The last two weeks had been rough. Hector, Dart, and Karel travelled with Lyndis's group as an advanced detachment. Fighting with ferocity and bitter determination that caused the Sacae's to recoil in fear.
They gave no quarter or mercy to the turncoat Caelins. as the vanguard they took the brunt of the assaults from all parties. Which included a few members of the Black Fang mixed in here and there.
Those who did surrender to Madelyn were spared. Even General Eagler wept upon seeing her return was brought over. His feelings for her were the same as Wallace's. It had not diminished at all with time and Hector told Lyndis to watch herself with her having such a favorable appearance to that of her mother.
Dart was doing everything possible to max himself out in the fighting style of a Pirate and bringing up the teachings of a Mage. The training of the latter was making up for his lack in speed and low magic resistance.
Karel was more alive than ever before. The dip in the Primordial Sea had remade him and broke the shackles that his body found itself in. The same as Dart he took up another Class. The studying of a Knight to make up for the weakness he has in some physical aspects. the training alone had shown results most favorable.
Neither of them was good at mounted combat. Which made it really easy not to go Cavalier in learning.
During this time they picked a few more people. One in particular was Karla, the sister to Karel. Clashing blades with Hector she lost due to the Champion's tenacity but her skill and speed cut him up pretty well. Defeated and the brand applying to her Hector was reminded glaringly about the illness in her family. She was tossed into the primordial Sea as punishment and a means to recover.
She was not alone as several of the Pegasus Riders and mercenaries were in to recover after training with Richard and Tiamat.
Another was Isadora and a small retinue of Pheraen knights. From what Hector was able to gather they were sent to assist Eliwood with something of great importance as well as a favor for house Ostia. It was odd that she came instead of Marcus a much higher veteran night and more skilled.
the other was the roaming Warrior Geitz. Hector's reputation and actions in Ilia was picked up by the sone of a merchant. In a duel that took place right after the match with Karla, the other was brought under him as well. He soaked in the Primordial Sea and listened to the "singing" done by Tiamat like so many others.
Hector dueled with the Mani Katti against Karel. Several of the weaker mercenaries watched in rapt attention to try an learn something. Their boss had grown vastly stronger and his skills were sharp to a point they thought he would abandon the axe for a sword due to the speed shown.
*Ching!* The blades hit against each other before they both pulled back to strike again. Karel caught on to the fact Hector was using him currently to polish his parrying skills. With each strike, Karel had to adjust to try and apply pressure, which forced Hector to adjust as well for better defense.
"You have grown in skill, sure I can't get you to abandon all other weapons?" The Swordmaster pulled back with his sword cutting just an inch above the brow before he leveled at the eye. Poised to strike, he receives no answer from his Master in response. "Hmm?"
"Haaaa..." Hector's sword-arm moved to the side as he exhaled slowly. His muscles tensed before relaxing a few times. His toes gripped in the grass as a dark blue glow rippled over his skin. "hooo..."
A breeze passed over the meadow spooking a few mercenaries as well as the animals.
*Shine!* The sword tilted as he moved it to be just above a blade of a grass with the light reflecting a little. As his breathing synched with the wind, Hector felt a type of peace before a feeling as if he was being watched sent danger senses off to the extreme.
"Haa!" Abruptly, he honed on that person and swung his sword. Whatever he was about to learn was lost in favor of attacking the person peeking at him. "Code Black!"
The sword cut and sent a slash of raw brutal magic into the distance. An instant later, Hector ran that way switching to his Composite bow and whistling for a mount. The Pegasus Riders on security rotation immediately flew that way in a wide-cover formation.
"This is not a drill!" Dart shouted out. His voice boomed through the area. "All hands on deck!"
The younger mercenaries scrambled out. Manning defense positions and trying to find out what is going on. By the looks of it though they defintely shouldn't rush into anything to prove themselves as the veterans looked erratic.
Getting out of the dirt, a cloaked figure with a bone mask scrambled to his feet. He didn't expect the other senses to be that strong and be able to detect him. He chose this time to wipe out this problem before he went back underground to regroup.
