwise!”

    Later…
    I can’t stand running like this anymore. Maybe it would have been smarter if I stayed. But what type of coward would that make me if I just hid myself from all of the guilt behind the Reapers? He thrust his hands into his jacket pockets. The sky was dark with the setting sun and the snow getting ready to fall. Looks like there’s going to be a heavy amount of snow… The angels are angry, so they want to pelt us with their wrath. I guess it makes sense. But I don’t deserve such a lenient punishment. I deserve much more for what I’ve done. A man crashed through a window of the first floor of an apartment behind Dunkel. I deserve the maximum punishment. That is…from anyone who could find me.
    Dunkel turned around to see the man who crashed through the window limp and bloody on the ground. “Another victim to the self destruction of human kind,” muttered Dunkel. “Am I like him, then?”
    Jackson Heights had been left as a self-destructive town that had been left out of government care since the climax of the War of New York. Most of the Neimand who survived the war fled here and made it their own society with their own rules and laws. Now it became a center for all of the filth and crime that once populated New York City.
    Dunkel strode down the moist street, his hands in his pockets and his breath visible in the cold air of the cold Monday night. “Damn it,” muttered Dunkel as his stomach started to growl. “I’ve been using so much essence just to keep my energy hidden. I’m hungry.” But it seems that the only food around here is the very flesh of all of these people. And I can’t just let myself fall for such the stupid stereotype of cannibal vampires.
    “Hey, you! You mind giv’n me some money?” called a shady voice from an alley. Dunkel ignored it and continued down the street. “Hey! I asked if you mind giv’n me some money!” Dunkel continued ignoring it. The sound of boots thumping against the cement of the street. “Give me your money!” Dunkel swung around and grabbed the beggar’s arm before it hit him.
    “Let go of me, ya idiot!” snapped the beggar, breaking Dunkel’s grip. “I just wanted some money!” She was pregnant, her stomach indicating that she had been for several months. Her hair was ragged and brown, and her eyes glistened light green.
    Dunkel looked over the woman to see two small children who stared back at him with frightened, green eyes. It’s hard to see eyes of that color so miserable. “Ah, damn,” muttered Dunkel. “I’m sorry, I thought… Here.” He produced a wad of bills from his jacket pocket. “That should cover for you and your children. Buy a nice apartment or something,” he said, continuing down the street.
    “There are about fifty of these new one thousand dollar bills!” remarked the woman.
    “Fifty-two,” corrected Dunkel. “Have a good evening.”
    “Who are ya?” called the woman. “Are ya an angel?”
    Dunkel did not answer, instead waving without turning around. Far from that. In fact, I may be the complete opposite. But I do know that everyone deserves a second chance. It’s just a matter if you’re worth it or not.

    Meanwhile…
    “Nirdaya had decided it fit to release his true potential, Master,” reported Inocku, bowing down on his knees, “and quickly disposed of the nuisance. He is now pursuing the vessel.”
    “Good. What of Ezekiel and the proxy?” questioned the Master.
    “He has successfully rehabilitated the lure.”
    “Has he reported any attachments they might have?”
    Inocku looked up at the Master. “They are close. He believes one of the two has romantic feelings for the other.”
    “Good. Then the plan may continue without delay. Send Sthuula to capture the lure tomorrow at four o’ clock in the human afternoon,” directed the Master. “Ezekiel is to feign injury in order to complicate any attempt by the proxy to rescue her. I do not want any harm done to either the proxy or the lure unless necessary.”
    “Yes, sir,” muttered Inocku.
    “You are dismissed.”
    “Yes, my Master.” Inocku got up to his feet and turned.
    “Before I forget, though: do you have any doubts in my plans, Inocku?” inquired the Master.
    Inocku froze, his eyes widened in shock. “No, my Master. I believe that your plan is flawless.”
    “Very well,” replied the Master, contemplating the answer. “You may go now, my son.”
    Inocku nodded and left through the double doors. Doubts? I am sure I do not have any, but why do I feel like I am deceiving myself? No… I cannot be. I would be deceiving my own Master in the process. And if my Master should be wrong in anything he does, then I do not know what right is.

