RISE OF THE ORIGINAL

CHAPTER 2 THE PROTECTOR II

"I won't let you die, I promise. "

Kalus said sobbing.

He began to rack his brain, desperately thinking of a way to save her. He knew for sure that he couldn't have leapt that high into the air without the help of the throbbing mark. 

If the mark could aid him in achieving a stunt like that, it should be able to save her in one way or the other.

Although he doubts if it will ever work on his own accord, he's still willing to try.

He gently laid Cathiana on the grass, removing the knife plunged into her heart and press down on the wound to stop the bleeding while he closed his eyes in agitation.

"Heal! Heal !!"

He muttered, frustration building as he tried to channel the mark on his wrist to work in his favour.

"Shit !!"

He cursed slamming his bloody palm on the grass beside her.

"Why on earth is it not working? Focus! Kalus focus !" 

He rasp trying harder.

Slowly, a sense of comfort washed over him, and his soul transcended to a serene realm surrounded by tranquil waters.

 The mark on his wrist pulsed slowly again in a sensation he had never experienced before. 

It glimmers in a bright energy, emitting bright blue rays.

 As he calms his mind and focuses on healing Cathiana, his energy begins depleting rapidly, resulting in a nosebleed which cascades down from his nose to his Adam's apple.

It surged and paused. Searing, it defies gravity, coursing upward in a fiery torrent towards his brows.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes as darkness enveloped his soul, trapping him in its grasp.

Austrus halted in his tracks, stunned by the sight before him.

"Oh gracious Mother"

Austrus murmured, running the length of his hands into his hair in despair.

"Austrus?"

Elena called out as she approached, gasping for breath from a frantic run.

She surveyed the scene, hands instinctively on her sword, ready for whatever danger lay ahead, with a questioning look in her eyes.  

Kalus, on the other hand, stiffened at their presence; he rose to his feet with an ominous aura emanating from him. 

"Who are you ?"

He demanded, his voice thick with menace.

 It was clear that the possessor was still unfamiliar with its host, so it was still struggling to fully understand its new vessel.

His eyes gradually dimmed, replaced by a deepening crimson hue of bloodlust. A cackling sound shattered the silence, and he instead turned his head to gaze at them.

Elena and Austrus exchange glances unsure if he's a friend or foe.

"Listen, we don't have time for talks okay ?. We need to save our friends. She's dying!"

Austrus interjected desperation creeping in his voice.

"Your friend? Hmmm, let me guess. You're the Austrus and she's Elena. Is that right?"

Ignoring Austrus' plea, Kalus continued to interrogate them, his patience wearing thin.

A dark, knowing smile spread across Kalus' lips as he stood tall, his eyes gleaming with purpose.

With a swift, almost imperceptible flick of his wrist, his sword rose from the ground, floating effortlessly before him. The blade hummed with menacing energy, its edge gleaming in the dim light as if eager for the bloodshed to come.

The air around him seemed to thrum with an ominous power as if even the very fabric of reality bent to his will.

"Once more! Are you Austrus and Elena?"

 He demanded, his voice impatient. Tinged with a hissing quality.

Austrus frowned, his hands on his hips, infuriated by Kalus' behaviour.

"Yes, that's us. What does it have to do with the situation on the ground?"

 Austrus bellowed, his anger boiling over. As for Elena, she quietly unsheathed her sword.

Kalus chuckled darkly and hissed once more. 

"Tell me, what kind of friends abandon their comrade in need?"

His gaze shifted from Austrus to Elena.

Austrus' frown deepened.

"Listen! You're going to..."

"Shut the hell up! I wasn't talking to you!"

 Kalus snarled and cut in. 

His wrist swirled as he brandished the sword, executing a whirlwind technique by slamming its sides against Austrus' chest without even looking at him.

To Elena's surprise, Austrus was sent flying backwards as if propelled by a powerful force, crashing into the distant woods.

For the first time, the stoic mask on her face melted instantly and it is replaced with rage.

"You dare?"

She leeched angrily, attacking him.

Kalus smirked, satisfied with the impact of his attack on Austrus.

"She won't be needing you two anymore," 

He mused to himself, amazed by his strength. 

This vessel isn't bad after all.

"No one ignores the question of a princess you twerp!"

Elena yelled angrily, making her move.

Sparks from static lightning began to emerge around her, forcefully fusing with the ground beneath her and evolving into a vicious clap that rocketed into ripples, blowing violently in all directions. Causing trees to tremble, stirring up a devastating sandstorm from its slumber.

She vanished instantly.

Sensing an imminent threat as humans prepares to spar with themselves, one of the birds emitted a chickadee alarm call, prompting the rest of them to take flight into the skies.

Minutes later, a blast of energy pulse shattered the surface of the earth, creating electromagnetic waves that split the ground into cracks and spidery lines, expanding towards Kalus' direction.

Time stood still.

Kalus stares at the widening cracks beneath him.

Reacting on pure instinct, he leapt into the air, somersaulting in a desperate bid to defy gravity and land on firmer ground.

Elena manifested from nothingness and swiftly executed a horizontal arc technique—a manoeuvre characterized by two sweeping swings, first from left to right, then from right to left.

Mid-flip, Kalus sensed an approaching threat and grinned, casually slashing out to intercept it.

 The clash reverberated with thunderous clangs, unleashing shockwaves that reverberated across the horizon.

"Tsk, who is this guy? He seems to lack any significant power. How is he able to withstand my attacks with sheer brute strength alone?" 

She said perplexed.

The sound of claps echoed through the air as he emerged from the dust. Expression darkening, he picked the broken sword from the ground, lips pressed into a thin line with determination etched on his face. 

This time, he resolved to be the one to initiate the attack.

 With a swift pace, he broke into a frantic run.

Elena grunts weakly, raising her feet while she leans heavily on her sword.

 A sudden darkness begins to roll over the sun, catching their attention. 

And a tempest of energy coalesced from the cosmos and ignited, targeting them. 

Colour drained from Elena's cheek as she felt herself frozen in place. As the ominous aura surged towards her, she only managed to muster every ounce of energy within to shield herself.

Kaboom!

A thunderous shockwave erupted, engulfing them in tumultuous waves polluting the surroundings in a blinding grey light.

The scattered specks of dust shroud in an ominous mist, swirling around ancient gnarled trees that seemed to reach out with twisted branches.

 Within it, screams echoed from unseen depths, and jagged rocks jutted out from the barren, desolate ground, casting long shadows in the flickering light of distant flames.

Above the sky, a blood-red moon loomed ominously, casting an eerie glow over the scene, as if heralding the arrival of darkness itself.

Dozens of valiant stood out, draped in armour that seemed forged in the depths of hell itself.

 Their armours gleamed with an eerie crimson hue, adorned with spikes that protruded like the horns of infernal beasts.

The finest of the Golmors has arrived.