08-17-2018, 11:53 PM
That others now knew his pain was little comfort.
There was precious time to recover before it began again. Nox crushed the creature that once snared him, the ijiraq, and its pieces splayed across the floor melting to a puddle. The moment it died, the power ripped away from Nikolai like his arm was torn the socket. The glaring absence was almost as painful as the immensity of what just flowed. What limits could the body take before extinguishing into pure light? Had the ijiraq not buffered the intensity, Nikolai would not have survived; mortal or immortal regardless. The thought was terrifying.
As the shards of the creature melted, so too did his previous terror drain away. In its place rose a wrath that Nikolai rarely felt. It pushed through the avenues of his body like poisoned blood, until his fists balled, his jaw hinged tight, and the promise for savagery pushed strength through his legs.
He rose to his feet and beheld the nightmare daring to usurp his throne.
Three ijiraq burned bright with stolen powers not their own. Another twisted a woman's from her limbs like a parasite. He knew her tormented face. The creature laughed, taunting them. Fury was too calm a word. Nikolai quivered with wrath.
Then he began to channel.
He held nothing back. This was the height of his power, and with it, he would utterly decimate these shades of reality with every shred of his soul. If he broke the world doing so, he didn't care.
The greatest channeler on earth barely strained when dozens of flows of Firmament, Flame and Ether combined into grenades of weighty pressure denser than an infant star. At first the heart of a flake sprang to being, then grew to glittering crystals, finally frost formed into petrifying spheres. Light flashed like bombs, and he ducked as two of the Rods of Dominion planted human shields in front of him.
Marcus was nearest. All of the spheres flashed streaks into the mist. The ijiraq howled as they consumed it from within. Bluish threads spidered through the creature as the frost took hold, but trapped to their reality, it was unable to phase away. The mist grew solid. Marcus disappeared within.
Nik ran to it, snarl curling the cry that gave his legs speed. Something to crush it as Nox had. Something.. Something.. came to his hands. Firmament, Flame and Essence formed a bar of darkness that he swung with as much power as divinely possible.
The onyx-black weapon dissipated as it passed through the shattering ijiraq. Already new spheres of the coldest substance on earth, colder than liquid nitrogen, swirled and grew. They dove into the mist trapping Im Jung Seung next. The weapon came to his hands and Nik braced for the force of impact. The shards crashed around his ankles as he stepped through, disappointed that there weren't more ijiraq to slaughter.
Behind, lights flashed like the rage of the sun split its energy through the mirrors of a prism. Colors drenched sickly, disturbing patterns. His eyes burned to behold it. She lashed out fresh offenses upon the death of two of her mates. Nikolai ignored her for now, allowing the Dominions the honor of defending him. He intended to save her for last.
The remaining Rods of Dominion formed a shield, a wall between him, Nox and Oriena. He was vaguely aware of witnesses, but they were far targets. Nik ducked behind the shield. The spheres swirled, diamonds colder than the depths of space, and shot through the final ijiraq. It writhed in pain, bluish veins streaking through its shape. But the creature fought back, and Nikolai strained finally as the ice orbs spun colder and colder. Nox was moments from death. Nikolai knew the pain. He felt it from the other man. More spheres formed. A dozen, then two dozen. The mist congealed into a white cocoon. Trapped within, Nox would not last but heartbeats.
His heart raced, triumph at hand. The weapon formed at his call. It was only a moment, but he noticed the fangs at its end, onyx-twin prongs. No time to think on it. Arms clenched, he hefted it like a spear and stabbed the sculpture. It shattered. The pieces pooled at their feet.
Panting, Nikolai pivoted, leaving Nox to a fate he had no power to decide.
Sweat rimmed his brow, but the weapon in his grasp was gripped tight. A haunted smile touched his lips as he joined the line of Dominions to face their final foe. He cried out to her, daring her to face he who rules the infernal dead. "Who thinks to command my armies? Who thinks to steal the power of the gods? Reveal yourself, creature, for your soul is soon to be mine, as I shall next extinguish your very existence from the planes of this world."
