The Corin Chronicles Volume I: The Light and the Dark (5 page)

The ground shook steadily, as Baran paid close attention to the charging beasts. At that instant, the Red God found himself nearly on the ground from a sudden shockwave. Steadying himself and catching his breath, he looked up to see the giant frame of Eclipse’s hyper lord, Diavos, sailing through the air in a direct collision course with the two approaching Noboros, his flame-engulfed sword already drawn.

Seeing the ball of fire, the Noboros emitted a furnace of flames, covering the entire body of Diavos. The beasts seemed shocked that their fire had no effect on Diavos and could not penetrate the deep, red glow of his skin.

Diavos smashed into the first Noboro with a deep swipe of his sword across the creature’s body. The beast wailed and fell to the ground. Rolling into a somersault, the hyper lord returned to his feet to see the second Noboro above him, its front legs outstretched and feet away from his neck. With his left hand, he quickly pulled out another sword, also smothered in hellfire, but the creature’s claws had gripped his hand, causing him to drop it.

With his free hand, he swiped at the Noboro, but it did not seem to cause as much damage as with the previous one, only drawing a few drops of its pale blue blood. As the grip on his left hand tightened, the hyper lord let out a growl before dropping his second sword and engaging in a full grapple with the beast. The Noboro struggled to withstand the strength of Diavos. It lost its footing, giving the hyper lord an advantage. But the first Noboro began to rise from the ground, blue liquid dripping from its chest and the wound Diavos had inflicted. The animal snarled sharply and leapt at the hyper lord, who was now lodged in between both creatures.

Diavos grabbed hold of the first Noboro with his left hand, but he could feel his strength sapping away, such was the force with which the two beasts held on to him. He looked for his master, but he could not see past the huge bodies of the creatures that pinned him down. Suddenly, the Noboro to his left let out a giant howl, and then another. The screams continued to rise, along with fountains of the blue liquid, but the creature continued to struggle. Gradually, Diavos felt its grip loosen, and he shoved it to one side, where it collapsed.

Only after the Noboro hit the ground could the hyper lord see the Spear of Anobis held in front of him, and he knew that weapon had caused so much damage to the beast. Smoldered in flames, the spear was magnificent and long, with the imprint of a skull on both edges. Diavos had seen the spear many times before, but had never been so glad at the sight until that moment. And he was even more relieved when he shifted his gaze to the one wielding the spear: Eclipse, his master, the God of Fire, in his higher physical form. His fifteen-foot frame towered above Diavos, and the absence of any bodily features made his presence all the more menacing. The flames surrounding the seemingly blank wall of fire that was Eclipse burned even brighter than his own, but the sight of his master brought him more strength than he had ever known.

With the flames around Diavos regaining their usual fervency, he repositioned his left hand on to the neck of the remaining Noboro and squeezed. The creature shrieked, emitting fire in every direction. With the beast weakened, Diavos reached to the ground for his sword and repeatedly stabbed the beast until it slumped to the ground, all but dead. The hyper lord rose from the ground and stood next to his master, who could not take his eyes off the struggling Noboros.

“They do not die.” Diavos’s voice was dry.

“Perhaps it is time for—” Eclipse suddenly felt a different kind of tremor and immediately retracted his words. Turning around, he saw the twenty-foot frame of his father, approaching with intent, the red glow in his eyes focused and determined.

“Allow me,” Baran said, unsheathing a gigantic red sword. It was covered with ancient symbols, along with the faces of gods and men. He stabbed ruthlessly into both of the Noboros. They died instantly.

Standing next to Eclipse and Diavos, the Red God was quickly joined by his other children and their hyper lords. Baran looked at them with a wide smile that was almost haunting.

“My children,” he started, “I know not how all this ends, but you have made me proud. I could not have dreamt of a finer legacy. Even in defeat, our names will be spoken of for eternity.” With a stern face, Baran pointed at the frames of Auphora and his children, who had now shifted all their focus to the Corin gods. He maintained his gaze for a few seconds before looking back to his own children, his smile returning.

“Madoron, God of Sand,” Baran said, “you have served me well. You are everything I could have wanted in a son. Baranthian, God of the Sea. You have protected my interests above all else, and you have advised me wisely. I shall always be grateful. And you, Eclipse, God of Fire, my rock, my backbone. I owe so much to you. Your wisdom has seen me through many trials.” The Red God paused for a few seconds before resuming. “This will either be our greatest victory or our final defeat. Make me proud, my children. Bring death to all those who stand against us. I will see to Feliath myself.”

The Corin gods formed a semicircle around Baran, raising their hands in the air. With added haste, they approached the battlefield. Eclipse and Diavos shot through the air in two huge balls of flames; Madoron and Simus became one with the ground and rapidly approached the fight, while Baranthian and Levin directed a huge flood toward Auphora’s troops.

Looking toward the tower, Baran saw his three Philosophers looking back at him. Their faces displayed panic and fear, but they remained firm and, with grace, curtsied toward the giant ice frame of their god. Then Baran turned his attention to Auphora, who had started to approach him.

1.4

T
HE
F
INAL
S
TAND

A
uphora could only look on as both Eclipse and Diavos carved through his army with sheer ruthlessness. The sight of men being sucked into the ground also troubled the God of Gods.

Sandstorms and tremors were but some of the elements manipulated by Madoron and his hyper lord, Simus. However, it was the sight of the tidal waves triggered by Levin and Baranthian that made Auphora shudder.

Coming to a complete stop, he shifted all of his attention away from Baran and the ongoing battle and turned sharply toward his children. His face remained tense, his cheeks puffy, and his eyes red. It was an expression rarely seen on Auphora.

