Episode Nine – The Scarred Warrior Stands Alone

Manifest: A Shattered Future 

Episode Nine – The Scarred Warrior Stands Alone

 

“This isn’t right! Aren’t there other soldiers? Can’t the Elder monk face the enemy himself?” Elena shouted as she hobbled through the crowd.

Altair could hear her frantic voice pierce the conversations of nervous onlookers, and she practically jogged on her cane and her leg. Though he did not look over his shoulder, he could hear people scramble out of her way. He could hear her unstable footsteps scurry after him, but he raced on without regard to her or the people who cowered in fear. Instead, he focused only on the towering ice wall which parted the courtyard. He could feel icy flakes surf the breeze which carried from the frigid behemoth. Altair readied the blue monolith in his hand as he raced toward his enemy.

“The Elder and the soldiers are our palisade – not our soldiers. They will have a hard enough time without Terrance and Romulo, so the obligation falls to me,” Altair retorted to his distant friend.

“It’s not fair, it’s so not fair! I should be helping too,” Elena complained.

But Altair simply shook his head, even though she could not see him. He knew that Elena had used up her monoliths in her fight with the monk. A loud crash of ice sounded from up ahead, and refugees screamed to escape the monster’s strike. With a groan, Altair quickly jolted side-to-side, dodging people as they ran from the assailant. And when he finally raced into the clearing they created, he saw an Adriatic solder standing behind an Ice Crystal Barricade. Altair groaned when he saw the icy sorcerer, knowing that Romulo had often compelled the very same weapon. But because the enemy could attack again at any moment, Altair resolved to not waste a single second. He struck his monolith upon the elbow of his prosthetic arm, forced it to resonate, and then tossed it into the clearing. An expulsion of azure light engulfed his monolith, and then a spiral of sparks set sail to the air.

“Your civilian assault ends now! Liege of Lost Embers, push yourself into battle,” Altair announced with a livid stare.

Without wasting a moment, Altair compelled his blazing sorceress to materialize a card into her hand. He then drew several cards from those scattered in his pocket, groaned, and passed four to his Liege. She then pushed herself forward while people ran away from the battleground. The Adriatic soldier showed a sinister smile as he watched Altair mount a counterattack.

“I only used up a single sorcerer to make it through your guards! Do you really think you can stop me?” the soldier taunted.

“What’s your name? I keep my finger on the pulse of the war between our city-states. If I have not heard your name, it’s a reasonable conclusion that you are inconsequential,” Altair retorted.

Somewhat taken aback, the enemy conjuror scoffed and answered, “My name is Stefano-”

“Yep, just what I thought; I’ve never even heard of you. Let’s just get this over with. I’ve never been one for delayed gratification, especially when I doubt there will be any at all,” Altair accused.

“Heh, maybe you’ll tread differently when you learn there’s no escape! Take one last look at your crumbling city. You’ll be gone by the time this emblem fades,” announced the enemy conjuror.

Stefano swiped his fingers across each other and ignited a white ellipse on the ground around him. The luminous ellipse then erupted into motion, expanding by the second until it enclosed Altair. After the ellipse encircled both conjurors, it fell motionless and ignited as a translucent white wall. Altair looked unfazed as the walls blocked out the outside world. He could barely hear the whispers and shouts of townspeople outside the Adriatic Emblem, but he could hear Elena bang her hands upon the seal from the outside. Altair guessed that this probably reminded her of the night that she lost Romulo, but he dismissed the idea from his head; he had no time to entertain distraction.

“Liege, cast your Spirit of Searing Sparks. And brace yourself. He might be worthless, but he’s determined to cause as much destruction as he can; I can the reckless wrath in his eyes,” said Altair.

Stefano watched as a spirit of incandescent sparks emerged from the Liege of Lost Embers. The searing fire encircled Altair’s sorceress, spurring Stefano to accelerate his campaign. He compelled his Ice Crystal Barricade to advance, but he quickly realized that the sorcerer moved too slowly to cross the clearing.

“I can tell there’s something off about you! Ever since the Adriatic Emblem enclosed you, I can sense it. It’s like you’re incomplete. Tell me… am I right?” Stefano asked with a sneer.

Altair scoffed, scooped his deck of cards from his jacket pocket to his pants, and then threw the jacket aside. Stefano watched with intrigue as Altair revealed his limber form and his prosthetic arm for all to see. While the mechanical arm was a different shade than Altair’s dark skin, he could still sense something incomplete about the enemy conjuror.

