The struggle near Sononcoly raged on.

  Perched among the western skies, the sun had a commanding view of the destruction upon the mountain.

  Random places exploded with force as dust filled the air around the massive rock. Most of the fighting took place within, but a few skirmishes found themselves out in sunlight.

  The only peaceful place it seemed, was the very top of the heights. There, one figure sat out with every inch of sunlight beamed toward them.

  Eyes closed, old man Tyru simply sat cross legged as if in relaxation. With death and desperation beneath him, he displayed a calm, almost oblivious demeanor.

  The summit was devoid of any trees. Small hills butted out along the edges as they surrounded Tyru and the field he sat.

  There to accompany him were an assortment of stones strewn across the field. They kept to themselves as a calm wind sent the grasses in any which way.

  Not to be outdone, Tyru lightly gathered his own wind as he pushed back any surrounding stalk of green.

  All he heard were blades of grass as they rustled against each other. The next second though, he heard footsteps.

  Boots trampled the narrow leaves as three people approached the old Sentar’i. Tyru never turned from his seat, certain the enemy had arrived.

  There to meet him were the Cosondera: a Neraviv and two Tyrovivs, Ythan and his two juniors, Conon and Onyl.

  They stood yards away from Tyru in silence as the grass continued to whisper in the wind.

  “I’ve been awaiting a day like this for a long time,” Tyru spoke. He slowly rose up and turned to face his challengers. “Though not in conditions I’d prefer, never has the opportunity been better.”

  “You have no opportunity,” Ythan told him with tense eyes. “The moment you decided to cross us was the moment you sealed your fate. Never again will your life be the same after today.”

  “My life was already altered when you cloaks began to exist. A wretched life I’ve had to tolerate for far too long. My fate was at the top. One destined to my kin for ages.

  "Then, my birthright was robbed out of my hands. You expect me to live on in acceptance of such state of affairs?”

  “I expect you to pay for what you’ve done,” the Neraviv responded. He and his crew undid their bottom clasps. “By day’s end, you will.”

  “It’s you cloaks who will pay! As long as I have a breath in my body, I will never relent until you lot are gone entirely and the world returns back to its natural order!

  “Year after year, it becomes more clear that your purpose is really to take our spots, our rightful spots, and bend the world to your whims. People have long been tired of your excessive meddling and interloping.

  “Few will miss you and plenty will be content with your riddance. Once they see your trouncing today, more will join the fight and your downfall can begin in earnest.”

  “You’ve become delusional old man. Whatever you see in your head will remain there, but you’re more than free to take them with you to the next life.”

  “‘Take’ you say? That’s all you lot do. Or more specifically, all your father has done.”

  For a second, Ythan’s face dropped its intensity. He leaned away, taken aback by those words.

  “That’s right, I’m aware of who you are and the family you represent. That man has taken enough from me and today, I plan to take everything from him, starting with his son.”

  Tyru launched himself at his cloaked opponents and the fight commenced.

  The Cosondera before him positioned themselves in a semi-circle as they stood ready for his charge.

  Already at a numerical disadvantage, Tyru quickly worked to reduce it as his arms snapped out and a rush of wind exuded rapidly out his hands.

  Instantly, Onyl and Conon were shoved aside and across the grass. Only Ythan remained to face his foe.

  The Neraviv never shied away and instead lunged forth to strike at Tyru’s exposed torso since his arms spread apart.

  Tyru quickly brought his arms back together and the rush of wind followed them as he carried a strong draft that halted Ythan’s punch.

  The blue cloak simply continued on with his charge and brought a right hook for the Sentar’i’s face.

  Blocked, Tyru went on his own offensive and the two engaged in sharp rapid strikes. Neither could land a solid punch at the other.

  Not inclined to stand and watch, the two Tyrovivs joined the fray and Tyru now had to defend against three attackers.

  The old Sentar’i never yielded from the assault and impressively held his own against multiple pairs of arms and legs.

  Despite the volley of shots, Tyru parried, blocked, and dodged them all as he weaved under and away.

  The constant shifts created space between the Cosondere combatants; it gave Tyru an opportunity to make his own offensive.

  Onyl missed an elbow strike for the kidney as Tyru hopped back.

  Ahead of her teammates, no one could jump in fast enough to assist her. Tyru swung out his arm and a fist bashed the side of her head.

  It sent her airborne before she landed on the ground with sideways rolls. Her partners pressed on.

