1.5 The Progenitors Curse

- Year 1

" Cease this senseless destruction, Mero!" Shuro shouted as blood poured down from his last remaining arm onto his sword.

His silk robes fluttered wildly between the torrent of the night sky and the crackling of the earth. He hovered in an enraged state between the ground and the sky.

Beneath him, large cracks of molten lava sputtered forth from widening fissures and rendered all things void of life. Above in the sky, dark-grey clouds gathered and denied the sun any entrance. Beneath the clouds, numerous bolts of lightning formed and wildly struck outward to the fissures beneath. The roars of thunder and the crackling of the earth looked to another person as a envisage of hell.

Before Shuro stood Mero. Tightly within his right hand, he held the neck of a pale old man, and the other a battered and bloody violet coloured sword.

He turned his enraged blood coloured eyes from the man he was holding onto the Shuro. And with the same ferocity he held the man in his hand, answered back in a voice devoid of anything but fury and scorn.

"How dare you Shuro!

You know he took everything from me! How dare you stand there, knowing what he has done to me and attempt to deny me this right! The heavens provided me with the chance to capture him Shuro and who am I to deny this gift!"

Shuro clenched his fist and desperately attempted one last time to quell Meor's fury. He took one step forward, but just as quickly as his feet landed on invisible lines of the sky, fell a bolt of lightning and the thunderclap nearly tore what hearing he had left from his ears. He jumped back quickly and once again he forced himself to look at Meor's.

"I know what he has done brother! I know first-hand of the horrors they have committed in the name of peace. Trust me I know! They will be held accountable for all that has been done, please trust me in that. I will do what I can to make sure that they pay for everything!

But for me to do that, I need for you to stop this before the continent collapses Meor! Killing him will release the curse upon us all, can't you see it spilling out of him and entering our plane as we speak!?

The number of lives that you have taken and now hold in jeopardy for the life of this weasel must stop! How many more lives must you destroy before your vengeance has been satisfied!"

Once again, he shouted to his brother and once again he pleaded for him to end his madness.

The pale man struggled wildly as he attempted to escape from his captor's grasp.

He felt his airways tightening and the oxygen in his lungs depleting faster than he could replenish them.

And yet, fortunately for him, he still had enough air in the tank to live on for quite some time. Looking closer at the pale man, you could see the glistening of his skin. A sort of hardening was happening.

The reason for why Meor hadn't strangled this pale man to death yet was due by the thin liquid metal sown into his skin. Just this made clear how important this person was. Because the amount of wealth needed to create the skin was astronomical. But it works, and Shuro couldn't be happier about that.

The pale man wildly punched Meor's arm and face to uncouple himself from him. But he soon realised the more he struggled, the tighter Meor's hold got.

Fear took his heart and as tears slid down his eyes. He looked to Shuro, the only reason why the man hadn't pierced him with his sword for help.

For Meor knew that if he struck the pale man with his sword, Shuro may take the chance to close the distance and teleport the man away from his grasp. That is why they stood still. Nobody wanted to do anything too drastic.

Meor was still not at the place where he wanted and Shuro just waited for a chance to employ his teleportation spell.

As the silence continued between them, and the fissures of the earth shook and bellowed multiple stray petals of lava into the sky, Meor opened his mouth once again. He tightened his on the man and placed him in between himself and Shuro.

"Look at this thing, Shuro. Does this thing look human to you? Does this thing look like something that will let itself be held accountable for anything?

If I don't do this now, then the opportunity for reprisal would be no more." He said as his turned fury wilder.

"And for those that you call innocent, they who called themselves our neighbours, our countrymen and our brothers. I don't care what happens to them. They are no different from him. They let him continue his escapades for decades with no repercussions.

The government did nothing when told of the truth, the noble households of the empire ignored the horrors he committed for their illusionary peace and people prospered in their own prisons of ignorance. They and those above them enjoyed a peace paid in blood. Paid in blood the innocents and never themselves, they don't see us as people brother. Why should I then see them as such? And why should I see you as any different from them?" He said.

"I entrusted them to you and yet they died." The pain in voice was palpable.

"This isn't on me and you know that," Shuro said in a raised voice. His heart bled for his brothers' pain and his grief widened at the accusation. But he steeled himself, now wasn't the time. Shuro continued by saying.

"The people of this world have done you no wrong! What do you expect them to do about the curse bearer? To end his life would be to end theirs and the empire itself? How do you expect for them to come forward and aid you when you've slaught-?."

