The Dragon Children

15 | The Future That Doesn't Exist.

CHAPTER 15 - THE FUTURE THAT DOESN'T EXIST.

Faolan and Naphtali stood in the town centre. They looked at each other from a distance. Somewhere in their hearts, they still cared for each other. They couldn't find that anymore, though. All they wanted to see was the other body on the ground. "I will slay you, Faolan. Once upon a time, I loved you. But that feeling is gone. All I know now is death." Naphtali summoned a sword. "I've seen everyone I love and care about betray me or die. I will kill you. If it costs me my life. It's not like I have anything to walk away with if I win. Only your head. I swore to kill every villain and monster in my way. And you. You are one of them." Faolan also drew his sword. "Calm your breath. Maybe, in my eyes, you're the monster. That's always been the problem with you. All you ever cared about was yourself." "That's not true." "Oh, but it is. All of the deaths that have happened are in your hands. Everywhere that you go chaos occurs. I want you to hand up your sword and let me cut your head off. Don't make this difficult for me." The black sparkles from devils were falling everywhere around them. Explosions made their ears ring, but they didn't move an inch. They only looked across the town centre toward each other. "I would never. King Faolan, I will defeat you. Here and now. I will bring peace to the world. In your name, I shall rebuild Kraghon as a better place. No evidence of past life will be left behind. I swear on my life." Faolan summoned a shield. "There will be no life to swear on once I am done here. You're so caught up in your ignorant ideals that you are blind to the truth. You have caused much harm. More than good. I am here to put an end to your foolish game that you are playing with not just me, or Kraghon, but the world." 

Naphtali fell onto his knees and started throwing up. "What's wrong? Scared?" Faolan mocked him. "Nah. Just something I ate earlier." "Out of curiosity, what was it?" Naphtali stood up. "Mania." Faolan looked at Naphtali. "Mania? The Devil? You ate a Devil?" Naphtali grinned. "They taste.. surprisingly well." "You're insane. You truly are a monster." Naphtali warped behind Faolan and got him in a headlock. He whispered into his ear. "Insane? No.. I'd say I'm farther gone than that. Do you wonder what happens when everyone you've ever loved dies before you? You lose yourself." Faolan scoffed. "You wouldn't know how it feels to lose someone you love." Naphtali got angry and threw him at a building. He took slow, small steps toward him. He laughed. "Oh, Faolan. As a king, you have to fight everyone. Even your childhood friend. I learnt that when I had to kill Eden."  Faolan was shaking as he stood up. "Damn you." The world they knew was falling apart around them. Naphtali got another memory. It was of this town centre. The day he went missing. He was sitting with Faolan in the cafe that he threw him at. "Get out of my head." The memory disappeared. "Stand, king. Let us end this war. After this ends, I will kill Lilihman. The world will return to how it was." Faolan and Naphtali took one last look at each other before they'd attempt to kill one another. The world would remember this battle as the remnants of Kraghon versus the remnants of the Holy Stones.

Naphtali charged at Faolan and swung his sword. Faolan hit back and deflected his sword. They both had glimpses of their pasts selfs on a swing set. Every slash they collided with would activate another memory. They chose to ignore it. There was no change of heart anymore. The boys fought as the explosions happened around them. Naphtali kicked Faolan into one of them. This burnt Faolan's body, leaving a rip in his cloak. He took it off, as a sign of true respect toward his enemy. "You're right, Naphtali. We are no longer children. No longer friends. You are a Holy Stone. I, a human. We are mortal enemies." Faolan took his crown off and carefully placed it on the ground. Naphtali appeared above him and slashed downward. Faolan dodged out of the way and kicked Naphtali in his face, sending him into the fountain in the centre. He flew through 3 buildings, leaving a hole in each of them. "To hell with all that chat. Holy Stones aren't evil. You unrightfully killed my mother. We came for revenge, if anything, it's your fault the world is experiencing these explosions. They were your Devils." Naphtali disappeared. Faolan looked around, trying to find him. He couldn't see him anywhere. Naphtali jumped from under the ground and uppercut Faolan. "I told you to fight." Faolan suddenly saw an alternate reality with him and Naphtali standing on the balcony, both crowned. This future burned before his very eyes. "I will no longer hold back." Faolan put Naphtali into a nightmare state. "Your nightmare power. Any damage dealt here toward any enemies that appear will happen to you. But, any damage dealt to me will be real." He saw Ruthven and Akuji in front of him. An echo went through the void. "You are able to fight me, but your friends?" "They're not my friends. They are you." Naphtali grew one wing and a horn, turning into his Rage Mode. He slashed down Ruthven and Akuji, and they disappeared. They faded into dust. He saw Rem and Euryale next. He had no trouble slashing them down. "Stop it. You can't change me, Faolan." Lilith appeared along with Ahriman. Naphtali swung in a dance-like pattern. It was a unique style of battle, invented by Krilia. He cut Lilith's neck off and dug his sword through Ahriman. The void around him started to crack. "Throw anything at me. I am ready." He came back into reality to see the Light of Kraghon form Faolan. Faolan kicked him up and attempted to hit him in midair. Naphtali flew out of the way with his wing. He grew a second one and circled Faolan's head.