  Ythan and Conon attacked from both sides but the old Sentar’i had a hand for each of them. Tyru stayed in place as he redirected every punch sent his way.

  Conon swung and swung while his eyes remained affixed to Tyru’s face. That would cost him.

  Tyru in a snap, spun around and brought a back elbow with him. Conon couldn’t lift his arm to block in time and his head took a hard wallop to send him against the dirt.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  It became Ythan and Tyru as the two tried to get any sort of hit against the other. The Neraviv soon realized his martial arts won’t get him anywhere; he shifted to his spatial arts.

  Ythan jumped away from the scrap and the back of his palms lit up blue. Instantly, he moved faster than air and disappeared.

  Tyru backed away with haste. Every time his foot landed on grass, he’d launch himself further back. It looked like a retreat, but despite the backtracking, nothing indicated he was in danger.

  Meanwhile, Ythan in his high speed occasionally appeared before the naked eye. For some reason however, he never made an attack.

  “What’s wrong?” Tyru asked. “Can’t reach your desired speed? Is something impeding you perhaps?”

  For all the swiftness Ythan displayed, it had no impact with the grounded stones beneath him. Scattered about, they constantly got in the Neraviv’s way.

  Lest he trip up, Ythan had to slow down in his rapid movements, just enough for Tyru to evade at the last second.

  “You’re wasting your aura,” the Sentar’i stated. “How can you expect to-Gah!”

  A stone smacked him on the arm. Another zipped by and nearly missed his head. He looked over across the field and found the source of the mystery.

  Conon and his [Ghost Chain] got to work as he collected the stones before he sent them off as projectiles at the old Sentar’i.

  Onyl reinserted herself in the fray as she also hurled rocks at her opponent.

  Some of them missed their target while others connected. Not enough to mess Tyru up, but enough to distract and slow him down. It gave Ythan a chance to make an offensive.

  A hook to Tyru’s face pushed him back with a stagger.

  The old man had no time to respond before another punch belted him. He lunged back but more stones bombarded him to divert his attention.

  Tyru growled in anger before smoke appeared around him. He vaulted back one more time but along the way, drew forth some sort of ball out of thin air.

  He flung it away from him but oddly enough, not at the Cosondera.

  Tyru created more and more of these balls and cast them out over the field. They all floated about harmlessly as Ythan stopped his movements. The red circles subsided as he had to catch his breath.

  “This is my problem with you cloaks among other things,” barked Tyru. “Dishonorable tactics such as joining up on one person. No shame to any of your actions. You lot think that makes you better but in reality, it just masks your weaknesses.

  “Let’s see you try and team up with these [Burst Bombs] in your way.”

  Conon curiously slung his [Chain] at the ball of air and an explosion of wind ruptured out.

  Dozens of these hazardous bombs hovered around, each in the Tyrovivs’ way. If they wanted to help their boss out, they had to get through these airy spheres first.

  “A true warrior can overcome such burdens, all on their own,” Tyru said. “The three of you are in the presence of such a warrior and when I’m done with you, each of you, your...advantage will be seen for what it is, a weak sham.”

  “‘Dishonorable’? Such nonsense,” spoke Onyl. “You attacked an innocuous city unprovoked in the dead of night, then have the audacity to call us ‘dishonorable’? Your virtue is the sham.”

  “Comi was supposed to fall. The Cosondera were supposed to vacate the city, and the citizens were supposed to rise up for independence. It was supposed to wake our benefactors out of their stupor and support us.”

  Ythan raised an eyebrow. “Benefactors? You mean there are silk-stocked people actually helping you? Deranged lunatics like you?”

  “They’re the ones who’ve lost their minds as well as their fortitude. We both share a deep hatred of this world order and the man who ushered it.

  “We both want to go back to the old times and old ways. But when the time comes to act and make a stand, they’re nowhere to be found.

  “All the resources to change the world, yet they do nothing with it. It would have been invaluable right now, but they’re cowards unwilling to do what is necessary. It will be their ultimate undoing one day.”

  Ythan briefly looked into his head when his bottom lip dipped.

  “These ‘benefactors’, they wouldn’t happen to be...”

  “Indeed they are,” Tyru replied. “The ancient Yconomi. A Dequson house with strength and wealth unmatched by any.”

  “They’re still around? After all this time?”

  “Your father wasn’t entirely successful wiping them out. They’ve been growing in the shadows for years now, biding their time. That time was supposed to be NOW! They were supposed to be on our side!

  “If we had their help, Comi would have fallen and Sirqu would have been an open target.