"How dare you, Shuro!" Mero hissed.

Shuro stopped them, for he knew that saying more would only continue to fuel his brother's rage. He knew now that the person before him wasn't the brother he once had, but a malevolent creature birthed out of a craving for blood. He knew as he watched his brother's eyes lifeless eyes staring at him that he could never convince him to stop.

As Shuro felt Meor's anger rising and a chance to employ his spell, a strong undulation in space-time occurred behind him.

Soon a circular hole of darkness opened and from it flew out a red hooded figure wearing identical robes to his.

Shuro looked surprised, angry and yet also happy.

"Seo, please. I told you that I still talk some sense into him." He said with an anguished look on his face as his fellow elder came before him.

"I'm sorry Shuro, but I'm afraid that this whole situation has escalated to the point where all the clans have begun to evacuate. The reserve elders have been mobilised.

They were the ones that opened the portal for me. They couldn't keep it open for long as it requires too much energy, but as soon as the palace guards arrive, they'll be joining us." Seo said with a hard look at Shuro.

"I know that you have tried to talk him out of it Shuro.

But, the time for words has ended, he needs to be put down before he takes his highness life and releases the curse upon us all! If he releases the taint, the consequences will be disastrous." He hissed.

"YOU'VE BETRAYED ME ONCE AGAIN BROTHER," Mero shouted in anger while continuing to clench at the pale man's neck. At this sight, Seo sucked in a large breath but did not speak.

"Once again, you've led the forces of evil to my doorstep. Once again you stand before me, aiding the wretched scums that took the lives of those dearest to me!"

The skies thundered and the ground once again bloomed with lava. The fissured continued to expand as lightning continued to flash and the thunder clapped.

Shuro looked at Mero. He looked at the man that he once had called his brother. His black hair now white, his otherwise handsome face now sunken from decades of battle and his scars and wounds a testament to his will. A will of repayment in blood.

Once again, he steeled himself and with his remaining hand clenched the handle of the sword, he looked at Seo and nodded, affirming that his stance is now united with his. He looked at his brother and as the world roared, he said.

"You are no longer the man I once knew. You let yourself be taken that day and now host the most malevolent soul I ever laid my eyes upon. I understand now that I speak to deaf ears. Your attempt to kill him will not only doom you and i, but it will doom my family and the entire continent.

I will not let you do that. I'll stop you, even if I have to take your life."

His brother eyes then slowly began to turn pitch black and as the darkness completely covered his pupils, Mero opened his mouth and in pure derision said.

"You will try."

Soon the air around Shuro reverberated and with a boom, he disappeared and hastily flew towards Mero. He tightened his hold on the sword and as he neared him, struck at the arm that was holding the man.

Meor in retaliation turned and met Shuro's sword with his. And as they clashed, Seo joined them.

Meor, with only one sword, battled Shuro before him and Seo behind him.

He turned wildly from one side to another, evading and retaliating with his sword. He could feel them slowly overpowering him, attempting to slowly chisel his hold away from the pale man.

As Shuro struck once, and Seo quickly with another, Meor flew above them into the thunder lid cloud. Shuro and Seo quickly followed.

Within these clouds they danced a battle of death, avoiding the wraths of the heavens as their swords clashed violently. Meor avoided Shuro strike, as it nearly pierced his abdomen, and rotated to deliver a kick to his face, sending him flying into a lightning bolt.

Shuro screamed in pain. But Seo, taking advantage of Meor's fatigued state thrust downwards at his face and cut his eye.

Then it was Meor that screamed in pain as the blood flowed down his face. Meor quickly flew further into the clouds.

But Seo followed quickly after.

Shuro, feeling the fatigue and seeing that the battle was going nowhere, took his sword and placed it between his teeth.

He looked to Seo and Meor as they tangled in a dance of death and mentally sent Seo a message, to hold his brother away from him while charged his spell. He quickly received his response, as he felt the reverberations of their violent tangling's deep inside the thundering clouds.

He soon began chanting and using his remaining hand, formed several seals into the air. They needed the sun, and with her magnificent grace, would use it to end the evil that Meor had fused himself with.

But it would take some time for it to charge, and he hoped for his friend to hold the line while he did.

Within the thick clouds, Meor struggled. Seo had turned to be one with the clouds and began to strike at him from all sides. He couldn't do much, other than to turn and defend while lessening his grip on the old man.

