Uega Ren Vakir

lol I thought it looked wrong, but I couldn't be certain.

On 17-Dec-2006 BlackNinja said:

"?En guard!? he taunted, swinging his blade.
?What?? I asked, sloppily parrying his attack.
?I said en guard,?"

Joslifer has corrected you incorrectly. The correct French phrase is en garde

EDIT: Yay, post 100.

Gracias for the correction of the incorrect correction.

...That makes very little sense. I love it! Do it some more!

You must all think I'm just making up excuses at this point... *sigh*

My brother has new computer games and is on a large majority of the time playing them. I have three new chapters hand written and will be typing them up whenever I can. I apologize, please bare with me.

*hides from John's barrage of random eggs*

I thought it was 'bear' with me? Hwhatever (that was intentional, btw). Jer brother sounds cool. I would like to meet him, methinks. Oh and I just realized my sister comes here (well, to GC) and I haven't seen her yet. I don't think I know her name, even. Meh. :P Anyway, back on topic, yes you're just making excuses now. ;) Aw, but I can be patient. I have Eragon to read. =D

« Last edited by joslifer1 on Jan 3rd 2007 »

Wow, I came to see all of your work because you commented on mine, and I'm quite impressed.
I especally enjoy your style. Do you specalise in one genre?

« Last edited by ultimathule on Jan 5th 2007 »

John: Good. You've got more to read, now.

Ultimathule: Glad you enjoyed it. I write in this style for the most part, yes.

Everyone: Behold. New chapter. I'm pleased with this one, so hopefully it is worth the wait. Nevertheless, let me know what you think. All comments are appreciated.