Naphtali dug at his neck and head as much as he could. He sat down on his shoulder and looked into Faolan's eye from the side. "I will make sure your name is known." Faolan flicked him off his shoulder. Naphtali flew outside of the borders of Kraghon, into the desert where Rem died. Faolan followed. Naphtali swung at Faolan's knees, knocking him down. "This is for REM!" He kicked Faolan in his chest, knocking him down into the sand. In the distance, he saw a rotting skeleton. Naphtali jumped onto his chest and raised his sword. Faolan clenched his fist and hit Naphtali far away into a snowy mountain. He was stuck in the side of Mt. Longinus, which was half crumbled from when Ruthven took a bite out of it. Faolan started beating him further into the mountain. He fell into the cave where he and Rem almost had their first kiss. Faolan stomped the rest of the mountain down, as Naphtali jumped out and onto the ground. He saw Eden's corpse, frozen solid. He flew up. He started flying toward Faolan's eye, as he stuck his sword out. It dug into Faolan's eye. There was a protective barrier around Faolan, which was trying to push Naphtali back. Naphtali continued pushing until Faolan went completely blind in that eye. Faolan's scream pushed Naphtali even further back. He was in Aravia now. This was when he first got to know the Holy Stones. The town exploded from the black sparkles. Faolan jumped from the sky, killing the civilians surrounding it from the impact. There was a crater where the town once was. The cafe, the doughnut shop, the tree, all gone. Naphtali didn't waste any time. Any civilians he saw alive, he flew them out of the zone of impact. He only had Faolan to focus on killing.

"You aren't doing too bad, king." He flew up and grew his sword to half the height of Faolan. He flew directly at his arm, swung up, and then down. He cut Faolan's left arm off, which fell to the ground and caused it to shake. Faolan knocked him away, again. This time, Naphtali was prepared to land somewhere. He lowered his knees to land on the Bridge of Krilia. He started losing control. Just like he did with Mania. Except, Faolan left no time to waste. He kicked Naphtali one more time. Naphtali got knocked into a pillar which lay inside a castle. He looked up to see the grand hall he began in. He started growling, which was followed by intensive screaming. He bent his knees, and then looked up to the skies and grew. He wasn't growing upwards, though. He was getting bigger. He was losing his human shape. He grew two more legs, and wings. He grew claws, and his skin turned into scales. He turned into a dragon. "Holy Stone form, huh?" Faolan smiled. "No. It isn't my Holy Stone form." The dragon looked up. He ran toward Faolan with his 4 legs and flew up halfway. Faolan threw spears at him midway, to which Naphtali responded with a gust of wind, blowing them back into Faolan. Naphtali flew into Faolan, digging a hole through his stomach. Faolan grabbed Naphtali's neck with his one arm and threw him back toward Kraghon. He landed in the forest, on top of Ruthven's rotting corpse. He stood up and shook his head to remove the dirt off him. He flew to the back of Faolan's body and breathed fire onto his neck. Faolan's neck began to melt off until he slashed at Naphtali with his sword. Naphtali caught it in his mouth. He bit it in half, leaving Faolan empty-handed, and out of magic, unable to summon more. Faolan swung at Naphtali with his right arm. He hit Naphtali toward the balcony of the Kraghon Castle. Naphtali fell into the throne room. The very place he watched his father get coronated on that fated day. Naphtali ran out of energy, reverting back to his normal form. Faolan did the same, as he also ran out of energy. "It isn't.. over.. just.. yet." Naphtali stood up from his back and weakly walked toward Faolan. Faolan threw a small punch at him, which resulted in Naphtali falling onto his side. He swung with his leg, tripping Faolan over. They both barely had the energy to stand up. Naphtali mustered all of the energy he could into his fist. His fist was lighting up blue. But just barely. Faolan did the same. His fist was lighting up white. "Light.. of.. Kraghon.." They both swung at each other. Their fists collided. Their energy was spilling back toward their faces, grazing their skin. They shared a look at each other while they still could. Naphtali had a vision. Everyone he ever loved was standing behind him. The 5 Holy Stones. Viola. Eros. Longinus. Eden. Cecilia. They all gave him the strength to push further. Faolan had an alternate reality vision. He, Naphtali, Gandalhi, Cecilia, and Eden, go to a magic school together. They both pushed as hard as they could. Faolan's hand slightly moved to the right, slipping away and aiming toward the ground. He looked up to see Naphtali's hand going straight toward his face. He closed his eyes as Naphtali delivered the final blow.

Faolan fell back onto the ground, followed by Naphtali. He looked into his eyes on the ground. "I under.." He coughed up blood. "estimated... you." He stuck his hand out. Energy began flowing out of it. "Take it.. my life's energy.. it will give you your strength back." Naphtali stuck his hand out, receiving all of the strength. He healed his wounds and quickly stood up. He looked down at Faolan's dead body. "I will never forget you." He ran off as quickly as he could. He ran outside of the castle, across the bridge that connected it to the main Kraghon land. He looked up to see Lilihman floating down to him.