“Looks like your eyes are as faulty as your brain; I do not conceal my prosthetic even if I do not show it off. You needed the Adriatic Emblem just to acquire information anyone else could do effortlessly. That said, I suppose it works to my advantage. You are right about a second vulnerability. I cannot manifest more than a single sorcerer; the strain of a second leaves me unconscious every time. You can call it an invisible injury if you like,” Altair admitted.

Stefano cackled and said with a sneer, “I should have known you’re not a real warrior! One sorcerer could never stop me. But now that I know, let’s press that! I manifest my second sorcerer – my Imprisoned Assailant of Frost.”

In a spiral of flashing crimson light, Stefano forced the Imprisoned Assailant of Frost to manifest from his red monolith. The sorcerer then raced across the battleground at a frightening speed; it even passed right through the Ice Crystal Barricade by melding with its ice. Despite its rapid approach, Altair and his sorceress showed no signs of concern. Stefano compelled his Assailant to attack with its enchanted icy claw, but the Spirit of Searing Sparks thrust itself in the way. The ice sorcerer’s strike shattered the flaming spirit, but the spiraling sparks then detonated. Flaming debris engulfed the Imprisoned Assailant of Frost and badly burned it, leaving the Liege of Lost Embers safe in the meantime.

“His Assailant is worthless; you can ignore it. Instead you should fracture the Barricade,” Altair commanded his sorceress.

The Liege of Lost Embers jolted aside and bypassed the enemy sorcerer. She raced toward Ice Crystal Barricade and struck it directly with a geyser of smoldering cinders. The icy barricade reeled from the fiery strike, but it remained intact. With a grimace, Altair silently commanded his Liege to cast its Dance of Scattered Sparks. She quickly performed a spinning dance which scattered sparks into the air, and then they descended upon both enemies with a searing touch.

“You can make any assertion you want about my vulnerability, but I think you’ll find I make up for my lack of sorcerers with exceptional spells. Which is almost ironic… since I can’t seem to draw any of my favorites. But it makes no difference. I drew my ultimate ritual. Do you know what that means?” Altair asked with a lurid glare.

Stefano shook his head slowly and answered, “It’s something people don’t attempt often. A spell so powerful that a sorcerer cannot command it by itself, right?”

Altair nodded slowly as he said, “That is correct. A sorcerer cannot cast an ultimate ritual alone, so instead we as conjurors must cover the cost and compel it with our own will. I’ve seen weaker warriors crumble from the cost – a weapon that most cannot even wield once. So perhaps I will treat you before I send you to your grave; I will let you witness the weapon named Incendiary Inferno.”

The Liege of Lost Embers glanced back at Altair, and then she unleashed the magic of her volatile spell. Altair shouted aloud as a fiery glow illuminated his body; he practically roared as he fed the magic with his indomitable will. The same glow empowered Liege of Lost Embers, giving her the power she needed to unleash her ritual. An incredible conflagration instantly ignited, engulfing every sorcerer on the battlefield. Stefano watched with horror as the fire became brighter than the Adriatic Emblem and the sun itself. The flames danced across the color spectrum until they reached a violet glow; Stefano shrouded his eyes with his arm and felt the light singe his skin.

And when the inferno finally ended, and flaming ashes rained from the sky, two silhouettes stood in the embers of Altair’s attack. The Liege of Lost Embers was unscathed by the attack, but the Ice Crystal Barricade had nearly crumbled from the spell. Cracks and holes covered its partially-melted body, and the Imprisoned Assailant was nowhere to be seen. Altair took heavy breaths as he gazed upon the battlefield, and then he compelled his sorceress to take a backward step.

“Call it irrational if you like, but it looks unnatural for anyone else to use that barricade but him. Finish it off. Use your Life Force Fireball,” Altair commanded.

The Liege of Lost Embers obeyed Altair and unleashed the magic of its next-to-last spell. By fueling her attack with her own stamina, the sorceress unleashed a fearsome fireball at an inescapable speed. Stefano watched in shock as the fireball struck his sorcerer and shattered it into shards of ice. The giant Barricade came crashing down to the courtyard floor, and droplets of water shimmered in the light of the Adriatic Emblem. Steam lifted from the Liege of Lost Embers now that she had slain a second sorcerer in a matter of seconds, and then she used yet another ability. She forced a spell card to materialize directly into Altair’s hand, but then she dropped onto one knee – clearly winded by the effort she had spent.