Chapter 8: Labyrinth

I stood quietly still for a few moments, allowing my eyes to adjust to the underground. It had appeared dark from above, but as soon as I had hit the ground, I was instantly aware of flickering torches in front of me.
I began to take a step, but was instantly halted by a thud that shook the ground itself. Looking up, I could see that the boulder which had previously been floating on its own accord had now crashed down to the surface, plugging the whole and trapping me inside.
?Hello?? I called warily, receiving no response other than the questioning call of my echo. But it wasn?t long before I heard the sound of footsteps, prompting me to begin cautiously down the dimly lit path.
The footsteps had already fallen out of earshot by the time I was past the first torch, but I drifted down the path as silently as possible, realizing that turning back was not an option. I allowed an orb of white light to build up in my palms, lighting the way in front of me more clearly. For only a mere instant, I could see the mysterious attacker which had led me down into this strange tunnel. But as soon as he noticed the light, he turned around and ran further into the passageway. I sprinted after him but could hardly keep up with even the sound of his footsteps. He had outrun me again within minutes.
I ran for a short period longer, but quickly realized that he was much too fast for me to keep up with. I slowed to a walk and took the time to survey my surroundings. For an underground tunnel blocked from view by a large boulder, the corridor was amazingly plain. The rough texture of the walls and curved ceiling made it seem as if the hole was freshly dug. I could tell on closer examination, however, that the tunnel was protected by some sort of thick dark metal. There were scratches and dents all around it, as if combat was as common in the underground as it was in war.
As a moved down the path, I became aware of a faint ringing sound, a bell sounding from somewhere down the passageway. At first it was a mere ding in the distance, but the further I went the louder it got, resonating with a metallic screech; the tunnel itself was carrying the noise. It was infuriating.
I began to understand why the tunnel was so dented. The noise grew more unbearable with each passing step, and I found myself slashing at the walls with my saber in a futile attempt at grasping my sanity. It was piercing, the noise completely surrounding me. It didn?t seem possible that a large enough bell could exist that would produce such an awful clamor.
?Stop!? I hissed, on the edge of losing my temper. I pondered turning back, but knew I had nowhere else to go, I forced myself to run forward. The path was a straight one, but I still stumbled often in trying to plug my ears and continue running simultaneously.
I tripped and gracelessly slammed headlong into the metallic floor, sliding for a few feet then skidding to a halt. The noise had completely stopped.
I pushed myself to my feet warily, stunned by the sudden silence. It had been so gradual in its volume and now it was just abruptly over. I would have been grateful, but bewilderment consumed me. Just a few feet from me in this new chamber, an enormous bell hung from the ceiling. But, contrary to all expectations, the bell was motionless. In fact, it appeared as if it hadn?t been used in a long time, a thick coat of dust spread across its surface.
This room was better lit than the corridor leading to it, so I allowed the light in my palms to fade away. Other than the bell and a strange doorway on the other side of the room, the chamber was completely empty. The walls were no longer scathed as they were in the corridor. I approached the bell in an attempt to examine it, but was unwilling to touch it; I didn?t want to take any chance of repeating the horrendous sound. A thick rope hung from it, presumably meant for ringing it. Other than its size, it appeared to be a very plain bell. So I uneasily moved around it to the other side of the room.
Carved in the metallic wall was the outline of some sort of archway, but there was no opening for a door. It was as if someone had used a knife to draw a gateway onto the wall to present the illusion of an exit. And it was a very plain archway, absolutely no design whatsoever. But this didn?t make sense at all.
There was nowhere to go. The underground path was straight and led to a dead end. Impossible. I had just followed someone down here, where had he gone.
And as I turned, my eyes rested on the bell. While it was very plain from the other side, a strange message was carved on this side.
?You who are lost in the night, may you find guidance with the sound of the heavenly horn,? I read quietly to myself, trying to understand.
And I did. But it was asking too much. Unwilling to accept this bizarre message, I turned back to the carved archway and pounded on the wall, but it was solid.
?Shadow Prism!? I hissed, extending my right arm and allowing an orb of black light to flow into the wall. To my surprise, it seemed the sink into the wall, rather than destroy it.
Sighing, I turned and approached the bell. An underground channel with no contents other than a bell and no exits to speak of left very little to the imagination.
?Do I have any choice?? I muttered, wrapping my hands around the rope and, with strengthened resolve, tugging on it as hard as I could.
The sound was immediately excruciating. The metal clang echoed through the corridor and all around the chamber, loud enough to shake the ground I was standing on as the rope slammed a chain into the inside of the bell.
I fell to my knees and dropped my saber, pressing my hands against my ears. I felt myself screaming, but the noise was easily drowned out by the high pitched shrieking of the bell. I wrapped my arms around it, trying to slow the shaking down and stop the noise. But to no avail. The force with which I had rung it reverberated through it and shook me off, and I stumbled to the ground face first, hitting my head hard in the process.
I wasn?t sure if it was just delusion from the fall, but the sound stopped again. Rolling to me stomach, I saw that the bell had indeed stopped moving again and I sighed in relief. But I didn?t move for several moments, catching my breath and regaining my composure from the penetrating sound. When I did get back to my feet, I nearly doubled back over. The archway carved into the back wall had changed.
The carving of the arch itself remained as it was, but now, in the center of the strange carving, a hand print was visible, as if it had just been burnt into the wall while I was struggling with the bell.
?? What the hell?? I muttered, moving in for closer examination. Seeing no other options, I placed my hand gently over the handprint. It was nearly a perfect fit, but for several moments, nothing happened. When I was tired of standing there and was just about to pull away and examine the chamber more carefully, the wall seemed to spring to life.
I was frozen in place and my jaw dropped, too stunned to move. Flames were spreading intricately over the texture of the wall, as if some invisible hand was trying to send me a message with fiery letters. And this was indeed the case.
To my bewilderment, the fire was taking shape, and nearly legible. And I began to make out the message as it continued to spread. But I waited for a few moments until it seemed to have completed its task. There, written on the wall before my eyes in flaming writing, were the words ?We are what has passed, what is, and what will become. Legend, myth? history. Blurring the bars between fantasy and fact? we welcome you, to oblivion.?