He was right, if Hector wasn't in the process of learning something via his swordwork and the Mani Katti, he definitely would not have.
"To think I Audamorze would be injured from such a distance!" Angered, the would-be conqueror should have left instead. "This is twice these weak fools have caused me trouble!" But he waited to long to act. A sense of danger as he looked up to see several arrows rain down at him. "Foolishness!"
With a wave of the hand, a magical barrier stopped the first volley of arrows. It flickered but the ancient caster saw another volley coming right afterward with a bit of magic coating it.
'They have learned from last time I see!' The arrowheads contained bits of grounded dragon scale. A natural protection against certain spells. 'Where did they come across dragons as old as this!?'
'This man is a threat... it is best you use everything to end him.' Tiamat waved her hands over the Primordial Sea making a Bow that was the same as the one in Hector's hands. However, it was more powerful and contained the essence of the Legendary Weapon fully. Hopefully, he wouldn't die from its use in his current condition. 'That Dragon blood should last long enough.'
"Hmm.." Hector felt the Composite bow in his hand change and the unmistakable feel of the Legendary Bow and Dragon magic in its wildness. "... very well. Best to remove this eye sore and threat to my plans."
*Twang!* Hector fired the modified Mulagir at the dark caster in rapid succession. Only one shot echoed out, but five arrows were released. Hit in the shoulders, kneecaps, and the mask the old caster was taken off his feet in excruciating pain.
Even deprived of the majority of its power, it was a fairly good bow. Unable to erect the barrier, Audamorze was covered in arrows that rained down. His magic pushed it out a few moments later but more volleys were coming in rapid cover.
Two Pegasus Riders switched to Heavy Spears as they flew up and took aim, with divebomb hurls, they pierced the caster in the heart and head with their throws. The effort was worthwhile but the radiating out dark magic had the two exhausted already.
"Pull back!" Hector ordered. The riders had forgotten how dangerous someone like this could be. With a push of their legs, the Pegasi flew back quickly. "Just in time!"
*Bzzzt!* The air came alive in raw magic. Black spikes shout out from Audamorze violently. But bad news came in immediately after. Karel shot pass Hector and the ancient caster going into the distance.
Dart followed suit as a few spells could be seen going off. Other members of the Black Bone Clan were there and that meant a lot of bloodshed if not done correctly.
The only good thing that came out of this, maybe the others would realize how useless Athos would be. The old man had taken Nils and Ninian under his care but had stuck around with Madelyn and Lyndis's group talking with them about the past whenever he arrived. Trying to find a way to get to the former dragon's mother or get someone to speak with Hector in a more peaceful way.
It was the oddest shit in the world to Hector. But not how the man was quite fond of Eliwood. It was a distraction to get Hector off the pain coursing through his arms. The Anima magic and Dark magic clashed on the surface of his skin. Growing conflict by Audazmore casting a spell that re-did the entire landscape.
Hector shielded his eyes while continuing firing in the direction of his opponent. large fixtures of rock and earth erupted upward cutting of the view for others. Jumping behind a tree at the first chance Hector took a calming breath taking in his surroundings.
*Brpp!* Space shifted as Audamorze appeared behind him trying to strike with a black bone dagger. Getting stabbe dwas nothing new and by the hesitant look of his opponent he was expecting to feel hector with the stab.
With a powerful right hook, Hector knocked Audamorze off his feet and unleashed rapid fire shots from the bow at close proximity. Barely having to pull back on it, the shots erupted like shotgun fire.
"Came to the wrong neck of the woods bud." Hector could feel the raw magic that was healing the ancient caster and draining him. Luckily he did not let up with the next attack and ripped the body parts apart with a frenzied clutch. He was still working on Ritual Magic but now was as good time as any. "Scatter down to the smallest bits..."
*Woosh!* Hector started to chant as the winds of the remaining meadows wrapped around Audamorze under his direction. The bow Mulagir floated above his head pulsing with magic that changed the weather in the area into an almost Cyclone.
Oddly enough, the Pegasus Riders were perfectly fine as they flew above looking for a chance to strike. With most of them speeding up as they fired into the distance at the Ashbone Clan.
