Daniel exited the stone carriage stretching his legs as best he could, adjusting his royal garb, all the while trying to look as professional as possible. Angelo exited the carriage behind him, groaning as he stretched in a similar way. There were several guards who wore the deep-green colors of Exous standing in formation to meet them. The furthest most Southern clan, which is where they had traveled to receive the newly arriving refugees from Dominicia.

  “Have you ever been this far South?” Angelo asked, his voice hushed.

  “This is a first for me.” Daniel responded, before extending his hand in greeting to the only familiar face among the receiving party. Prince Mercellious of house Ka’ar, a man who was a member of the Eleutheros high council, the crowned prince of Exous, and, though only a light acquaintance, still someone who Daniel knew.

  Prince Mercellious grinned as he stepped forward. Clasping Daniel’s hand in greeting, before saying. “It is good to see you again, Spirit-Sent. I trust you are well? Newly married and all.”

  “I am.” Daniel returned his friendly gestures. “Avria and I are very happy.”

  Mercellious’ eyes shifted to Angelo, who was smiling broadly and extending his own hand. There was a clear indication of mistrust in his eyes, but, without incident, he greeted Angelo in much the same way. “I’m sure you are both exhausted from such a long journey. Please, accept the hospitality of Exous, by joining me for some refreshments further into the city. It’s not every day distinguished people like yourselves come all the way down here. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what we have to offer.

  “Don’t mind if I do~” Angelo chuckled, “I could go for some chilled wine right about now.”

  “We have the finest chilled wine in Eleutheros, Spirit-Sent; I promise you have never tasted anything like it.”

  “When will the Dominician ships be arriving?” Daniel asked. He didn’t want to offend the prince, but there was still so much going on in Vul De Rah, every second he spent away from there seemed detrimental. Couple that with the potential incursion into Visoth to rendezvous with Cato’s son and his group of humans. Something he definitely didn’t want to miss.

  “Within the next several hours, friend. Do not worry.” Mercellious turned, signaling the warriors in formation to follow them.

  Daniel’s eyes rose to see the towering wall that surrounded Dun’Vel, the capitol city of Exous. Much like Vul De Rah, the city seemed primed for war. Only, this city was a great deal smaller. Crowds of Dae citizens cheered for them as they passed, being held back by green-clad warriors. An image he remembered with great discomfort came to mind then, of when he, Robert, and Katrina first met the Doulos. That incident ended in bloodshed. He shrugged the memory off as he smiled and waved at the cheering crowds; this isn’t the same, he thought.

  After some time, they made their way toward the inner city, where the tallest of the spiraling buildings were arranged. Nestled between two of them was a rather large and luxurious-looking building, with sprawling balconies, that overlooked the main city square. Mercellious led them to the entrance of the building, ordering their retinue of guards to remain outside, before he spoke to the doorman.

  “Your highness!” The doorman exclaimed, bowing deeply, before snapping his fingers at several other attendants that seemed to be locked in a conversation. “Snap to it lads!” Two of the attendants shot up, then ran inside, presumably to alert people within that some special guests had arrived. The scene brought another memory to the fore of Daniel’s mind. One of Oros, and a scared Doulos girl who he had inadvertently taken in that night. Rin… he thought, his heart wrenching in pain at the image of her death. He steeled himself again, unsure why these thoughts of the past were now suddenly so prevalent.

  He pondered on it as they walked into the bustling entrance of the building. It was obviously a restaurant of some kind, and a busy one at that. The attendants led them through the luxurious space to a VIP section of sorts. Daniel noticed the room was made of a bright, but eerily beautiful translucent stone. The sight caused Daniel to pause for a moment as he walked in.

  Mercellious must have noticed his reaction, because he immediately began to explain. “This is our royal observatory, Spirit-Sent. Made entirely out of blue crystal from the Western mountains, near Watanobi. Only a scarce few Dae-Voh breathe in this world, who can manipulate blue crystal. The owners of this establishment were lucky enough to contract the services of one. It cost a great deal, but…” He looked around, clearly admiring the scenery. “I think it was well worth it, don’t you?”

  “It’s… impressive.” Daniel replied, before sitting down at the large table adorned with their refreshments.

  “Man, this looks delicious.” Angelo brought his hands together, looking at the freshly cooked meal before them with hunger in his eyes.

  Mercellious clapped his hands, getting the waiting servers’ attention. “I believe you have forgotten the chilled wine.” He pointed angrily at the jars of wine lined up on their table. “Please, correct this immediately.”

  “It’s no big deal.” Daniel shook his head, a bit of irritation starting to build within him. This is a waste of time, he thought. Turning around and motioning for one of his royal guards. The crimson clad warrior stepped forward and leaned in. “What time is it?”

  “Nearly half past noon, highness.” The guard replied, bowing his head before returning to his post.

  Daniel sighed, earning himself a chuckle from Mercellious.