But the more I ran over these words in my mind, the more confused I became. I began to read them aloud and, as I carefully uttered each word and tried to understand, the fire began to spread. Instinctively pulling my hands away, I watched as the letters blurred and became part of the overall mass of flames. Within seconds, the entire archway was covered in blazing flames.
My eyes widened as the fire seemed to sear through the metallic wall, slowly creating an opening where one was only carved before. The room beyond appeared to be completely dark.
The flames surrounding the newfound door seemed to urge me to come forward and, with a deep breath, I did. Gathering my saber from the floor, I stepped through the flaming doorway and into the passage beyond, where I quickly forced more light into my palms to light the room.
?You!? I shouted immediately. Across the room, standing on the edge of a very large hole in the floor, was my mysterious assailant.
He grinned slyly at me but didn?t flinch at all.
?Who the hell are you?? I growled, brandishing the Jauvain saber.
This seemed only to amuse him, as his grin spread. Finally having a chance to see him standing still, I observed him carefully. He wore very plain clothing. Loose-fitting grey pants, an equally grey shirt, and a red karate belt. And he had long, untamed black hair.
?Well, who are you?? I repeated.
Without replying, he simply winked at me. And, before I could react, he had stepped off the edge and into the hole he stood by. There was no sound to indicate hitting the ground, rather there was a bright flash of light. Even when it faded, the room will still very well lit by some light coming from the hole.
The flash pushed me into motion and I rushed to the edge, peering into the abyss below. Several feet down there was a large swirling disk of pure white light. For a moment, I was reminded of the white waters that had purified me so long ago. The moments I had been in those waters had been life changing, and for the good. So I leapt into the pit without much hesitation, allowing the light to consume and soothe me. I experienced an unfamiliar sensation immediately. Not an uncomfortable one, but a simply bizarre feeling. It was if I had lost all weight. Like I were trying to float upwards against the pressure of someone else pushing me down. The surrounding area was purely white, so much so that it was nearly blinding.
And then, as quickly as it had started, I fell out of the swirling light and collapsed on a stone floor.
?What the hell is going on?? I muttered, beginning to push myself to my feet.
The white disk was still above me, but quickly dissipated and revealed to me a roof above my head. I had jumped into a deep hole, fallen into a seemingly endless pool of white energy, and then dropped through the light somewhere entirely different. It made no sense.
This new chamber was well lit by strange glowing spheres that lingered just inches below the ceiling, frozen in place. This was so much to take in. Very little had made any sense to me since I found the floating boulder in the desert, and things just kept getting harder to understand. The walls here were covered in strange symbols, none of which I could manage to decipher. The symbols appeared to be burnt into the plain grey stone walls, and were perfectly visible with the makeshift lighting system.
There was no option but to move forward, as the path behind me was walled in. The path in front of me quickly led to another chamber with no apparent exit, though. I swore under my breath and immediately began to wonder what had possessed me to follow this man in the first place. All hints pointed to this being some sort of very well thought out trap.
But, without any other choice, I sighed and walked into the next open chamber. It was completely empty, save for a large mirror on the opposite wall of the room.
How many puzzles are there in this damn place?
?Shadow Prism!? I hissed in frustration. I launched the orb at the mirror, but it simply collided with the reflective material and dissipated.
I had never had much experience with mirror in my life as there had never been a need for one in my childhood. In Dalanaren, my home town, it didn?t matter what people looked like, only their character counted. But it was clear to me that this was no ordinary mirror. A normal mirror would have been shattered. It was like my mirror image had used Shadow Prism as well and the blasts had collided in the middle.
I leapt at the mirror and kicked it, but was knocked backward. Not only did it not budge, but it seemed to literally force me backward, as if my mirror image were somehow kicking me back.
?What the hell is this place?? I muttered, my voice echoing through the room.
I tried kicking it a few more times, but it was clearly not made to be broken. As was the purpose of a mirror, the image of me on its surface followed my every move. But it seemed more life like than just a reflection, almost as there was another version of me inside the glass. But that was impossible? wasn?t it?
When I blast it, it blasts my blast. When I kick it, it kicks me back. There must be a loophole.
Then something came to me. This whole place had been one big would-be maze. Just to get into the first chamber I had to jump under a boulder and endure the noise. Then to get out of there, I had to endure an even louder sound and nearly get myself set on fire. Then I took a leap of faith and dove into the abyss of light. The thing these scenarios had in common was the risk. All of them involved me placing my trust in the unknown and risking injury. Perhaps that was the answer.
I held my arms out in front of me, wrists facing up. I tightened my muscles and clenched my fists, taking several deep breaths.
?Seydu Tondre!?
A jet of black electricity burst from my palms and struck me square in between the eyes, knocking me several feet backward until I thudded against the ground, shaking with electrical current.
I was finding it very difficult to move when faced with the ferocity of my own attack, but I sprung to life at the sound of shattering glass. Apparently, it had worked. The mirror had broke into thousands of pieces and revealed a doorway that led into another disk of white light.
?This? is getting? ridiculous?? I muttered, still struggling to catch my breath. But I had come too far to turn back? if turning back was even possible. So I stepped into the swirling light. This time it didn?t take as long and I immediately stepped out on the other side in what appeared to be some sort of facility. It was lit in the same fashion as the previous chamber had been.
I instinctively raised my blade, for the place was swarming with people. None of them appeared to be Jauvain, but each of them was dressed in bizarre clothing. For a few moments, I didn?t think anybody even noticed me. Everyone was busy with something, be it writing something or arguing with someone. The man who had led me down here was nowhere to be found.
But one person was approaching me, a man dressed very peculiarly. He wore a silver breast plate and white pants, along with a long white cape pinned at the shoulders by braces studded with several strange white crystals. His short brown hair was held firmly in place by a white head band.
But what struck me the most was his face. Something so familiar about it. He reminded me of a childhood friend. But that was simply impossible. My childhood friend had been killed by Divino Ravola many years ago?
?Who are you?? I asked softly, lowering my guard.
?Hello, Auren. I am an acolyte of the one you know as Osiris.?
The voice was unmistakable.
?Russell??