The old man had long since become unconscious, and Meor was glad that he no longer had to use that much force to hold him.

Unfortunately, because of this, Meor had let his thoughts stray for a second and allowed Seo to strike a violent blow at his abdomen. The cut was fatal, and they both knew it.

Meor didn't have that much left in him and decided that now was the time to put and end to it.

He flew back a few feet and threw his sword towards the invisible Seo that was now covered in some of his blood. The sword though hit nothing.

Meor took his free hand and removed the blood from his dead eye and drew something in the air. Seo, seeing this rushed forward, but before he could do anything, turned still.

He used blood magic, Seo thought. How did he learn to do this! He nearly shouted.

Meor then coughed out a lot of blood and rushed forward. Seo attempted to violently release himself from this spell, but just before he could extricate himself from it, felt Meor's hand penetrate his stomach and his hand on his heart.

Meor squished and soon Seo began to fall towards the ground.

"No!" Shouted Shuro, as his dearest friend flew downwards to the fissures of lava below. He couldn't do anything; he needed the spell to end Meor.

He watched as his friend's corpse hit the ground and the lava that slowly swallowed him whole.

His spell was done with the charge, and with tears in his eyes shouted.

"Meor! Today, this all ends! Alitahun!" He shouted as the sword fell from his mouth.

The world shook, and soon the sky opened, and the sun appeared. The then darkened world was now turned to light.

Meor, seeing this shouted in pain. The sun was his weakness, and if he believed previously to have stood a chance against Shuro, that chance was now forfeited.

He shouted in pain, as a black gas began to emanate from his pours.

The slow hull and voice of the darkness inside him echoed his screams. He had to do something he thought while in pain. And he had to it fast.

He looks to the now conscious old man and put his remaining hand on his stomach. He used black gas and made it penetrate the other. Soon the old man screamed in pain and Shuro flew hastily towards them.

Before long, Meor turned completely red. Horns had appeared on his temples and wings on his back.

The pain was still there, but now he could move freely.

Just as Shuro appeared before him, Meor threw the old man and avoided his strike.

He turned, now more quickly than ever before and struck him at his stomach.

Shuro, quickly extracted himself from Meor. He opened his mouth and a violent wind appeared. Meor was caught in it and quickly flew backwards.

The old man, now free got behind him and while pressurising the hole in his stomach with both of his blood, shouted while spurting blood, "Stop him, he took from me the progenitors curse!"

Shuro's head quickly swirled to Mero.

He bit his lip and acting faster than the clapping of thunder, bolted towards Mero once again.

Mero saw Shuro coming at him with tears in his eyes and scoffed.

"So, I guess that it's come to this then." He said with a tinge of remorse.

He quickly pierced his stomach with his right hand.

Shuro, now aware of the danger that they were in, opened himself to the world force and began wildly sucking in the now tainted miasma emanating from their dying world. His skin began to crackle, and his eyes turned bloodshot.

He held himself together only by the strength of his will. He flew faster now, so fast indeed that a sonic boom could be heard amongst the thunder. The air behind him turned cylindrical as he quickly approached Meor.

He shouted for his brother to stop. His heart now filled with a palpating terror when he saw Meor pierce his own stomach.

Shuro was only a few kilometres away and Meor still seemed out of his reach, he anguished internally. No, I can't let him do this he thought. He must be faster, he must, else his own wife and daughter would either die by the curse or suffer from the taint.

As blood poured out of Meor's mouth, he looked to the fast-approaching Shuro and behind him to the emperor's brother. He smiled and squeezed his heart with the last amount of strength he had left.

Shuro, now mere meters away from him shouted for him to stop.

"NO!"

He heard then his Meor's heart implodes and the visage of hell around him go quiet. He knew then that he had failed. He had failed to stop his brother and to save his own family.

He saw the lifeless carcass of his Mero evaporate in the soundless breeze with a contented smile on his lips as they dripped black with blood.

The emperor's brother trembled at the sight of Mero's vanishing corpse.

"What have you done!?" He shouted to Mero's disappearing figure.

Shuro stopped and looked back to the emperor. From a few kilometres away he struck at the emperor's brother and sliced his head from his body.

As the emperor's brother's head spun wildly in the air, its last sight was the sudden appearance of a black dot.

Before Shuro, a singularity coalesced from the remains of Mero. It swiftly expanded and before he could react, it had swallow both he and part of their world whole.