  “I see that you are anxious, Spirit Sent. Your refugees will arrive, I assure you. We have our finest captain escorting them personally.” The prince lifted his finger, looking between Daniel and Angelo. “He has been one of our greatest assets since long before even the first war with Rexun. He’s a bit of an old sea-chul, but there is no more reliable man in all of Exous; the famed, Captain Rynori”

  “Good to hear.” Angelo smiled, nudging Daniel with his elbow.

  “I understand, Mercellious.” Daniel shrugged, “but it isn’t the refugees who concern me. There’s a lot going on with—”

  “I hear you, friend.” Mercellious cut him off with a laugh. “Business with Visoth and all that. Your lovely wife as well, I’m sure. Trust me, Spirit-Sent. I tried to convince the high king that we could handle things here. But he insisted on your presence.”

  “He wanted us to be here.” Angelo added, speaking around a mouthful of food.

  “Indeed, he did.” Mercellious clasped his hands together, and seemed to mull something over before opening his mouth to speak. “Although, now that you are here, Spirit-Sent. I wonder if it would be too much trouble to inquire about a rather… sensitive matter.”

  Daniel’s ears perked up, but his body tensed slightly, sensing this situation was more than coincidence. “Go ahead.”

  “The war, as I’m sure you’re aware, took a great toll on Exous.” Mercellious’ words were leveled and sounded well-rehearsed. “My father lost more than just the hundreds of warriors who defended against the vile invasion of the Volsung. My sister… was killed, and the only reparations received were… words of unification and peace. I have attempted to bring this up to the High King himself, but every attempt has been shut down immediately. I understand that to the victor go the spoils, but you must understand what this might do to a clan like ours. Certain… resentments are becoming more and more prevalent, and I can scarcely believe that there is any hope of true peace in our clan.”

  Daniel absorbed the words, letting them settle in his mind as they were processed. “So, you want me to… what exactly? Speak to Alektor on your behalf?”

  “If you could, we would be greatly in your debt.”

  “What do you want me to say to him?” Daniel asked, crossing his arms. “We passed through Volsung territory on the way here. Their King was extremely welcoming and showed us a great deal of hospitality. I know what happened during the war was terrible, but you didn’t exactly choose the winning side.”

  “We chose the side that our honor demanded.” Mercellious shot back. “It didn’t matter who might win. We swore oaths to our High King, and followed him into battle… and even into defeat. And for the sake of peace, my father chose to cease all hostilities against the Volsung, despite the loss of life.”

  “You still haven’t told me what you want.” Daniel narrowed his eyes.

  Mercellious paused, seeming to gather himself before he pressed forward. “My father is requesting… a life for a life. A daughter for a daughter.”

  Daniel scoffed. “You want me to ask if you can kill King Tophen’s daughter? Why the hell would I do that?”

  “Not kill.” Mercellious quickly added, “we only wish to see the hole in our house, left in the wake of their violent invasion, filled. We wish for him to extend to us this gesture of good faith, to ensure a continued peace.”

  “You want her to marry into your house.” Daniel shook his head. “That is infinitely more reasonable than the alternative, but I still don’t know how willing Tophen will be to do that. Besides, I think his daughter is married already.”

  “She is recently widowed.” Mercellious added, before several jars of wine were brought in, a cool mist streaming from them. They were assorted before each of them, and poured out into bowls. “A terrible tragedy, and a result of the very same conflict we all suffered from. Killed during the first battle of Vul De Rah… by none other than your lovely wife… Avria, of house Regios.”

  Daniel huffed in frustration. “War is ugly business, Prince. There aren’t any winners among the dead. I can sympathize with you, and it is for that reason that I will do as you’ve requested. But I promise nothing. Alektor doesn’t listen to me, I am more of a nuisance, even in the best of times.”

  “Your attempt is more than enough…” Mercellious bowed his head. “I can only ask that you don’t think any less of me for bringing my father’s concerns to you. We are all at the mercy of our stations after all.”

  “Amen to that.” Angelo added, his face one of uneasiness. “Now can we please just enjoy this amazing wine, guys? Politics can get so damn old. Let’s just enjoy ourselves a bit, yeah?”

  Mercellious smiled, nodding in acknowledgment, while lifting his bowl of wine for a toast. “May we be rewarded with peace and prosperity.”

  “Here here!” Angelo cheered, taking a deep drink from his bowl.

  Daniel did the same, but only sipped it instead. He immediately felt the ice-cold beverage go down his throat, cooling him, and leaving a sweet aftertaste. Not bad, he thought, swirling it around in his bowl before drinking more.

  Without warning, the door to the Royal observatory slid open, and a green clad warrior dashed in, practically sliding to one knee. “Highness!” He shouted, startling Mercellious, who spilled his wine and cursed.

  “What in all the spirits!?” He shouted, flicking his wet hand. “What is the meaning of this interruption?”

  “I’m terribly sorry, your highness.” The warrior blurted out, “We received an urgent message from Captain Rynori; he is being pursued by Dominician vessels and is close to being overtaken! He’s requesting aid!”