Well, he's back by popular demand, and i bet there'll be a few "I told you so's" from certain people. As for the rest of the chapter, it's UBER!

Yeah, I expect John will finally be pleased with the return of the character he has asked me about so many times. And I'm sure a few people will also be like "wtf? Russell is alive? And he's an Acolyte?"

Note: For everyone who is confused about the word acolyte and the word Osiris, I recommend checking out Irim Da Ravola and/or re-reading a few parts.

ZOMG; Russell?s back. And not a moment too soon, methinks. I applaud thee for thy excellent writing.

Gracias, Cipher.

For the record: Chapters of mine SHOULD, in theory, be more frequent now. But if they are not, please bear with me. I'm currently trying to get Irim Da Ravola edited and published, so my mind is a bit distracted. Thanks in advance for understanding.

Russell's back? I'm going to pretend I was expecting that.

Great chapter as usual, Seos. Looking forward to the next one.

The next chapter has been typed, but I'm not posting it just yet. Still a couple people I'd like to hear from before progressing.

Until then, any favorite parts so far?

Yay! Now all you have to do is reintroduce that girl and all will be well. Also, I don't remember anything about acolytes...but I remember all about Osiris. But there were many errors. Slight, to be sure, but errors nonetheless. I would proceed to point them out, but somehow I can't find them anymore. They were just small things, anyway, like saying "a" instead of "I." An easy audial mistake.

"plugging the whole"
"Rolling to me stomach"
"I had never had much experience with mirror in my life"

Those are the only mistakes I saw. Nice chapter btw.

The first one, that was one I noticed too, but couldn't find. ^^"

No problem, John. BN is great at proof reading.

BN: Thanks for being good a proof reading.

Everyone: ... Just scroll down.