Everything else no longer became a concern for Hector. The only one to deal with now was Audamorze. It was a good thing One Horn was not here as well. That strength was otherwordly.
"At a disadvantage.. but no matter..." Hector pushed all magic to defense and relied on pure physical to take the other down. "I cannot die just yet!" He flung spells at Audamorze who lifted the very earth he was tied to in evasive manevoures.
Seamlessyly a barrage of fireballs that shimmered in dark magic shot out like machine gun fire. They smashed into the charging Hector trying to drive him away and knock his concentration from whatever he was doing.
Not giving up Hector kept chanting while spitting out blood to add to the spell. His very lifeforce speeding the spell up with it's potent magical properties. He was nowhere near the level of an accomplish spellcaster to do such a thing.
*Kaboom!* An explosion of magic erupted in the area. Shooting out of the area where Hector once stood were several magical sized boulders that burned anything they touched into dust. Black wind swirled in the opposite direction on fire, carrying wild embers of magic.
Hand burned with the majority of half his body was not enough to stop the Champion. Hector burst through the swirling flames he created. Arm reared back as he used the remainder of his strength to strike down Audazmore who was already reforming himself.
*Splat!* With a burst of power Hector's fist pushed through the other's chest cavity and stuck into the dirt. using it as an anchor his fingers clutched the dirt with an immovable grip.
"You.. can't!!!" It was the last words normal of the ancient mage. "^&^(*&# %$$^$^%!"
Casting an ancient curse onto Hector, the powerful Elder of the Black Bone Clan would not go without a last hurrah.
"Tch!" Hector did not wait as he swept the remains into the Primordial Sea. It's powerful liquid to make work of everything the ancient creature was. "Even at the end, you drop a curse upon me! I am not that stupid of your type of actions!"
*Fwoom!* A pillar of dark magic roared into the sky causing cascading winds that flowed outward. The surrounding remnants of terrian around Hector started to break apart before flying into the distance and shattering from the speed. The ground cracked upon with him at the epicenter of it all.
After some minutes passed, Hector's forces came into the area at fast speeds. The pegasus riders were the first, then Karel and Dart. Serra had fainted thinking the worst with Guy seeing to her as he was injured like a few others.
Hector slowly took steps forward as his body healed itself with dark magic. Thanks to the Legendary items he survived the worst of the magical spells used against him and the explosion caused between both casters. His bones had turned a dark black to the naked eye. Motes of ghostly fire wafted off muscle tissue before vanishing in the air.
*Thunk!* An elixer dropped out of Hector's hand as the contents went to work on helping his body heal. His people already flocking with Vulnearys and Elixers of their own to use on his charred body.
Tiamat watched as the body parts sunk into the water. Her eyes blazing as the ancient spell knowledge poured into her siphoning hand. The raw magic itself causing the Primordial Sea to expand and deepened.
Countless blueprints hovered all over. For Audamorze had seen a number of wonders in his ancient life.
"It is almost time my little Architect moves away for awhile. His body needs to expand to accept more. So much to due to increase the very building blocks that make him." With a push, several Speedwings, Energy Drops, Purified Water, and Seraph Robes formed up. Several Magic Rings, Knight Crests, and Hero Crests formed up as the waters finally settled down from the large influx of magic. "If only he could reap a 1000 already. That would make this easy."
As a Goddess of Creativity, Tiamat thrived gained power when Hector built or designed improvements to help his Conquering ways. It also pushed him as a CHampion to grow stronger and one thing that slowed Hector's growth in raw power.
"Just the right thing to have come across from Audamorze, now it is time to head to the Dread Isle and then to the Desert for the final piece to give him that of Creation in this Rrealm to take with him."
As Hector held on he felt the stitching of his flesh where the dagger pierced. Audamorze had tried to anchor his body to him. The dagger was used a way to steal his life force during the fight but with Hector unleashing such power it couldn't;t keep up.
The magic used on Hector was old and forbidden. Audamorze was not the only one who knew the spell. Deep in thought, Hector fought mentally against the spell's compulsions as he figured out what all it was doing to him.