  Mercellious blinked in surprise, before turning to Daniel. “I…”

  “Ships!” Daniel barked, “get as many warriors as you’ve got, and put them on your ships. You’re supposed to have some impressive ass navy, aren’t you?”

  “We… yes… yes! We do!” Mercellious shook off whatever stupor he was in and regained his focus. Turning to several of his attendants, he ordered. “Sound the alarm, prepare the coastal defenses for battle! And muster the sea-garrison for deployment! We set out immediately!”

  Satisfied, Daniel stood, relaying a similar order to his own men. “We head down to the docks and prepare to join the away team. Understood?”

  “Yes… highness.” They replied, clear uncertainty in their voices.

  “What’s the matter?” Daniel grunted.

  “We’ve just… never fought on the water, highness.” His head guard responded, “but we will do as you command, without hesitation.”

  “It’s just a bit of water.” Daniel assured them, before Mercellious grabbed his arm.

  “There is no need for you to join this fight, Spirit-Sent.” He said, “we are more than capable enough to defend ourselves against the likes of those chuls.”

  “I’m going.” Daniel insisted. “The safe passage of those refugees is as much my responsibility as it is yours. So, make sure there’s some room on one of those ships.”

  Mercellious didn’t protest any further, and they exited the establishment, making their way hastily to the docks.

  Angelo made sure to get Daniel’s attention as they ran. “The oceans of this world are a lot more terrifying than ours, Dan.” He urged, “fair warning, there are sea monsters in there. Honest to God, sea monsters. The Dae treat them as any other creature though. They know how to avoid them, and how to kill them. Just be aware of that.”

  “Wouldn’t expect anything less from a world that has spirits and spiritual energy all over the place.” Daniel replied, picking up his pace.

  Dun’Vel was a bustling capital, filled to the brim with Dae from all corners of Pelemont; creatures, clothing, weapons, and warriors that were all completely alien to him. But, all of that wonder and discovery would have to wait.

  As soon as the docs came into view, that is. Part of Daniel wanted to stop and gaze upon the sprawling and intricate structures that lined the waterway. Most of which were, surprisingly, made of wood. Looking as though they were grown into shapes and buildings; much like the stone buildings of Vul De Rah. Some were arrayed like cranes or towers, where massive ships were docked. Daniel had never seen Dae ships before; he knew they existed, of course, but hadn’t quite thought about what they would look like. They were made of wood, much the same as the buildings of the surrounding area, only incredibly large, like what a giant cruise ship would look like back home.

  Daniel came to a halt, turning to Mercellious for guidance. “Which one?” He asked, pointing to the large vessels.

  “These are part of Admiral Chloris’ fleet.” The prince wheezed through ragged breaths. “I doubt she would approve of any of us using these particular vessels. It is my understanding that these are prototypes of some kind. State of the art military technology.”

  “So, we should use them.” Daniel cocked his head to the side, feeling every second tick by.

  “I think… she…” Mercellious met Daniel’s eyes, and received the message clearly. There was no room for argument. “Actually, on second thought, you’re right. We’ll use them. This is an emergency after all.”

  Mercellious went to work procuring the appropriate personnel to man the ships, while his lieutenants assembled the warriors. Within minutes, they were loading the vessels, and shortly thereafter, they disembarked.

  Of the ships that were mobilized, there were three larger experimental vessels; escorted by seven smaller frigates. Daniel found himself on the command deck of the flagship; the largest of the experimental ships, and clearly the one the Exous admiral had favored. Daniel was amazed at how the ships moved across the water; swift and smooth. He had spent many months at sea while in the Marine Corps, aboard the USS Tortuga, a Marine transport ship. Sailing from country to country in the South Pacific, enduring every kind of hardship the ocean could throw at him. If only we had ships like this, he thought, as a salty spray of wind and sea, blew past his face. He turned to his left, and saw Angelo holding the railing of the deck tightly, looking like he wanted nothing more than to get back to dry land.

  “Trust me, it could be a lot worse than this.” Daniel called out, his tone sarcastic.

  “You haven’t seen the creatures that live in these waters, Dan.” Angelo grunted, his eyes flashing with irritation. “You’d be shitting your pants right now if you did. Fighting on the water is the worst fucking idea ever. And I’m a moron for going along with you.”

  “Sea monsters or not, we’ve got a job to do.” Daniel shot back, undeterred. “These refugees have no hope otherwise. I’m sure they’re shitting their pants right now too.”

  “I know, alright!?” Angelo snapped. “You’ve made your point. How far out are they?” He turned toward Mercellious, who was awkwardly standing to the right of Daniel.

  “They should be straight ahead.” He replied before one of his attendants handed him a device that Daniel could only assume was a spyglass of some kind. “There!” He pointed out slightly to the left of where Daniel was looking.