There was precious time to recover before it began again. Nox crushed the creature that once snared him, the ijiraq, and its pieces splayed across the floor melting to a puddle. The moment it died, the power ripped away from Nikolai like his arm was torn the socket. The glaring absence was almost as painful as the immensity of what just flowed. What limits could the body take before extinguishing into pure light? Had the ijiraq not buffered the intensity, Nikolai would not have survived; mortal or immortal regardless. The thought was terrifying.
As the shards of the creature melted, so too did his previous terror drain away. In its place rose a wrath that Nikolai rarely felt. It pushed through the avenues of his body like poisoned blood, until his fists balled, his jaw hinged tight, and the promise for savagery pushed strength through his legs.
He rose to his feet and beheld the nightmare daring to usurp his throne.
Three ijiraq burned bright with stolen powers not their own. Another twisted a woman's from her limbs like a parasite. He knew her tormented face. The creature laughed, taunting them. Fury was too calm a word. Nikolai quivered with wrath.
Then he began to channel.
He held nothing back. This was the height of his power, and with it, he would utterly decimate these shades of reality with every shred of his soul. If he broke the world doing so, he didn't care.
The greatest channeler on earth barely strained when dozens of flows of Firmament, Flame and Ether combined into grenades of weighty pressure denser than an infant star. At first the heart of a flake sprang to being, then grew to glittering crystals, finally frost formed into petrifying spheres. Light flashed like bombs, and he ducked as two of the Rods of Dominion planted human shields in front of him.
Marcus was nearest. All of the spheres flashed streaks into the mist. The ijiraq howled as they consumed it from within. Bluish threads spidered through the creature as the frost took hold, but trapped to their reality, it was unable to phase away. The mist grew solid. Marcus disappeared within.
Nik ran to it, snarl curling the cry that gave his legs speed. Something to crush it as Nox had. Something.. Something.. came to his hands. Firmament, Flame and Essence formed a bar of darkness that he swung with as much power as divinely possible.
The onyx-black weapon dissipated as it passed through the shattering ijiraq. Already new spheres of the coldest substance on earth, colder than liquid nitrogen, swirled and grew. They dove into the mist trapping Im Jung Seung next. The weapon came to his hands and Nik braced for the force of impact. The shards crashed around his ankles as he stepped through, disappointed that there weren't more ijiraq to slaughter.
Behind, lights flashed like the rage of the sun split its energy through the mirrors of a prism. Colors drenched sickly, disturbing patterns. His eyes burned to behold it. She lashed out fresh offenses upon the death of two of her mates. Nikolai ignored her for now, allowing the Dominions the honor of defending him. He intended to save her for last.
The remaining Rods of Dominion formed a shield, a wall between him, Nox and Oriena. He was vaguely aware of witnesses, but they were far targets. Nik ducked behind the shield. The spheres swirled, diamonds colder than the depths of space, and shot through the final ijiraq. It writhed in pain, bluish veins streaking through its shape. But the creature fought back, and Nikolai strained finally as the ice orbs spun colder and colder. Nox was moments from death. Nikolai knew the pain. He felt it from the other man. More spheres formed. A dozen, then two dozen. The mist congealed into a white cocoon. Trapped within, Nox would not last but heartbeats.
His heart raced, triumph at hand. The weapon formed at his call. It was only a moment, but he noticed the fangs at its end, onyx-twin prongs. No time to think on it. Arms clenched, he hefted it like a spear and stabbed the sculpture. It shattered. The pieces pooled at their feet.
Panting, Nikolai pivoted, leaving Nox to a fate he had no power to decide.
Sweat rimmed his brow, but the weapon in his grasp was gripped tight. A haunted smile touched his lips as he joined the line of Dominions to face their final foe. He cried out to her, daring her to face he who rules the infernal dead. "Who thinks to command my armies? Who thinks to steal the power of the gods? Reveal yourself, creature, for your soul is soon to be mine, as I shall next extinguish your very existence from the planes of this world."