7: Fly, Fly, Fly

VANCO VILLAGE SHRINE COURTYARD, PRESENT

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"You freed him?!?" both Icarus and Loki asked in unison.

Lapyx laughed, "You two sound like a pair of Tuca birds*. Yes, I freed him, hmm well to be more precise our souls and nova are becoming one."

Loki was stunned.

Icarus was horrified.

Icarus could not imagine any tragedy greater than if one day the seal were to come undone and Jabberwock be freed into the world once more.

And yet something even worse had come to pass!

'The First Great Evil merging with the most terrifying, Lapyx. Ha. It's over for everyone!' 

Icarus knew his fate was sealed.

'He'll either torture me for the rest of my life or just kill me outright.' Just the thought itself caused Icarus's knees to give out and cause him to slump to the ground.

Loki had also been lost in thought but for another reason entirely.

'I sensed the nova of the seal dissipating but there is no way a member of the Silo Clan would willingly undo it.'

'Are there other forces also trying to undo the seal?'

'Did any other Arch Bishops of the Cult survive?'

Countless thoughts raced in his mind during that brief instant but more than anything he felt a feeling growing deep within himself.

His hands began to tremble and his heart began thumping harder and harder, his lips parted as they curled upwards.

Loki was excited. 

To Loki, as long as his end goal was met the means did not matter.

As long as he was able to reach his destination he did not fret about what twists and turns the road had along the way.

Unforeseen events and additional players to the game never bothered Loki, if anything it brought him more joy!

'More paint on the canvas that is my masterpiece,' he thought to himself.

"Archbishop, have you gone mad?" Lapyx asked the man before him, somewhat disgusted by the smile on his face.

"Oh, I apologize I was lost in thought there for a second." Loki apologized regaining his composure.

"Hahaha, quite the time to be doing that. Now as much as I would love to chat it seems you have something that belongs to me." And without taking his gaze away from Loki, Lapyx pointed to the slumped heap that was Icarus.

"How do I know what you say is true and that you have freed Jabberwock and merged with him, mister...." Loki trailed off.

"Hahaha such insolence from a mere minion! I would have taken one of your limbs but I need to keep my workforce intact." Lapyx laughed, another voice creeping in behind his.

"Prove myself you say?" Lapyx said speaking with two voices, his left side beginning to change.

The white of his left eye turned black as well as the veins in his neck and arm.

"You should prove yourself before I deem you useless," He said now approaching Loki, his oppressive nova once again bearing down on them.

Loki dropped to one knee and spoke now with reverence in his voice.

"My humblest apologies my liege, I had not anticipated such a turn of events and simply had to verify for myself. I have been searching along with my subordinates for many years and I seem to have forgotten my place. Please forgive this unworthy vassal of yours."

"You have been warned once, there will not be a second."

"I thank you for your graciousness my liege."

"Where is the rest of the cult, or are you the only one here?" The two voices questioned Loki trying to assess the current situation.

"The Cult has been destroyed due to an internal rebellion caused by the members of the Southern Branch, only 3 members that followed the original ways are still alive."

"Hmm, I see. For the world to remember my name I must first amass power and a following once more."

"Leave it to me my liege we already have a plan in place to acquire financial power, all we need to do is wrap up here and get rid of the Silo Clan and the branch Clans," Loki informed him.

"I killed my family before I left the estate to come here, you go handle the branch clan members. I have unfinished business to attend to with my cute little brother." As Lapyx spoke this his voice returned to that of his own, as well as his appearance returning to its original state.

Loki was not only impressed that the young man in front of him was able to retain his sanity while being the vessel for Jabberwock but also by the ruthlessness he displayed by slaying his kin.

'It seems I won't be bored for a long time' Loki thought to himself giddily.

"As my liege wills it, so shall it be done. Take your time and me and the others will wait at the the Wildling Tavern when everything is complete." With a flicker of his body, Loki was gone.

"Now Little Brother, just me and you. Shall we finish our training from earlier?" Lapyx grinned at Icarus like a predator eyes its prey.

Icarus's mind was overloaded with all that had happened, and now the fact his clan was eradicated by his older brother, he was in a pit of despair.