  The word was passed to the navigators, and their course was adjusted according to the new heading. It was all fascinating to say the least, but the intricacies of their nautical standard operating procedures would have to wait until after their mission was complete. Daniel could see the shapes now anyway, small blobs on the horizon, blurred by the choppy seas.

  “Twelve minutes!” A voice called out with a Dunamis enhanced voice. One of the officers below.

  “Who’s that!?” Angelo asked, wincing as sea spray splashed over him.

  “That, is our ship’s captain; Captain Salman.”

  “Captain salmon?” Daniel chuckled.

  “No, Sal~man.” Angelo laughed.

  Mercellious looked at them both with a confused expression. “Yes… well, he’s in command of this ship. And knows his business on the sea, so we’re under his command while aboard.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Angelo held his thumb out in approval before bringing it back to the railing.

  “Can I see that thing?” Daniel asked Mercellious, pointing to his spyglass. Without hesitation, the Exous prince handed the device over. It looked like nothing more than a wooden tube, but with strange swirls of Dunamis within that enhanced the vision of wherever it was pointed. Interesting, Daniel thought as he brought his eyes up to the glassless spyglass, and saw with startling clarity, dozens of ships sailing right toward them. He was no naval expert at all, but it looked like there were nearly two dozen large transport vessels, being persued by nearly twice as many smaller skiffs. He could see the flashes of Dunamis being flung to and from the ships.

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  “Ten minutes!” The voice called out again.

  “Here we go…” Angelo tightened his grip on the rails. “I fucking hate battles, bro. I hate ‘em.”

  “No going back now, Ange.” Daniel reached over and slapped him on the shoulder. “And I’m right here. You’re a Dae-Leu, right?”

  “A what?”

  “You know, a water user or whatever?” Daniel shrugged, “you know what I mean.”

  “Oh, yeah.” Angelo nodded, taking a deep breath and seeming to regain his composure. “I’m pretty good at it, I guess.”

  “Five minutes!” The voice rang again, bringing Daniel’s attention back to the approaching ships.

  “Man, these things are really moving.” He grunted.

  The door behind them opened, and a Exous officer stepped onto the command deck. He had golden embroidery around the hem of his cloak, and held himself with the confidence of a commander. Must be Captain Salmon, Daniel thought with a chuckle.

  “As we approach!” Captain Salman announced loudly, placing his hands on the railing. “We will cut in-between the transports, intercepting any enemy skiffs along the way. We allow them to pass us, where the second wave will meet with them, and split up. Half to escort them back to the port, and the rest to join us in the fray.”

  “An excellent plan, Captain.” Mercellious nodded, glancing at Daniel. “What do you think?”

  “It sounds as good as any.” Was all he said, before the wall of wooden ships was nearly on top of them. Here we go.

  “One minute! Prepare for impact!”

  The large ship lurched as it turned, much faster than Daniel thought a vessel of this size was capable of. Angelo nearly fell over the side, and yelped in fear, spewing a slew of curses. Two transport ships passed on either side of them, nearly close enough to reach out and touch. Daniel leaned over the side, and saw two skiffs try to swerve out of the way to avoid colliding with their bow. Angelo cursed loudly again, lifting his hands toward both of them. “Fuck you!” He yelled, as waves of water churned beneath the enemy boats, forcing them to collide violently with their own. The ship shook at the crashing impact, that sent half a dozen Dae into the sea, and the rest onto the deck.

  Daniel leapt into action, over the rail of their command position and onto the deck of his ship. Not to anyone’s surprise, the Exous warriors had already dispatched any Dominician warriors who had been unlucky enough to fall in their path. Similar crashes and collisions started happening all around them, as the other ships intercepted the refugee’s pursuers. This was shortly followed by the explosive use of Dunamis and screams as the battle began in earnest.

  As if on cue, Dominician warriors began leaping onto the deck of their ship from the two wrecked skiffs, that were now being dragged under as they moved forward. Daniel held his hand out, and with a bright flash, summoned his metal blade. There was a clear reaction from the Dominicians, as they all hesitated, presumably because they had now only just realized who it was, they were facing. Daniel dashed forward, slicing his blade across the abdomen of two of them. They wore only a light bone plate, that covered their chest, bone helmets that didn’t cover their faces like those of Eleutheros, and teal cloaks.

  The two Dae screamed as they held their wounds, before being swiftly killed by the warriors that followed Daniel.

  “It’s the demon!” One of the Dominicians shouted, holding his hand up into the air. “Signal Traxon! We found him!” Bursts of fire shot up into the sky, exploding into odd shapes that Daniel didn’t recognize.

  Regardless of whatever they were doing, he didn’t have time for any of their nonsense. He held his hand toward them and unleashed a blast of golden flames, engulfing them, and turning them to ash with barely a scream to announce their end. The warriors of Exous all took tentative steps backward; fear evident in their movements.

  “He’s on our side, you fools!” Captain Salman yelled from the command-deck. “Bring yourselves back in order, and prepare for the next ones!”