“Father, we have done our very best to stay out of this.” Craxin stood close to Auphora, trying to initiate a reaction. “Baran most certainly does not have the compassion you have. We have to end this now.”

The anger on Auphora’s face intensified with each passing second. He spared another glance at Baran, approaching with purpose.

Looking over the battlefield, Auphora saw a number of Noboros struggling to maintain their footing, as the God of Sand altered the ground beneath them. He could even hear the faint screams of some of his troops swallowed up by the continuous waves. “Go, my children,” he said finally. “End this war for me.” He gave each of them a sharp look before resting his eyes on Feliath. “But only you can finish this with Baran.”

“There was never any other way, Father,” Feliath said, his voice firm.

The gods let out loud screams, and with sheer intensity approached the ongoing war. Leading the way was the Crandorian God, Craxin, who began his transformation as he charged. Noticing the surge headed in his direction, Eclipse came to a complete halt and saw the human body of Craxin disappear, replaced by stone that became embedded in the ground. Seconds later, pillars of solid rock began to emerge from the ground. Higher and higher they rose, appearing at first as a small mountain, until facial characteristics began to form. Although a gradual metamorphosis, the outline of arms and legs started to become visible, and the rocks continually trembled before smashing in multiple directions, revealing the well-formed frame of Craxin in his higher physical form.

His entire body was rigid stone, perfectly sculpted, and towered fifteen feet above the field of battle. Craxin let loose a mighty scream and continued to approach the escalating battle.

Not far away, Baran watched his father and younger brother edging closer and closer. The sight made the Red God seethe with rage. Once he had felt only awe for Auphora and everything he stood for. But the betrayal he felt at his father’s refusal to intervene on his behalf during his feud with Feliath continued to eat away at him. He walked toward his father and brother; his long strides slowly shortened as he gradually transformed back to human form. Oblivious to the chaos around them, the three gods stood within close proximity, watching but not uttering a word. Baran cut a lonely but powerful figure, and Auphora respected that.

Stroking his robe, the Red God edged even closer to Feliath. “So you have finally come out from the shadows, Brother,” he said to Feliath. “So far you have stood by, letting others fight your battle. Maybe if you had shown courage and confronted me yourself, none of this would be happening.”

Feliath edged slowly away from Auphora and toward Baran. “This is not about saving the lives of your children. It most certainly is not about Telula, and it has never been. A mere mortal woman would never drive you to war against me.” The God of Earth hardly blinked. “This has always been about your quest for power, but you will never get your hands on the Red Elixir. I have seen to that myself, so you might as well stop this war now.”

“You speak with an air of righteousness,” Baran said, his voice rising. “But how can it be considered righteous to have such power and yet be unwilling to share it? I came to you in peace, Brother, but you turned your back on me, and now you expect me to stop this?”

“You know not what you are saying.” Feliath took small strides around Baran. “You claim to have nothing but good intent, but as we stand here, your children—the children you were forbidden to spawn—cause death and mayhem to many. But obeying has never come naturally to you, has it? I wanted to believe that you had good intentions, but I also knew of your obsession for power and decided that the world would be a better place without any Red Elixir, rather than seeing it in your hands.”

“You dare stand there and say such things to me?” Baran also started to walk in a circle, maintaining his focus on Feliath. “Would I have refused you anything, Brother? I would have given you a thousand souls if you asked?”

“The risks were too great,” said Feliath calmly. “The responsibility, indescribable. The Red Elixir contributed to the end of the world during the First Coming. It will always be dangerous, whether in the hands of a god or mortal. So you see, Brother, I had to destroy it.” He looked back at Auphora, who remained expressionless, before returning his gaze to Baran. “You have had everything, Baran. When Father gave you Corin, I protested, but he made me understand that as a family, we had to accept his judgment. I ask you now: why do you stand against me, when all I did was simply protect our father’s universe from the fate that once consumed it?”

“Take your army away from here now.” The Red God leaned in, his forehead brushing against Feliath’s. “This is what you have turned me into, Father.” He glared at the God of Gods. “My eyes now see nothing but vengeance. I have nothing more to say to either of you. But know that I will kill them all.” He shot a hard stare at the men who fought for the God of Gods.

“ENOUGH OF THIS!” The voice of Auphora cut through their concentration like a dagger. “I have seen too much blood spilled today. You have my word, Baran: this will be the last time I come to Corin. I will let you rule as you please, but your influence must reach no farther than Corin. In my universe, this is the only planet you rule.”

“But you see, Father,” Baran said, stepping back from Feliath and focusing on the God of Gods, “this is not your universe anymore. You have no power, no influence. I refuse to serve someone like you. Unlike everyone else, I know of the evil that lurks within you. You know the things you have done to me, Father. This war is your doing, and these lives are all on your hands.”

“Be that as it may, look around you. This is your last stronghold. It is over. The war is finished. But I offer you the chance to maintain your rule over Corin. Take it before it is too late.”

“You dare stand there and offer me my life?” Baran’s pupils turned bright red. “You might reclaim your universe, but you shall never have my respect.”

The instant lifting of Baran’s right hand brought a sharp reaction from Feliath, who immediately dashed toward Auphora. The ground trembled, as it slowly turned to layers of ice. Running as fast as he could, Feliath spared a glance at Baran, who had grown exponentially in that short timespan. He held the Sword of Corin—red as blood—in his left hand.

Almost entirely in his higher physical form, the Red God released a stream of ice toward Auphora, who did not flinch or react. The projectile nearly reached the God of Gods, but a bright, white glow appeared in front of it, dissolving every trace. Within the light stood the rapidly transforming frame of Feliath.