Despite this Icarus did not want to die. He had finally been able to use Nova, there was no way that he would just let it end like this.

"I can finally use Nova now Lapyx, and you want me to die? I refuse"

Gathering the little Nova within his body and concentrating all of it on his legs, Icarus bounded sideways trying to make it over the wall of the temple.

 "Fly, fly, fly little Icarus. The sun will melt your wings." Reaching his hand out Lapyx gathered Nova on his hand and chanted the incantation for his technique.

"Spear of Raging Flames!" 

A crimson spear of flames shot from his hand and flew straight to the fleeing Icarus who was trying to make it over the temple wall and into the surrounding Kalypto Forest.

As Icarus cleared the wall he was struck in the back by the spear, sending him hurtling through the forest and crashing against a large Kalypto tree.

"Bullseye!" Lapyx clenched his fist, proud of his marksmanship.

Lapyx made his way over the wall and to his younger brother, taking his time, and enjoying the hunt.

"Icarus I will give you a chance, if you can make it across the gorge at the end of clan territory before I catch you, I will let you live. Sound good?"

Icarus heard his brother's offer knowing it only to be a cruel joke, to give him a glimmer of hope only to snatch it away.

At the very edge of the clan's territory, there lies a colossal gorge that has served as a natural barricade for centuries. The gorge, which is a large rift in the earth, spans a considerable distance and is surrounded by steep cliffs that rise high into the sky. On either side of the gorge, the land is marked by rugged terrain and dense vegetation, making it exceedingly difficult for anyone to pass through on foot.

The river that flows at the bottom of the gorge is a force to be reckoned with. The water is icy cold and crystal clear, but its current is far too strong for any living being to swim or wade across. The strength of the current is due to the snowmelt from further up north, which feeds the river and gives it its power.

Despite the danger that the gorge poses, it was Icarus's only option.

'Stuck between a rock and a hard place huh' he sighed to himself as he gathered his nova for one last push.

"I'll take that offer Big Bro, catch me if you can!"

Icarus took off at a sprint, fueled by the Nova coursing through his veins. His eyes were fixed on the gorge ahead of him, and he was determined to reach it at all costs. As he ran, the world around him began to blur and fade away, leaving only the sound of his own labored breathing and the pounding of his heart in his ears. 

The air around him was thick with danger, as spears of flame and bursts of fire came at him from all directions. Icarus had to leap and swerve to avoid them, his body moving with a fluidity that spoke of long practice and intense training. He was like a dancer, moving with grace and precision, his eyes never leaving his goal. 

And still, he pushed on, through the burning heat and the choking smoke, his legs pumping with a relentless energy. Closer and closer he came to the gorge, until it loomed before him like a gaping mouth, hungry and waiting. With a final burst of strength, Icarus launched himself forward, hurtling towards his ultimate goal.

"Hahaha he really made it!" Lapyx exclaimed with laughter, impressed with Icarus's speed and will to live.

"Too bad I don't keep promises," as he began to chant again a large circular array appeared in the sky over the gorge.

Looking up Icarus couldn't believe it, only a Grade 3 Novite should be able to use a large scale technique like this without any augmenting equipment or outside assistance. Weighing his options his jumped into the gorge deciding to take his chance with the icy river below than whatever was forming above him.

"Wrath of the Raging Flame King!"

The night was illuminated by crimson light as a pillar of flames emerged from the array and shot down on Icarus.

He braced his body, using his new found Nova to reinforce his internal organs as he prepared for impact.

BOOM!

As Icarus soared through the sky, he suddenly felt a searing heat engulf him. Looking up, he saw a pillar of flames shooting down from the Heavens, headed straight towards him. Despite his attempts to evade it, the flames struck him with a vicious impact, knocking him out of the air and sending him hurtling towards the river below. As he fell, he could feel his skin charring under the intense heat, his Nova unable to protect him from such a powerful assault. The impact with the water was jarring, rendering him unconscious, river swallowing him up.

"I don't think he's getting up from that" Lapyx laughed as he turned to head back to Village.