  The warriors voiced their agreement with a shout, then ran back to their posts as the ship made a sharp turn to the left. There was a sudden lurch, as if the bottom of the ship had struck something, causing Angelo to yelp again. Daniel peered over the side, and saw a massive dark shape pass just below the ship.

  “Dru’kii!” The captain yelled. “Steady~”

  “Angelo!” Daniel called up to his friend, who was now grimacing in frustration. “What’s a Dru’kii!?”

  “No fuckin’ clue, bro!”

  “A Dru’kii is a very large and very smart spirit-beast of the deep!” Mercellious answered, “they rarely come to the surface! What poor timing that one should appear now.”

  “Are they violent?” Angelo asked, his face going pale.

  “They have been known to… sometimes drag ships to the bottom of the sea.” Mercellious winced, “then again, they sometimes just observe, and leave. Who knows what they’ll do.”

  “Damn.” Daniel cursed, looking back over the side into the deep, churning water below.

  “Stand fast! Prepare for impact!” The captain shouted, pulling Daniel from his thoughts.

  No time to worry about what’s under us when we’ve got enemies right here, he thought, fixing his eyes on their next target.

  There was a ship sailing perpendicular to them, not a skiff like the two they had easily dispatched; this was half the size of their own. It was locked in a Dunamis duel of sorts with another ship of Exous. The warriors on both ships unleashing powerful attacks at one another. The Dominician vessel seemed to have the upper hand; they needed to change that.

  “Spirit-Sent, if you please.” The captain turned to Angleo. “If you could give us a little boost of speed? Our Dea-Leu are at their maximum it would seem. They aren’t used to maneuvering a vessel of this size.”

  “Sure… I guess that would be a problem.” Daniel’s friend shrugged, closing his eyes, and lifting one hand off the railing.

  “Are you sure you don’t need to go below with the rest of them?”

  “I’m fine.” Angelo grunted, grimacing for a moment; then the ship lurched forward, as they picked up a burst of speed.

  “Wow!” Mercellious exclaimed, holding on to the railing. “I would expect nothing less!”

  Daniel turned back to the ship that was approaching rapidly.

  “Prepare for impact!” The captain yelled as their ship slammed into the other’s side. Back home, this would have been called getting T-boned. Here, it was just a demolition. Perfectly executed and powerful.

  Warriors screamed as they were flung over the side or crushed beneath falling debris. Others leapt into action, jumping onto their ship and fighting with the Exous warriors on the deck.

  There was a cheer as the last of them were slain, from both the vessel who they had rescued, and their own.

  Suddenly, without warning, the sea foamed and splashed as something massive came from beneath the surface.

  Initially, Daniel thought it might be that massive sea-creature they had seen earlier. But the distinct shape of a ship revealed itself once the water settled. Massive hooks were launched from openings in the front of the vessel, that slammed into the side of their ship, anchoring them together. There was a quick jolt, and warriors fell off their feet as they came to a near stop. Almost immediately, doors on the enemy ships side slid open, and dozens of warriors poured out onto their deck.

  Daniel narrowed his eyes, aiming his hand at the ship itself rather than the warriors. He felt the heat build up in his palm as he prepared his attack, a focused blast of fire that would probably blow his target in half. At least, that’s what he hoped it would do. There was a bright flash of golden light, as a beam shot forward, but to Daniel’s surprise, right before it hit its target, it was deflected upward. He looked up in astonishment as the blast exploded high above them, blanketing the sea-battlefield in a bright golden light. That wasn’t supposed to happen, Daniel thought, as he looked down at where the blast was intended to strike. There, on the deck of the enemy ship, was a Dae. Holding his hand straight up toward the sky, wearing a teal cloak, and light armor. His face was fully exposed, and his long hair was untied, blowing in the wind across his charcoal-colored face. Did he deflect it?

  “At last!” The Dae shouted, leaping with Dunamis enhanced strength the forty feet or so from where he was standing to the deck of their ship.

  Daniel narrowed his eyes, studying the man who smiled back at him

  “I’ve waited a long time to meet you, demon.” He said through a toothy grin. “Seen a few of you, but none who would pose much of a challenge so far.” The Dae drew an incisor blade from his hip and leveled at toward Daniel. “But that attack was… Wow! Really something else. I’m very happy that I took the time to come.”

  “And who the hell are you supposed to be?” Daniel asked, lifting his own blade into a fighting stance.

  The Dae’s eyes widened as he noticed the weapon. “I heard you possessed a blade of light. That can cut through the Rug’ia bone.”

  Daniel heard a man scream to his left. One of the Exous warriors fell to the deck below, clasping at a gushing wound on his neck. All it took was a moment, and the Dae in front of him disappeared as he blinked out of existence. If not for Daniel’s heightened senses, he would have lost his head. The bone blade struck at his neck, but his block was nearly instantaneous. Daniel let out a burst of energy from his body. Blowing everyone who was around him away nearly ten feet. The wood cracked under his feet, and men screamed as the unfamiliar power caused them to panic.

