Omega Wars Chronicles

Chapter 108: Mirrors part 1

  6 years ago within the Dreygar territory, a body suddenly crashed on the ground which turned out to be a Dreygar boy with a buzz cut hair that was groaning in pain, and in front of the boy stood a 9 year old Karma who happened to be staring down at him.
   "You fought well." Karma said, "You have really gotten stronger just as i knew you would. Keep pushing hard and i believe you can make your parents proud and even beat me."
   Karma lent a helping hand to the Dreygar boy to stand on his feet.
  "You mean it?" The boy asked.
  "I mean it." Karma replied with a smile, "You are amazing, Erai. Do not stop improving."
   Highly filled with joy from the words of Karma, Erai quickly hugged her which left Karma surprised and made the other Dreygar children that were watching to cheer.
  "That's Karma!"
  "She is so cool!"
  "I can't wait to marry her when we are of age." A Dreygar boy said.
  "No, I'm going to marry her!" Another Dreygar boy said.
  "No, that person is going to be me!" Another Dreygar boy said.
  "We adore you, Karma!!!" A Dreygar girl said.
  Karma blushed at the overwhelming praises of the other children and quickly turned her face away.
   "Stop it." Karma said softly.
   Hours later as Karma was in the field, sitting on a large rock with a few distance from her father chief Garou (who happened to be sitting on a large rock too with his arms crossed).
   "So, how was your activities in school today?" Chief Garou asked.
   "It was delightful, father." Karma answered, "I excelled in the tests given to us."
  "As usual." Chief Garou said.
  "There is a boy.... Erai. He challenged me to a duel, he said he wanted to learn from through it." Karma said, "I didn't want to fight him, but i didn't want to dishonor him. He is clumsy and he is usually at the bottom of many things, but i believe he can grow and become better. It's just like you once said: No matter how many times you fail, no matter the mistakes made in a task, you are still ahead of those not trying."
   "Yes, indeed." Chief Garou said with closed eyes.
"I believe he likewise everyone of my peers are good and strong in their own rights." Karma said, "I believe one day they will all grow to become fine warriors of our tribe."
  "And you the finest. But in your growth, do not lose sight of yourself." Chief Garou said.
  "Yes, father." Karma replied.
  "Do you know why i named you Karma? Before you were born, there were some orcs that somehow infiltrated our territory and tried to kill of four Dreygar girls that were fetching water from the Kísu stream but i stopped them and saved the girls." Chief Garou said, "The next day, your mother went into labor and gave birth to a beautiful a baby girl... You. I found it surprising that i saved four girls from being killed and i ended up being gifted with a daughter and because of that, i named you Karma.
   Fate has rewarded me for my actions and now i am enjoying my fruits."
   The words of chief Garou made Karma bend her head down and blush which made Garou smile at her.
   "I believe you will do great things in future and bring pride to our family and the Dreygar tribe." Chief Garou said, "I believe you will take Agaroth to new heights, not just in strength but in other matters as well.
   My beautiful Karma."
   Currently in the unknown forest, Cloud was staring at Karma as she was seated on a big rock with crossed arms. The two locked eyes with each other and stayed silent for some time.
  "K-Karma...?" Cloud said.
  "Well, I'm waiting. Who the hell are you?" Karma asked.
   "What are you talking about? What is going on? Where are we?" Cloud asked.
  "I'm the one asking the questions here, whitehead. Who the hell are you?" Karma asked.
   For a while Cloud stayed silent at the question of Karma.
  "I don't understand what you are asking or what you are talking about." Cloud said, "If you can please be clear about what you are saying, then i might be able to answer."
  "Fine since that's how you want to play it, I'll make myself clear." Karma said as she stood on her feet, "During the tournament, you showed a mysterious technique against Onak, a technique that allowed you to evade every single attack while listening to the rhythms of creation as Sting explained and you won until your opponent revealed himself to be a hiveling disguised as Onak."
   "Hiveling...?" Cloud asked within as he recalled the moment Ranksa revealed himself, "That was a hiveling? They're real?"
   "That lesser took you hostage and tried to use your life as a ransom to escape until something strange happened. He manifested and took over." Karma said.
  "He?" Cloud asked.
  "Others believe him to be a god and one with kan but he calls himself your other half." Karma said.
   Cloud 's eyes widened as he realized Karma was talking about Kiorra.
  "What... What did he do?" Cloud asked.
  "Nothing much. He made everyone bow just by speaking. Killed off the foolish imposter and did things that i could not even explain." Karma answered, "For the first time ever, the chiefs looked insignificant; everyone saw the mighty chiefs of Agaroth brought to their knees. For the first time ever, the mightiest warriors of Agaroth looked small and helpless against great and overwhelming power, power capable of accidentally destroying one's existence and striking fear into the hearts of the fearless.
   I swore i would never feel fear again but that was the third time i felt it."
   "Did... Did he kill everyone?" Cloud asked.
