The Dark World part.09

    The roar of the crowd, the cheers of demons surrounding the large out doors stadium. These are the things Red Kain loves. He is the slasher, the butcher, the bringer of blood and carnage. The red blood of his enemies splashed against his red armor brings him both joy and the knowledge that he has killed yet another potential usurper to his throne and secured that few others would dare to challenge him in any serious way. Ages ago he developed the tournament as a means to secure his control over his territory. Where most would send armies he knew the pride that rests in the hearts of all demons, he challenged their leaders to one on one combat in the ring. He truthfully felt that only the physically most powerful deserved to rule, and that, that was him.

 

    He holds his hands high soaking in the cheers of the blood lusting crowd of demons. Cameras hover above the crowd broadcasting his battle to every corner of Dark World with access to a television thanks to his own personal satellite in orbit around the twilight planet. He would have everyone everywhere on this world know of his strength, and only invite the most powerful warlord or the most insane to come and fight him.

 

    To Rhoan this spectacle was ridiculous; he would have preferred a battle in an open plane where he could throw out strong magical or energy attacks with out concern over killing none-combatants. He shakes his head and rolls his eyes as the announcer chimes out about the exploits of the red armored mad-man who openly challenged Rhoan to a death match in on some out door martial arts tournament arena. The announcer quickly goes over that Rhoan is the general of the fifth legion of the Empress.

 

   Rhoan eyes the skinny demon in his business suit on the floating platform behind a floating camera thinking, “How can someone just ignore the fact that the Empress herself appointed me a general over one of her armies? These creatures are completely insane.”

 

   The announcer finally says, “Now ladies and gentlemen, the battle shall commence!”

 

   The blink of an eye Red Kain transforms his right arm into a duel bladed battle axe. He bears down on Rhoan with a mad laugh only to slash with Rhoan’s cape which has pulled up around his front in the vague shape of a bat’s wing. Rhoan swings his arm and cape as the Red Kain jumps back out of reach.

 

   “Better than I expected!” hisses the Red Kain.

 

  “Better than you expected?” scoffs Rhoan, “I am the god of Dark occult magic. I am the general of the fifth legion of the Empress her self. She who bested Darmagion the demon that held your planet as its personal snack tray gave me this title. I have bested super-heroes, demi-gods, and devils from the depths of the void. And I will not tolerate your stupidity and this insane spectacle any longer. I should have just killed you outright.”

 

 

 

 

    Rhoan holds his index finger and middle finger out as a point, brings them to the side of his face as he stands sideways. He thrusts his hand out pointing at the Red Kain while yelling out, “Chain Saw Beam!”.

 

    A beam of light no wider than his fingers like a flat laser of white, blue, yellow, and sparks of purple with an undulating wave of blue energy on its two sides like the blade of a chain saw fires forward at the speed of light.

 

   Red Kain is struck still as the beam slices right through his armor, his body, out his back, and over the heads of the audience into a nearby hill side. Red Kain grasps his chest with his clawed hands as his blood like acid flows forth and burns the floor of the ring. The audience is stunned silent at this sight none of them had ever seen before. The Red Kain hisses his rage as his acid blood spits forth as a deadly foam from between his now dagger like teeth. As the Red Kain’s legs split and separate into insect like legs the audience flees and the cameras float higher to watch from a higher view point, their operators not daring to disobey the orders of the Red Kain, assured that he would survive and kill them if they fled.

 

   His arms elongate and his head becomes a horror looking to be a cross between the head of a snake and that of a red lobster. His body increasing in size to a monstrosity somewhere between a centaur like body and a tetrapod robot covered in red lumpy exoskeletal armor.  

 

    Rhoan spreads out his arms as if to grapple speaking in a roar, “About time you took this serious! Now I am going to reduce you and everything in sight to not but dust!”

 

    Rhoan’s body is engulfed by blue flames as he flies into the air looking to those who fled like a blue comet. With fist about his head and wrists crossed he turns back to the ground from over a mile in the air and spins into his descent. The spiraling bolt of spiritual fire that is Rhoan could be heard by only the keenest ears over the roar of his attack and screech of Red Kain as he spits from his mouth a beam of red rancid smelling energy and smoke, to yell out, “Psycho-dive!”

 

    Red Kain’s attack is splashed about by Rhoan’s dive as though it were only water hitting the point of a boat. With a mighty flash Rhoan strikes the ground spinning. Red Kain’s body is shredded about like a red shrimp in a burning blender.

 

   When the fire clears only Rhoan remains in the crater, and floats above it pointing at the cameras, “Green Kain, now Red Kain, hear me Black Kain, concede your land and leave peacefully or your father’s father’s mother may speak your name.”

 

   After a moment he thinks, “and in case you have no idea what that means, you will die.”

 

   He floats closer, his hand held out grasping the camera in a magnetic field to hold it in place despite its operator having by this time jumped from the platform, “Those who matter understand me, all others are eavesdroppers who need to stand aside in these affairs.” The last the world saw of these was a blue flash before the cameras went dead.

 

    Far removed from this scene in the palace of the Black Kain Hollia sits wide eyed and mouth agape, she turns to Rhulan, “Was that? Did he just use…?”

 

   Rhulan simply smiles at Hollia and shushes her as the Black Kain stands from his chair growling.

 

   “I thought you wanted him dead.” says Rhulan as she and Hollia stand.

 

   Hollia with hands held together as though in prayer says, “Of course Rhulan, brothers, even rival lords, may argue and speak ill of each other but in the end they love each and grief is to be expected when one dies.”

 

   The Black Kain eyes her, “Chaotic ones,” he says with a growl before adjusting his tone to one of more respect, “I mean, no, it is not grief. It is anger. My brother is…was, nearly as strong as myself. I have seen him take down gargantuans and dragons. That this demon general is strong enough to make child’s play of him is most alarming. Are you sure you can handle him.”

 

   Rhulan hands on hips and head held high says in a hoity tone, “Oh yeah, I can handle him. Don’t worry he wont see THIS coming.” She laughs a loud mock laugh that earns an eye twitch from Black Kain as he turns saying, “I will prepare your ride then.”

 

   “There is no need.” says Rhulan to Black Kain’s turned back. With a wink to Hollia they both vanish in a flash of blue spiraling light.

 

     Black Kain turns back and sighs, “fine, now where is that book?”

 

    A daze overcomes him as a sweet voice plays into his mind singing an alien lullaby saying beneath the sweet music of string instruments and soft flutes, “There is no book, you saw it get sucked into the portal, you have more pressing matters to attend to. Go now and rush to your brother’s land or you will miss the confrontation between Rhulan and Rhoan.”

 

    The song and voice vanish, no memory of either in Black Kain’s mind. He rushes from the room yelling for his men to ready his air-carriage he is heading out now.