  “That’s it!” The Dae cheered as he appeared a dozen paces before him. “Just as fast as the stories. Excellent.”

  “Dan!” Angelo shouted, blasting a highly pressurized stream of water at several Dominician warriors, flinging them over the side of the ship. “Stay away from him!”

  “There he is, the weak one.” The Dae shook his head. “I’m surprised you’re still alive.”

  “That’s Traxon.” Angelo growled, coming to stand next to Daniel. “I thought he was just a powerful Dae… but… Mel says the veil is lifting from him. He’s something else; something dangerous.”

  Daniel recalled Mel’Reina, Angelo’s spirit partner who now resided inside his body. “What does that mean?”

  “It means, we have no reason to hide anymore.” Traxon shrugged, “the spirits are subdued, and now have a difficult time seeking us out.”

  “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.” Daniel cursed, his frustration building with every passing moment.

  “He’s an Ascended…” Angelo’s voice was low and serious. “A spirit killer.”

  As the words left Angelo’s lips, Traxon’s eyes glowed a bright white, and a feral smile spread across his face. “No reason to hold back then, I guess.”

  Daniel felt it before it actually happened, the air around his body shifted slightly, and the hair raised on the back of his head. Energy surged from the man in front of him, and lightning lashed out in every direction. Exous warriors and his own guards were flung back in agony as the bolts fried them. Daniel’s blade absorbed the Dunamis aimed at him, and he lifted it quickly to attract the rest of the attack. As he did, he felt an explosion of pain in his stomach as an incisor blade plunged deep into his flesh. He grunted as he was launched back, slamming his body into the wall of the command deck behind him. Blood and air burst from his mouth due to the impact, and he fell limply to the ground, heaving. Stupid fucking move, he thought. I should have brought my good armor.

  “Trying to protect your men is ill-advised, demon.” Traxon taunted, laughing as he flung Daniel’s blood from his blade.

  “Dan!” Angelo screamed, unleashing a burst of water at the Dae.

  “This isn’t your fight, weakling!” Traxson slashed his weapon to the side, and a wave of electricity evaporated the attack, striking Angelo in the chest, and sending him screaming over the edge of the railing.

  “Ange!” Daniel bellowed, dashing forward with all the speed he could muster. He ignited his blade in golden flame, simultaneously using his power to heal his wounds. To his surprise, his golden blade clanged to a halt against Traxon’s incisor, that was now glowing with a white power. More pain exploded from his body, as another eruption of electricity came from his enemy. Daniel grit his teeth, pushing through the agony before unleashing his own power at point blank range. White flames billowed from him, but again, in the blink of an eye, Traxon was nowhere to be seen.

  “I’ll admit, you’re every bit as dangerous as they said you were.” A voice called from behind. “Any hit from those flames would be deadly to just about any Dae.”

  Daniel whirled around just in-time to block a series of strikes aimed for his neck and chest. He retaliated, swinging his blade horizontally at blinding speed, but still hit nothing. Instead, Traxon was nearly ten feet away, shaking his head with a mocking smile.

  “You’re even faster than I thought you’d be too.” The Dae chuckled, “But still, you’re no match for me. After all these years, I thought I’d finally have a bit of fun. Alas, you’re the same as all the other heroes I’ve faced.”

  “Why are you hiding from the spirits then? you fucking coward!” Angelo’s voice came from the side, along with a massive blast of water. Traxon blinked out of the way, and onto the safety of the command deck.

  “You’re still hanging around?” He laughed.

  “Sit this one out, bro.” Daniel seethed, staring daggers at Traxon. “He’s really fast.”

  “I’m not just gonna sit here and let you fight him alone, alright? What kind of a friend would I be if I went and did some cowardly-ass shit like that!?”

  “Ange!” Daniel barked, “I don’t have time to argue with you about this shit. Make sure Mercellious is safe, and get the fuck out of here!” He clenched his fists, letting his power build up inside of him.

  “Oh~ someone’s getting serious, I see.” Traxon mocked. “I’ve been doing this for thousands of years, my friend. There isn’t anything you can do that will change the outcome of this fight.”

  Daniel closed his eyes briefly, focusing on his Dunum Dae-Espea, feeling the march of time slow, as he did, he noticed something like a ripple, surge through his desert world that was extremely out of place. He ignored it for the time being, instead using his power to fill his body to near bursting. He needed speed in this fight, and the only way would be to eliminate the small pauses between attacks to gather power. The ripple caused his world to flicker, and he realized what it was at the last moment. This guy’s using the Dunum Dae-Espea to teleport his essence, he thought, before reinforcing his body with as much power as he could. His mind slingshot back to reality just as another strike met his flesh. Daniel tried to lean back as fast as he could, but it was too late; the blade sliced open his neck, and gouts of blood sprayed all over the wooden deck.