  "Can't say. All i know is that the moment he lost consciousness, i and a couple of other pilgrim students found ourselves in a pocket realm that resembled Xondu forest; we were surrounded by those hivelings and informed by a being named Balog that we were trapped and there is no means of escape. He also made mention of us being outnumbered and the hivelings having knowledge of our strengths and weaknesses and the only chance of survival was fighting the hivelings until the hourglass runs out."
  "All this happened?  But this can't be the pocket realm." Cloud said as he glanced at the trees, "If the pocket realm you speak of resembles Xondu forest then the leaves should be blue, but they aren't. We should be surrounded by hivelings but we aren't. Where are we? Where are the others?"
  "I've told you my part of what you need to know." Karma said, "Now answer me, who are you? There has always been a strange feeling each time i set my eyes on you but this... This is on a whole new level. A minor being the other half of a god. Some even call you a god, but one thing runs in a lot of people's minds: you were never a minor, just a boy pretending to be one.
  So i'll ask again: Who the hell are you?"
  Cloud stayed quiet again for some time and bent his head down.
   "I don't know." Cloud answered, "To be honest i don't know... Not anymore. I don't if i am Cloud of the Stormwind or a mere puppet or a ... I just don't know."
    Karma gazed at Cloud for a while and sighed.
  "I see." Karma said, "We have unfinished business. The tournament... We could have faced each other there if it wasn't for the hivelings interference. I want to finish what was started. Before i wanted to find out what was so strange about you but now i want to see what is it that made that god choose you."
   "So we are fighting right here, right now." Karma said as she stretched forth her arm.
  "Forget it." Cloud said as he turned his back to walk away.
  "You are rejecting a challenge?" Karma asked.
   "Offense or no offense, i don't care. I am not playing your stupid game." Cloud replied with a scowl as he paused, "The others are busy fighting for their lives and you want us to -"
   "They are not your concern right now, i am." Karma cuts in, "I am the one you should be worried about."
  "I won't fight you." Cloud said, "Do what you want to me, i don't care. This fight is not happening and i don't have time for this, neither am i in the mood."
   Cloud resumed walking away while Karma crossed her arms and watched him with her plain demeanor.
   "So that's how it's going to be?" Karma asked, "Fine. Your best friend is still a target but i guess I'll make myself more comfortable with her. Who was it again? The Keigra girl with the red hair; the one you called your older sister."
   Hearing the words of Karma, Cloud stopped again and slowly glanced at her.
   "What?" Cloud asked with widened eyes.
    "I overheard when you were with her and she was trying to convince you to withdraw from your match with the imposter. Reyla, isn't it? You two are in no way blood related but you seem to share a strong bond, so strong that many would believe you are her brother." Karma said, "Tall girl, beautiful face, nice hair and body. It would be a shame if all of those were to exist no longer; how will she get married when she is of age?
   Sting might take a while to be broken but i wonder how long it will take an actual minor to break."
   "You wouldn't." Cloud said.
  "I've done a lot of things i thought i would never do. Things that didn't hurt a bit." Karma replied.
   Cloud grits his teeth in anger.
  "Karma, i swear if you put your hands on her, i will-"
   "Do what? Fight me?" Karma cuts in, "You know what i want and if you are not going to give it to me then i'll just make a new target. Imagine what she would look like when i am done, damaged... Broken beyond repair; the only family you have left."
  "Stop screwing around! This is no time for this!! The others -"
  "I told you before, they are not your concern, i am." Karma cuts in again, "And if you want to protect Reyla... If you want to see her in one piece, then you will fight me. The choice is yours, god."
   "Don't call me that." Cloud said.
  "Hurry up." Karma said.
  Cloud slightly trembled in anger but he clenched his fist to compose himself.
   "Karma, why i was picked wasn't based on strength, it was-"
  "Cloud." Karma interrupted again.
  "I am starting to lose my patience." Karma said as she opened her eyes while her irises were glowing, "I have told you what i want and i won't say it again."
  Cloud bent his head down and stayed mute for a few seconds and raised his head to look her in the eye.
  "I accept." Cloud said, "I accept your challenge."
  "Good." Karma said as her irises were still glowing.
   Meanwhile in the blue-leafed pocket realm, several injured humans laid on the ground while Killer bee and a few others were healing them. Those that were neither injured or part of those healing stood and watched the healers, some with an emotionless visage, some with the visage of anger and some with the visage of sadness.
  "Dammit!" A Ripar male said in anger as he placed the side of his fist on a tree, "Damn it all! Damn that Dreygar bastard!! How dare she! How dare she leave us all in this type of situation! At a time like this?! Does her selfishness know no bound?!!"
    "Several of our comrades died because of her actions."Reiv said, "She did it before; she did it once with Pit and her teammates and now she has has done it again."
  "Karma has abandoned us and this time she took Cloud with her." Reiv said as Killer bee frowned while healing other humans.