Chapter 9: Epiphany

The first few moments of our conversation were a blur. I had quickly realized that it was indeed my long lost friend, and the following minutes had been an emotional reunion. I was somewhere between ecstatic and dumbstruck, and it took a while for me to be calmed down enough to rationalize any form of explanation.
He also explained to me ? though it was difficult to understand, much less believe ? that I was currently in the ?Temple of the Elders.? Some form of sanctuary guarded by seals provided by ancient wizards. But there was still so much I needed answered. I was forcing myself to be casual, trying not to let memories get in the way of understanding.
?What? how?? I managed, still completely lost. We were now seated across from one another at the nearest open table in the strange facility.
?Calm down, man,? Russell smirked.
?But how are you??? I began, but couldn?t find the right words.
?Oh, that?s right, Ravola probably said he killed me, huh?? he grinned, as if the mere concept was enough to make him laugh.
?I don?t get this at all, Russ?? I mumbled after a short pause, still staring at my old friend.
?Divino never got the chance to execute me, I escaped? he probably just lied to you to provoke you.?
I couldn?t believe how casual he was being, as if we hadn?t been separated at all. We were on the subject of his life ? literally a life and death matter ? and he was explaining it to me like he?d done it a million times before.
?Well how the hell did you escape?? I asked bluntly. Something about Russell had always allowed me to speak freely.
?There were a few things Ravola didn?t count on when he captured me?? he said, grinning. ?But I can?t explain that just yet. First of all, let me ask you something. Do you remember ever having heard the tale of Osiris and his Acolytes??
I remembered Ekio telling me the story some time ago, but it wasn?t clear.
?Vaguely.?
?Well, why don?t you tell me what you remember? it?ll make this process a bit simpler,? Russell said, smiling.
I tried to pry my thoughts away from this bizarre situation to remember the details.
?He said that Osiris had created energy??
?Unlocked?? Russell said instantly. ?Continue.?
??Excuse me??
?Osiris did not create the energy, he simply discovered it. The energy itself has been around since the beginning of existence,? he explained shortly. ?Now please, continue.?
?Uh? right.? I was still trying to gather myself. It had always been Russell?s style to dictate the pace of the conversation and not answer anything until I?d answered him. ?Well, Osiris? unlocked? the energy, and was worshipped by many different religions? Russ, I know it isn?t your thing, but wouldn?t this be a lot easier if you just told me what you know??
?Probably. But continue anyway.?
?Why??
?I want to see if you?ve heard a tall tale or the factual version.?
?And how would you know the difference??
?We?ll get to that later. Continue.?
I couldn?t help but grin at how he was rushing me.
Just like old times?
?Well, Osiris brought energy and taught men how to use it. Many religions were formed worshipping him, and most died out during some big war. The Jauvi and Divino Ravola were the ones who won it. I guess Osiris had good intentions when he unlocked the power, but he was mutated. And the Jauvi worship a twisted version of Osiris, presented to them by Ravola.?
?Well, I guess that?s fairly accurate. So all the other religions were completely wiped out??
?No, I think like one major warrior from each religion went into hiding, they were the only ones who still worship Osiris for his good intentions rather than the evil version. I think he called them the?? I paused as I realized how he had introduced himself earlier. ??Acolytes.?
A grin spread across my friend?s face as he saw the realization in my eyes.
?You?? I asked as my jaw dropped.
?Come on, you had to suspect something?? he said with a grin. ?All these years later and my good looks haven?t left me??
?You?re? an acolyte??
He gave a simple nod in response.
?But?? I began. ?That?s not possible.?
?You want the short version or the long version?? he smirked.
?Whichever one answers all of my questions??
?Long version. Well, that can wait until you?ve had some rest; you must be tired from our little dungeon??
?Rest?? I spat. ?Are you joking? I?ve been wishing to see you for years; I couldn?t sleep if I tried!?
?Fair enough,? he said, clearly restraining a laugh. ?But I want to warn you, it?s an incredibly long version.?
Russell clearly remembered living with me and he also obviously remembered that I tended to be very stubborn when speaking with him, because he seemed to draw his answer from my simple glance. But it was so much different now. All this time I had always thought he had been in the dark before he was killed, that he had never known anything about the Jauvi. But now it appeared that knew a great deal more than I did.