  “Farewell, hero!” Traxon laughed, turning his gaze to Angelo who seemed completely frozen in fear.

  “God… I’m gonna…” Daniel gurgled as he felt his lungs filling with blood. With a heavy exhale, he emptied the blood from his lungs and stared at the man with unrestrained hatred in his eyes, while the gaping wound on his neck, healed itself in seconds.

  Traxon’s smile and demeanor changed in that instant, as he stared with much more seriousness at Daniel. “That is a hard wound to recover from. How interesting that you have the ability to—”

  Daniel bellowed in defiance, cutting off the Ascended, belching fire from his blade in a wide arc as he swung. Again, the man disappeared, and Daniel was watching. He must be using the Dunum Dae Espea, there’s no other way he could move that fast. He’s essentially pausing time for himself and crossing distance in the real world through his own personal dimension. But how the hell does he do it!?

  Another several strikes, followed by a blast of electricity caused Daniel to stumble backward, toward the railing. He must be able to go in and out of that state instantaneously, without any concentration or— His thoughts were interrupted as he intercepted another strike, this time a vertical slash from above, power flowed over him as he felt his skin burning from the electricity that bled from Traxon’s incisor.

  “You are a hard one to kill, demon!” He yelled, bringing his blade back, and swinging it straight down again. There was another burst of power as the two weapons collided, causing Daniel to flinch at its intensity. Daniel was stunned at the ferocity of the attack, and the realization set in, that he, was actually being overpowered. “Die!” Traxon shouted, slamming his palm into Daniel’s chest and unleashing a massive blast of power directly into him.

  The world went bright white, and all Daniel could feel was pain. Every inch of his body, every cell, felt as though it were on fire. He couldn’t scream, couldn’t hear, couldn’t see. This can’t be it, he thought. The familiar feeling of despair creeping back into the fore of his mind. I can’t die here… He felt weightless? Was he flying? The feeling was strange, as the pain evolved into numbness, then his sense of feeling began to slowly return, as wind blew past his hair. He wasn’t flying… he was falling… He felt a cold rush as he bodily plunged into something. His hearing started to come back, but was muffled.

  Daniel blinked the blindness away, but his eyes burned, he was… underwater? The fog in his mind began to clear with his vision, and sure enough, he was in the sea. Flashes illuminated the vast darkness below him, showing him the hundreds of bodies that floated, lifeless, among broken husks of ships and skiffs that drifted slowly into the void of the deep. He took a moment to think, his body too tired and wounded to move yet. He glanced up toward the belly of the ship he was just on. How the hell do I beat that guy? He thought, hanging his head, and looking down into the blackness below. A sudden flash of light exploded above the surface, illuminating the darkness again, and Daniel’s blood ran cold, as a massive eye, the size of a barn stared up at him.

  The illumination faded, and panic began to grip him, as the darkness returned. It’s the Dru’kii! I fucking forgot about that thing! he frantically thought, trying to stay as still as possible, not wanting to flail his body around and bring attention to himself.

  His lungs began to burn, as the obvious need for air pressed him. He kicked his feet and pumped his arms, swimming toward the surface. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, he played in his head, over and over again; an old saying from one of his Drill Instructors, back home. All the while, keeping his eyes on the unknown below. Then, to his horror, the eye bled into existence from the abyss, as it rose toward him. A shape also formed around it, dozens of tentacles the size of the cables on the Golden Gate Bridge, and an enormous body that he couldn’t even gauge the size of. They eye itself looked human, almost. With an iris and a pupil; a pupil that constricted as it focused on him and him alone. FUCK!! He panicked, all semblance of stealth suddenly out the window as he shot up to the surface.

  With a burst of power, he shot from the depths of the sea, flying up and lodging his blade into the side of the ship. He pointed his hand down toward the sea and blasted it, the recoil from the blast launching him further up, and onto the deck of the ship. He landed unceremoniously on his side, coughing and sputtering seawater from his lungs. He blinked, jumping to his feet, just as he heard Angelo scream in pain. Daniel saw him pinned against the command-deck wall, an incisor through him. His face was different, half transformed into something rather monstrous. His left arm was a massive claw, that had been severed in half, and Traxon, laughing, twisted the blade buried in his guts.

  “Traxon!” Daniel bellowed through a raw throat. Causing the Dae to turn toward him with naked astonishment.

  “By all the great spirits, you are hard to kill!” He scoffed. “That last one should have blown you to pieces.”

  Daniel’s vision went red at the sight of his friend being essentially tortured, and focused on his target. This piece of shit is going to die. I don’t care how long he’s been alive, or how much fucking experience he has, he fumed. Also, the alternative was a massive sea-monster. And he would rather fight a hundred ascended, than spend another second in the water with whatever the hell that thing is.

  Angelo coughed up blood, kicking his legs toward Traxon, who pulled his blade out of him, and deflected the kick with the flat of it.