Stefano, on the other hand, now had to quickly configure a defense mechanism. He briefly glanced over his monoliths and then selected the black one, which he then struck with a miniature hammer. Once the stone resonated, he tossed it before himself and unleashed a geyser of black energy. Bright lights flashed around the silhouette of the sorceress who emerged from the blacklight.

“Welcome to the fight, Dancer in the Northern Lights! Go and tear down his Liege,” Stefano commanded.

Though she feared for her friend, Elena stared through the glowing and wall and whispered, “Oh my god her breasts are huge.”

Altair watched with concern as a beautiful sorceress then danced her way across the battlefield. Stefano tossed a pair of cards to his sorceress, and then she cast a spell which transformed the shimmering light. A wolflike creature ascended from the icy shards as she danced closer, and then she used the living weapon to assail her enemy.

“That strength is unstoppable. If I cannot thwart you, then at least I can avenge the price I pay. Liege! Cast your Counterattack of Fire!” Altair declared.

Altair forced his fiery sorceress to unleash the magic of the very last spell she carried. As the Dancer in the Northern Lights assaulted her enemy with her icy creature, the Liege unleashed a deadly spell which summoned a series of fire pulses. The wolflike monster still struck Altair’s sorceress, but the fiery blowback brought the Dancer to her knees. Both sorceresses barely clung to life, and fire and ice rained slowly from the sky.

Altair then compelled his sorceress to strike with the little strength she had left, but the Familiar of Fragile Frost thrust itself in the way. It shattered into broken ice after Liege struck it with a fireball, but then Altair had his sorceress retreat. He tossed her two spells, compelled her to advance, and then urged her to cast one. When she performed the Dance of Scattered Sparks, she burned through the last of her enemy’s health. The Dancer in the Northern Lights collapsed and shattered in a storm of fire, leaving Liege of Lost Embers at the edge of death. With the last of her stamina, she forced another spell card to materialize in Altair’s hand.

“I’ll admit you’re strong, but you’ve burned through every spell you’ve drawn. The same’s not true for me! Please welcome my Ice Age Emissary to the battlefield,” said Stefano with a sneer. He then struck his green monolith with a small hammer, tossed it onto the ground, and unleashed a shower of green light. In just a matter of seconds, a sorceress of ice emerged from the powerful glow.

Stefano compelled his sorceress to race across the clearing, but Altair knew he could not waste any time. When the Ice Age Emissary stepped into the center of the battlefield, the air became noticeably colder. Fighting the frigidity, Altair compelled his Liege to strike first. But as soon as the Liege of Lost Embers moved, the Ice Age Emissary shut her down by unleashing a powerful spell.

As Liege became frozen in place, Stefano shouted out, “Go! Frost Nova!”

Altair grimaced when he saw that the magic of Frost Nova had locked down his sorceress, but then he saw that the ice also had a soothing effect on her. It seemed to heal her hurting limbs, but it made little difference. Stefano compelled his Ice Age Emissary to advance, and then she empowered herself with a fearsome glow. Altair could feel the temperature plummet.

Stefano glared at his enemy and taunted, “I can’t help but notice your shit-talking finally stopped! When this started, you acted like you’d floor me in seconds. Now, I think you see there’s a reason I made it past your weak city’s weak defenses. You stopped talking shit when you realized you’ll be buried here.”

With a derisive laugh, Altair retorted, “Do not flatter yourself. I’m sure you are your only source of compliments, but my silence is merely a consequence of my injuries. I fought a respectable conjuror some time ago – someone worthy to be my opponent. He’s the only enemy I’ve ever respected. He left me so broken that a manifest and an ultimate ritual leave me tired, but there is nothing more to it than that. Do not dare mistake my silence for respect. That is a reward you will never win.”

Stefano narrowed his eyes and compelled his sorceress to strike, but Altair then shouted, “The time is now! Disarm and Deflect.”

A small flame burned through the Dance of Scattered Sparks in Altair’s hand, fueling the magic that empowered his sorceress. Despite the fearsome glow that enshrouded the Emissary, Altair’s Liege effortlessly blocked the attack and launched the enemy backward. The Ice Age Emissary widened her bewildered eyes when she crash-landed at the space by Stefano’s side, but Altair did not press his advantage. He instead compelled his sorceress to retreat, passed her a pair of cards, and then had her advance to the battlefield’s center.

“Enjoy your tiny victories while they last, but I know I can crush your Liege in a single strike. Take your best shot; I’ll even give you an opening,” said Stefano as his Ice Age Emissary advanced.