?Dumb question,? he smirked, sensing my desire for him to get on with his story. ?You?re going to have to bear with me, because I?m trying to summarize the history of the universe here. It all began billions of years ago with three mighty creatures: The Alpha Beings. Jyriem, the grand phoenix, created the better part of the universe, carving it from his power and basing it on his emotions. He is the bringer of life. Ragnarok, the demon of war, was responsible for bringing death to Jyriem?s creations at the appropriate time. He was, in a sense, the hinderer of life. And the third? the being single handedly responsible for introducing evil darkness into both life and death: Avaga Serak, the serpent of the night.
?Naturally these three creatures did not know of each other at first. Jyriem created aimlessly with no intent other than channeling his power, creating inanimate objects and even life itself. He did it as a means of making sure he did not lose control of his awesome might, channeling it instead into useful creations. He created from his positive emotions in this dimension, but in order to protect his creations, channeled his negative emotions into an entirely separate realm, one now known as Oblivion. Disturbing and demented creatures exist there, untouched by the likes of peace.
?Jyriem created a species known today as the ancients. They were the first living creatures ever to have lived in this universe. They were granted peace and eternal life under the care of the phoenix.?
He paused to ensure that I was following along. The long version was indeed longer than I?d expected. I wanted to think it was a joke, but he was being very serious about it. So, as far fetched as it was, I nodded for him to continue.
?Now, at this point in time, the demon of war existed only as a sort of plague, spreading across the universe and adding decay to the life created by Jyriem. The plague reached the ancients and even infected the phoenix itself. Jyriem could?ve destroyed Ragnarok, but he had already depleted a large portion of his massive power in creation. At that time, the warriors of the ancients were trialed and tested, and eventually one warrior would become the host for the decaying creator. The one warrior, Auren Amarth, had to watch as the rest of his tribe ? the rest of his very species ? was eliminated. With the essence of the phoenix flowing through him, he had eternal life. He tracked the plague of Ragnarok to a particularly fertile planet. Ragnarok took form there, his true form. No longer just the plague, he was given a true body. Amarth and Ragnarok fought endlessly for an unknown amount of time ? some say thousands of years ? but Amarth could not defeat the awesome power of death itself. Ragnarok always had an advantage. So Amarth, in a desperate attempt, offered a large portion of his energy into creating a doorway to Oblivion, and he imprisoned Ragnarok inside. Amarth was never at full strength since; he could never be as long as Ragnarok was imprisoned. Some say Amarth still wanders throughout the universe, doing everything he can to maintain life.?
Amarth?I had only loosely been paying attention since I heard him say that word. Ekio?s memory was right. Amarth, whose name had recently been written on a wall in Jauvain blood, was an ancient warrior. And not just any warrior, the host of a God? my namesake. It seemed too coincidental for Russell and Ekio to have both invented similar stories. It had to be true.
?What about the third one?? I asked curiously, trying to understand the tale he was telling. I wouldn?t have believed anyone else, but I felt that Russell would not take the time to bring me here just to tell me a lie. I trusted him.
?I?m getting to that,? he smirked, clearing his throat. ?The next important part of the story happens billions of years after the imprisonment of Ragnarok, so we?ll skip ahead. As you know, Osiris fought to unlock amazing energies ? the energies of the Grand Phoenix. He wanted to introduce the energy back into the world. But when Osiris succeeded to find the energy, he could hardly replace Amarth. He unlocked minor energy from each of the three alpha beings. Without the phoenix itself, the energy was nearly impossible to control. He was mutated into a power hungry fiend, one which was imprisoned by his own worshippers. While there were many armies for the many religions that depicted different aspects of Osiris?s power ? or, more appropriately, Jyriem?s ? most were slain in combat. Only five Acolytes escaped the war and went into hiding in order to see to it that Osiris didn?t escape. They imprisoned him in a special realm, separate from this one and Oblivion, one that only exists for the purpose of his imprisonment. He could only be released through a complex summoning process, the secrets of which have been guarded for a millennium. The five Acolytes each worshipped a different energy, but were united in their quest to seal away Osiris. An acolyte of wind, one of fire, one of water, one of thunder, and one of light.?
This was so much information to take in and I was glad for the history lesson, but I was still confused.