  Daniel dashed forward again, his blade in hand, raised in attack. His speed was nearly unmatched, he knew that, but Traxon seemed to be leagues beyond him. He knew it had something to do with the Dunum Dae Espea, but he wasn’t sure how he was able to do it. He closed his eyes and went to his own desert world again, faster than he ever had before. He saw the ripples again, like the veil of the entire dimension was on the verge of tearing open. He stretched his senses out, attempting to grasp the entirety of his realm, and he felt it; like a dull scrape just outside of his world, in the infinite void of space, but running along the edges of reality. He must convert the real world into a temporary dimension so he can traverse it like he can in his own… Daniel’s mind burned at the thought of it. It was too complex an ability for him to even consider trying. But there was something else he could try. It seemed that time still moved slower where he was traversing, than from within Daniel’s Dunum Dae Espea. He could use that, maybe not for evasion, but perhaps counter attacks.

  Again, he stretched his consciousness, to the real world this time, feeling time start to return to normal. He felt his blade in the real-world, slash into the empty space where Traxon had been millisecond’s before, then to his astonishment, sensed where he was. The man had practically been using teleportation in this fight. If he knew where he was, then he could figure out where he was going. Gotcha you piece of shit! Daniel willed his body in the Dunum Dae Espea to charge an attack, and converted that action into the real world through sheer force of will. His hand blinked into position and a beam of golden white flame shot out where Traxon appeared.

  The Dae had just enough time to curse as the entire bow of the ship exploded. The vessel lurched forward, causing the survivors, who had been hiding from the cataclysmic battle, to cheer. Several moments passed as Daniel faced the damaged area, his body tensed for the Dae’s next move. As he suspected, flashes of lightning flared within the smoke, that was then blown away by the power swirling around Traxon. The man was deathly serious now, his eyes glowing white, and immense energy streaming from his body.

  “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” He growled, pointing his incisor directly at Daniel.

  Daniel tensed, but the ship rocked as if struck by something massive from underneath. Traxon paused as well, looking at the ruined deck at his feet, before cursing. “You can’t be serious! Now!?” He sheathed his blade just in time to blink away from a tentacle that slammed where he had just been standing.

  Daniel gaped in surprise at the speed of something so massive, before the bottom of his stomach fell out from under him. “Fuck…” He croaked, as a black and blue form, the size of a mountain, rose from the sea beside the ship. Daniel’s mind came to a crawl as the creature’s eye again focused on Daniel. Then, the large pupil shifted to the other Dominician ship, still anchored to theirs. Traxon waved his hand at the beast, then gave it an obscene gesture. “We will meet again, Daniel the demon! You should count yourself blessed by the great spirits themselves to have survived for so long against me! But you will not live through our next fight. That, is a promise!” The sea-monster’s tentacles lashed out, grasping at Traxon’s ship, but it jerked backward, severing the tethers it had with the Exous flagship, just out of reach of the creature. The man dashed into one of the open doors, that shut swiftly, and the whole vessel slid beneath the waves in mere moments.

  Daniel tore his eyes from where the ship had just been, and again found himself staring directly into the eye of the sea beast. He held his breath as it studied him, clear intelligence in it.

  “That’s not a Dru’kii…” Angelo wheezed, walking next to Daniel. “It’s a spirit of the deep… One of the oldest; next to the great spirit of the sea, the leviathan.”

  “Thank you!” Angelo shouted, waving his hand toward the creature. “It saved us from the Ascended, Dan. Spirits hate them and will hunt them down if they ever sense them.”

  “Thank you!” Daniel mirrored Angelo’s gratitude, going so far as to bow his head.

  The creature’s tentacles slid from the ship back into the sea, and the massive head soon followed. Daniel held its gaze as it descended, somehow knowing that it approved of him, and his battle against its mortal enemy.

  Angelo let out a heavy breath as the last of the creature slipped beneath the waves. “I think we made it, barely.”

  Daniel slumped as well, his body suddenly very weak. “I haven’t had a fight like that in… a while.”

  “I can’t believe it!” Mercellious’ voice rang from just outside of Daniel’s vision.

  “At least he made it.” He chuckled, glancing at Angelo, who winced as he laughed.

  “An ancient spirit… coming to the aid of the spirit-sent!” the prince approached, placing his hand on Daniel and Angelo’s shoulders. “You are truly who we need in these dark times. To face off against an abomination like that, and to survive with the help of a—”

  “We got it.” Daniel waved him off, starting to limp toward what was left of the command deck. “Where were you during this whole thing?”

  “I was seeing to the men below…” Mercellious shrugged, “I am the last of my father’s children, Spirit-Sent. My duty to the family supersedes any call to battle.”

  “I guess you coming out here with us is a testament unto itself.” Daniel sighed, rubbing his aching abdomen. “At least the refugees are safe. Let’s get back to dry land… I’ve seen enough of the sea to last me a lifetime.”

  “Absolutely.” Angelo agreed.