Breaking Light

Chapter 23

The skies burned. Rifts in the fabric of reality tore open, flooding the field with hordes of demons. The mages held their ground, led by Commander Adrian. His sword blazing with fury, slicing through the shadows. Black tar splashed on his face as he impaled a shadow, lifting it off the ground. The demon burst in flames and the commander took a deep breath, regaining his composure. He looked around to analyze the situation.
"SENTINELS!!! FORM RANKS!!!" He had his sword held high, blazing amidst the battlefield and his army looked to it and followed his command. The fight went on and a never-ending flood of demons kept pouring in through the void rifts.
Over the horizon, Adrian spotted a lone Mage locked in battle with a higher demon. Their silhouettes dancing in front of the setting sun, orange light illuminated the sky with sparks and streams of magic flying about as the mage held his ground. His swift movements made him graceful against the hulking beast as he dodged every one of it's attack.
"AARGHHH!!!! Zekhsh tond uzkil na aa'm ki'il Mikhaeel!" The demon yelled in rage.
The mage turned around swiftly, set his hair back with a single move with his hands and smirked at the higher demon.
"If only yelling at me made you stronger, demon. Now tell me. Where is your master?" Michael teleported behind the demon, the tip of his sword pierced the demon's tough hide. He held the demon in place with a spell and it struggled to get out of it with no avail.
"Come on Bazakash. I am giving you one last chance to speak up. Do not waste it."
The demon let out a throaty laugh and pushed itself against Michael's blade, immediately bursting into flames. Michael's gauntlet caught fire, he casually dusted himself off, dousing them.
"What a shame."
"Looking for me, Brother?"
Michael wiped his blade clean and turned around with a deliberate calmness.
"Could have showed up earlier Stephan. Might have spared a few of your minions."
Stephan Ford, the Shadow Monger, Guardian gone rogue, wore a black suit and a black trench coat that seemed to bleed shadows. He had his hands in his pockets and casually walked towards Michael.
"Be my guest. Kill a million more. I've got plenty of them."
He took his left hand out of the pocket, manifested a stream of pure shadows and hurled it towards Michael.
Anticipating the move, Michael countered the dark magic with a complex casting of his own. The shadows merged with light and dispersed in a shock wave that pushed Stephan back. Michael drew his blade and rushed towards him with a flurry of slashes and stabs. The two fought with unwavering focus and determination. Michael struck with quick spells and precise strikes with his sword, countered by the dark magic which Stephan used and every strike sent flashes of dispersed energy resulting in an static cloud formed around them.
The strain of holding off against Michael started showing on Stephan's face, beads of sweat and blood dripping, He took a leap away from the mage. Michael flicked his blade, cleaning it against his gauntlet. Stephan spoke with a grin on his face,
"All fun and games when you're around Mikey. Tell me something, Brother... Where were you when I sent Irilith to play with my dear sister?" Showing bloody teeth, he wiped the blood from his mouth and spat on the ground.
Michael's eyes narrowed, his heart filling with rage,
"YOU... IT WAS YOU..." He flexed his hands into claws, power drawing within his palms in a fiery red flame, sparks enveloped him and he lashed out. A concentrated sphere of fire and lightening shot towards Stephan and hit with an explosion that shook the ground, dust obscured everything around them. Michael, breathed heavily, the latest revelation left him enraged. The dust settled and he could see Stephan standing where he stood, holding a demon by its throat, charred by the mage's attack. He let out a deliberate cough,
"Woooh! Hit a nerve, did we?" Stephan threw the burnt demon away, it disintegrated before hitting the ground leaving behind a cloud of black smoke.
"My turn." Stephan's eyes glowed red as he gathered the energy, black veins appeared on his face, his whole body shrouded in shadowy mist. Before Michael could react, a wave of shadows erupted from Stephan and smashed onto him. Michael contorted, shadows swerved within the whites of his eyes, he grunted and dropped down on the ground as he fought off against the possession. He lifted his face, eyes completely black now.
"Why bother resisting Mikey? You've got nothing. Come on... Let it go." Stephan casually walked by Michael as he struggled with the demons inside him. His body contorted to unnatural limits as he held on to the last strands of his soul. Stephan swirled his fingers in the air, a cloud of thick black smoke manifested and he touched Michael's forehead, the shadow seeped inside,
"One more down the drain. Come on, Brother, You're only making it more painful. You can't win this one Mikey!"
Suddenly Michael's body went limp as he fell to the ground, completely still.
"Ah there we go... See. Wasn't so hard was it?" Stephan dusted his trench coat and turned away from the man he once considered family. He looked up at the sky and spoke,
"That settles our deal Zhorg. Take that glorious sack of meat and be done with it, I have a world to destroy."
There was silence for a moment, Stephan was whistling a tune as he kept walking away when suddenly the ground shook. The air shifted as power radiated from behind him. He turned around, an eye brow raised as he walked back to where Michael lay. He looked at him closely and kicked Michael in the ribs but there was no response.
"Hmmph."
The ground beneath him started vibrating, dust and debris rose above, defying gravity as power gathered around Michael. Fingers twitched before the mage slammed his hand on the ground and slowly rose up. Still kneeling on one knee with his head down, whispering.
"Elen drek.... rigala eta en... mi kiro lumin... Let the light... flow through me..." Through broken words, the power within him shone bright. Shadows started to bleed out of him. Michael coughed up shadows that fell to the ground and immediately retreated from where he knelt.
"I... Am Michael Redstone... Guardian of the Veil. Defender of the light." He rose up, fists clenched and radiating with power as shadows still bled from his skin dripping on the ground.
He arched with his arms extended to the sides, a burst of blue light flashed with a shock wave forcing the remaining shadows out of him. He stood up straight, eyes glowing white, burning with raw power. He took a deep breath and looked up straight at Stephan.
"No! No No... Impossible!"