?But where does darkness come in??
?Avaga Serak. The single darkest individual in the history of all existence. He always took more of a sneaky approach rather than causing direct destruction. Serak never made his presence known to the other Alpha Beings. He always did his will from the shadows, allowing his power to accumulate. He grew greedy and allowed himself to be killed in order to gain more power. Every time it was done, every time his body was destroyed, his essence remained. Whenever a new and suitable vessel was found, he allowed it to host him, and gathered power from their energy. Countless times, he?d simply devour a new body as his vessel and absorb its energy, and then he?d die and move on, forming a never ending routine. Hundreds? thousands? maybe millions? he?s done it countless times, and his power is limited only by the strength of his carrier. If he was to run out of viable hosts and his essence was released in its true form, his power would be immeasurable.?
?What happened to him?? I asked bluntly.
?Nothing. Avaga Serak still walks the Earth.?
My eyes widened, and I could barely remain still.
?Surely you?ve notice that Divino Ravola is back and stronger than ever before??
?It can?t be!?
?Well, I?m afraid it is. Divino Ravola is Avaga Serak incarnate, darkness in its purest form.?
?That? can?t be right?? I mumbled, struggling to draw breath.
?You see, ?Divino Ravola? is more of a title than it is a name,? he continued, sensing my obvious confusion. ?As you know, it literally means lord of darkness. Whoever happened to be Avaga?s host became known as Divino Ravola, this way his legacy could be as eternal as his essence is. And when you killed the Divino that you knew all those years ago, his essence tried to enter you. And it very nearly did. With each invasion you led and each life you took, his hold on you was increasing. But when you were purified, he was pulled from you and entered Maziel Vorte, who willfully accepted. But Maziel refused to live the legacy as the new Divino Ravola, he insisted on keeping his name. This enraged Avaga, and he led Maziel to his doom so that he could finally be released in his purest form.?
?So that is??
?Easily among the top 3 most powerful forces ever to have existed.?
?Can he be stopped??
?Your guess is as good as mine. Jyriem, assuming Amarth is still alive, is weakened from Ragnarok?s imprisonment, and Ragnarok is imprisoned. The obvious choices aren?t likely to present themselves.?
?So that?d mean you?ve been alive for a very long time?? I muttered, examining him. ?Couldn?t you have???
?? what, told you? ?Fraid not. The other acolytes would have had to have agreed, and they didn?t think you needed to know at the time. I assure you that I wanted to tell you??
?So why the sudden interest in bringing me here?? I asked, understanding his priorities. ?You?ve had a long time to contact me??
?There was never a time when it was safe enough to try and bring you here, I?m afraid,? he explained.
?And now??
?Well, it wasn?t entirely safe right now either? but it seemed necessary.?
?How so??
?I?m sure you are familiar with a man known as Jexen??
As he said this, the mysterious man who had led me into this bizarre lair stepped out from a nearby grew of people. I instinctively raised my saber and prepared to defend myself, but Russell nearly burst out laughing.
?I?m going to assume you know each other?? I muttered, sheepishly putting away the weapon.
?It was nothing personal, man?? the man smirked, approaching me and extending his hand toward me. ?I?m Sheeva.?
?Auren...? I muttered, shaking his hand slowly, still confused. He seemed to cringe slightly as I gripped at his gloved hand, as if he had recently been cut. ?What is this all about??
?Few things, really?? the man, Sheeva, said politely, handing me a folded piece of parchment.
?Orion? was all it said on the outside.
?This isn?t for me??
?No, it?s for me, technically,? Russell interrupted. ?Orion would be sort of a code name, if you will. Go ahead, read it.
Unfolding the letter, I read aloud:

Orion,
I know I am in no position to ask anything of you, and I regret needing to without first earning your trust. But it is urgent. You are the only one I know who may be able to contact young Riamtar. Divino Ravola is invading our sanctuary. I truly need his help. Please send him; you know where to find me.
Regards,
Jexen.

There are many things awesome about this. Ragnarok and Sheeva are both names I'm familiar with, Russell pwns all, and there's nothing cooler than the incarnation of all evil. No complaints.

"darkness in its purest form." I love that. A perfect contradiction while remaining entirely possible. Great stuff. No complaints, as Panda just said.

Looking good! So, Divino wanted to be killed because the thing he was being possessed by would grow stronger? I get the impression that this is gonna pose a major threat to the existance of the multiverse. Keep up the great writing!