  “They’ve always been power brokers looking for leverage. Comi’s fall would have given them the ultimate advantage. Cowards!!”

  “Guess they never saw it that way,” Conon interjected.

  “Tchay never brought this to my attention,” Ythan mumbled before his eyes went straight to Tyru. “If the Yconomi had been scheming in secret this whole time, why reveal it now?”

  “They lost their right to be called Dequsons! So many of us have tried to upend the cloak’s influence while they sit away and watch us fall one by one! They left us out to dry and they deserve nothing but failure for their inactivity!

  “I won’t let this opportunity slip while they remain passive. I want you lot gone. I want your father out of my seat in Sirqu. I want my birthright back, and I’d rather die trying than sit around one second longer waiting for idle cowards to remain idle cowards!”

  “What you seek no longer exists,” spoke Onyl with a stone firmly in her hand. “The old ways are gone forever. If you cannot accept reality, then you can go with those old ways.”

  She chucked the stone right at one of the [Burst Bombs] to set it off. The blast sent it flying for Tyru when he tilted his head and avoided the darting rock.

  She and Conon got to work as they proceeded to clear the field of the wind based [Bombs].

  While at the center of it all, Ythan and Tyru stared each other down. Their wrists and fingers loosened as they prepared for the next round of hostilities.

  “The Yconomi were wise not to follow your suicidal plans,” declared Ythan. “Your goals and your group are destined for oblivion. They won’t last the day.”

  Tyru slightly bent down ready to pounce. “Neither will you,” was all he said before he raced up to his opponent.

  He and Ythan resumed their strikes. The two snapped out rapid jabs at one another but once more, neither could put the other on their back foot as arms were smacked away.

  With the [Burst Bombs] out and about in addition to the array of small stones, the Neraviv had to put a check on his spatial arts.

  Tyru dealt with no such limitations and after he parried a punch, stuck out his hand to deliver a strong [Gust Attack] to send Ythan in the air.

  The Neraviv flipped back several times and appeared like he would land on his feet. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t land on the ground.

  Ythan descended right toward one of the [Bombs]. His back took the blast and he yelped in pain as his body propelled forward onto another one.

  Hit in the abs this time, the [Bomb] bounced him back and crashed on the ground.

  The Neraviv was slow to get up, his arm grasped his midsection. As he stood over Ythan, Tyru chose not to follow up on his opening.

  Instead he picked a different target. Immediately, he rushed at Onyl, still at work with her clearance of [Bombs].

  She gasped in surprise and quickly brought her puppet out of the ground. It wasn’t quick enough as Tyru sidestepped the silhouette. The Sentar’i shot out another [Gust] that shoved Onyl away.

  She hit the ground with several rebounds as she rolled and tumbled across the field. Tyru then changed targets again, but a mystery occurred.

  He couldn’t find the third Cosondere. Fewer [Burst Bombs] floated about as Tyru wheeled around to seek out Conon.

  All of a sudden, a violent force bashed Tyru’s jaw that almost knocked him off his feet.

  His head turned erratically as he tried to find some clue. He saw one when his eyes spotted a stone suspended in the air.

  Before he knew it, the rock instantly smashed itself on his face and he teetered back.

  Blood and fury appeared on the old man’s face.

  A wave of smoke and wind surrounded the old Sentar’i, enough to knock the invisible Conon away from reach.

  “Ghost artists,” escaped his gritted his teeth as his beady eyes scoured the field.

  Despite his seething rage, Tyru’s face focused and he stayed in place like a statue. Seconds of silence went by when his aura wrapped around his arm.

  His eyes slimmed down as he waited. A small shift in the grass gave him his moment.

  With haste, Tyru and his aura infused arm thrust forward and made hard contact with thin air.

  An explosive force of wind brought Conon back to sight. Pain and anguish on his face, blood shot out of his mouth as Tyru’s punch twisted the fabric and skin on Conon’s torso.

  His body whizzed out from its spot and he careened right for one of the jutted hills. He smacked and ricocheted off it with such force, it left a noticeable crack on the rock.

  His body slid away on the ground before it stopped. His hand barely moved when he laid motionless.

  Tyru now had the chance to finish off his opponents. Enveloped in smoke once more, he intended to do just that.

  Then, his advantage went away.

  Realization appeared on his face as he raised an arm out in front of him. An invisible wall stopped it.

  The old Sentar’i turned around and there to meet him was the scalding face of Ythan, by no means out of the fight.