    Later…
    Two vibrations ran through Ezekiel’s back as he attempted to fall into his troubled sleep. Inocku and Sthuula? What are they doing here all of a sudden? pondered Ezekiel, immediately recognizing the two energy signatures. Only he and the siblings are able to sense the signatures, as their father created them with that special ability.
    He yawned. Damn it. What time is it? He eyed his phone watch to see that it was barely ten o’ clock. I’ve been trying to sleep for about three hours now. What the hell’s wrong with me?
    “You can’t sleep either?” questioned a hushed female voice.
    Ezekiel nearly jumped and cried, staring into the dark living room. Two green eyes stared back at him. “You’re that Viola girl, aren’t you?” questioned Ezekiel in a hushed voice.
    The eyes moved up and down. “I am. Let’s go outside to the balcony so we can talk.”
    Crap, snapped Ezekiel in his mind as he got up on his feet. “Sure.”
    They stepped out into the balcony, which was cold from the snow that had finally fallen down from the sky. “So, Ezekiel, since when did you and Nocturn become partners?” questioned Viola. She was of a short stature with green eyes and brown hair. She was wearing a white jacket over a white tank top and white pants.
    “Since last night, actually,” replied Ezekiel. “I…mean…right after he went to save you, I introduced myself as his partner.”
    Viola smiled. “Thank you, Ezekiel.”
    “For what?”
    “Nocturn said that if it wasn’t for you, he wouldn’t have saved me.”
    Ezekiel looked away, hiding his eyes behind his white hair. “Why is everyone thanking me all of a sudden? I’m just following orders.” But are they the right orders? Shut up! snapped Ezekiel to himself in his mind. Aw great, I’m already yelling at myself.
    Viola giggled. “You seem so different from everybody else, Ezekiel.”
    “What do you mean?” inquired Ezekiel, looking at Viola with troubled eyes.
    “I mean…” Viola looked into his eyes. “Everyone acts so serious, but you are different. You act in such a casual way. It makes me feel better about what happened the past day.”
    “How? It wasn’t like I went back in time and threw a rainbow on you or something.”
    Viola giggled. Ezekiel returned with his own chuckle. “See?” she said. “When I woke up just a few hours ago, the way you acted when you saw me just lit up my day.”
    “Really? I thought I was acting like a big jerk.”
    “No. It actually made me feel great. You see,” Viola motioned for Ezekiel to lean closer, “I love Nocturn more than anything. I don’t know if he ever returned those feelings—I doubt that he does now—but I love him, and I’d do anything for him to say something to me. Anything that could tell me how he felt about me.”
    “I’m sure he cared a lot for you,” replied Ezekiel. “He’s remembering a lot about you. In fact, there was actually a huge conspiracy theory with you written all over it. Just by seeing you face, he knew that you were innocent.”
    “‘Conspiracy theory’?”
    “Something about you knowing where the real Arsenal was.”
    Viola’s eyes suddenly took a frightened tone. “The Elites thought that I knew something about it too. That’s why they tried to kill me.”
    Ezekiel stayed in a troubled silence for a few moments. “Well you’re here, right? I guess that’s all that matters.”
    Viola smiled. “I guess so.”
    They took a long silence as they stared out into the moonlight. What am I doing? pondered Ezekiel. Why do I feel so sympathetic for this woman? She is the enemy. And yet I feel like she’s my best friend since the beginning of time!
    “Viola…could I ask you something?”
    “What is it, Ezekiel?”
    “Why are you acting so nice to me? I mean, we only met today. And this is the first time we ever exchanged words,” he inquired.
    “Because you have Nocturn’s trust. He said that you were a good partner, and I know that is his way of saying he trusts you.” Ezekiel eyed Viola strangely. She just nodded and smiled. “And if he trusts you, then I trust you.”
    Ezekiel turned from the rail and walked to the French doors. “Well you shouldn’t be so quick to trust people,” he said coldly as he opened the door. “Good night, Viola.”
    “Good night,” returned Viola, with a hurt tone in her voice, “Ezekiel.”
    Ezekiel closed the French doors behind him. What are they making me do? I hate this job, snapped Ezekiel in his mind. I can’t wait until Christmas!