“Do not try to bluff your way past me; you don’t have the intelligence. Liege! Cast your Storm of Cinders,” Altair shouted with a stoic stare.

The Liege of Lost Embers smiled brightly and deployed the fearsome magic of its spell. A storm of shifting cinders descended from the sky and engulfed the Ice Age Emissary, but Stefano maintained his smug glare. He looked unconcerned even as ashes and smoke ascended from the inferno. But when the cinders finally cleared, Altair realized with a shock that two glowing vessels surrounded his Liege. Two spheres of blue light circled her, staining her with an azure glow.

“What did you do?” Altair demanded.

Stefano glared at his enemy and answered, “It’s called the Curse of Scylla and Charybdis, and you walked into it as soon as you cast your spell. Perhaps I can’t stop your firestorm, but at least I can ensure you won’t use a fire spell ever again. I consider it a small price to pay.”

Altair winced when he realized the precariousness of his situation. He could feel the cold air overtaking the heat created by his Storm of Cinders, but he did not desist. As Elena watched with worry just outside the glowing wall, Altair compelled his Liege to advance and attack anyway. His sorceress struck the Ice Age Emissary with a full-force punch, but it was still not enough to end the fight. Stefano’s sorceress seemed to wince from the pain, but it withstood the damage.

“This is over. Emissary! End this fight,” Stefano commanded.

The Ice Age Emissary empowered her wounded body with a fearsome blue glow, and then she struck her enemy with an eruption of icy spikes. Elena watched from outside the wall as the spikes struck and shattered the Liege of Lost Embers, leaving Altair entirely defenseless. She slammed her fists against the wall, terrified that she would witness another friend fall, but Altair shook his head with a smile. A sudden glow of fiery light ignited from the place where his Liege fell. Stefano’s grin slowly collapsed into a shocked stare as Altair’s sorceress reassembled herself inside the geyser of fire.

“That makes no sense! My Curse of Scylla and Charybdis is meant to bind your fire magic! How the hell did you do that?!” Stefano demanded.

Altair glared mercilessly at his enemy and answered, “She isn’t the one who cast that spell; it takes effect as soon as she falls. It was armed from the second she took the spell into her hand, and now you’ve got no defenses left.”

Elena watched with wonder as the Liege of Last Embers launched the finishing blow. Stefano’s sorceress shattered, and then he fell to the ground in a state of shock, surrounded by the silent monoliths of his failed campaign. Spell cards scattered the ground around his feet. The Adriatic Emblem started to flicker and falter now that its creator could not sustain its cost.

“I wasn’t lying before. I didn’t even draw the spells I like; you mostly just got the filler. The extras. For all your bragging and your false sense of superiority, you barely even put up a fight,” Altair said.

Though she struggled to see through the flickering seal, Elena listened closely to the patter which followed. Altair crossed the distance and beat his opponent senseless with his own hands; his Liege of Lost Embers simply stood to the side. Elena watched as her friend slammed Stefano repeatedly against the cobblestones. And by the time the Adriatic Emblem finally faded, Altair was already walking away. A pair of soldiers quickly approached the fallen enemy, but Altair simply scooped up his cards as Elena hobbled to his side.

“You’re amazing! Your skills are amazing! You took down four sorcerers with just your Liege of Lost Embers!” Elena exclaimed, so giddy that she nearly lost her balance.

Altair raised an eyebrow at her excitement, but then he smiled and said, “He could have easily won if he had any skill at all. Let that be a lesson! I believe in your potential, but talent is no substitute for experience. Now that the monastery is safe, let’s take some time to recuperate. We can practice more later.”

Surprised by his calmness, Elena asked, “How did anyone ever beat you? Sorry, it’s none of my business. I know it’s none of my business. But your arm, and… well, how did that happen?”

Altair scratched his head with his prosthetic arm and answered, “I faced the only conjuror I could ever call my equal.”

“Who was it?” Elena asked.

Altair showed a puzzled stare as he contemplated his response. Since he could tell that Elena was overworking herself just to keep his pace, he finally stopped moving in the shade of a tall tree. She quickly caught up to him, but the sunlight intermittently pierced between the dancing leaves. The daylight scattered her dark hair with a series of shimmers. He stared at her for a moment in silence, but then he closed his eyes and leaned his back against the tree’s trunk.

Altair answered, “It was me. Or… someone else who looks just like me. Someone who speaks just like me. Someone with the sharp intelligence needed to tear down any enemy. Someone unstoppable.”