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He sat Luna down in the corner of the room and pulled out his sword. The door to the next trial was there, but something else was on it. Hung on a framed spiked cross made of hundreds of shadows. An elderly gray-skinned man was hanging still. His bone-brittle Omar could put his whole hand around even his rib cage. His beard flowed nearly from the ten-foot height he was put on.
“Erabusa.” Omar faintly recognized the tale Natasha told him. This man was dead. The closer Omar walked towards him, the more it became clear. An entire black great sword was shoved into the man’s skull out of his ribcage. Even a monster would die from that wound.
“You…” He spoke to Omar. His breath quilted with fear and dread. “I beg of you, not to be so foolish and challenge her.”
Omar understood. “The Whispering Mother,” Erabusa mumbled scarcely. “She has a power I need for the world outside of here.”
“No. No. No. No. No. No!!” Erabusa cried as a shattering bolt of lightning fell on the cross.
A low thrum deafened behind a roar and in an instant, a flash blinded Omar erupting the corridor. A shockwave followed sending him rippling into the opposing door. The explosion was violent and chaotic illuminating the area with a flash of intense black lightning. Debris from corpses flew in every direction splintering the thin room. The force of the blast, felt like the hand of Mother Gaia herself coming down on this room.
Omar recovered from the excruciating explosion. He gripped his sword and raised his hand towards Luna, creating a shield bubble around her body. The explosion stiffened and the gate deeper to the dungeon opened. Erabusa was gone.
“What is this – “
“Enough,” Erabusa commanded. “For I know I have sinned… and must be condemned, please. Whispering Mother. Let this be my final trial before death takes me.” His voice echoed but his body left the cross that locked the catacombs.
Omar approached further to the source of the voice. His foot stumbled upon debris. “Erabusa. A name from the ancient times. Just how long have you been here.” Omar questioned.
Underneath Omar, the head of Erabusa. Scattered in wrinkles and shedding skin wept. “Since this world was born into its very existence.” His body was missing and the head rolled around until it crumbled into ash.
The explosions of smoke cleared and Omar noticed the body. On both its knees, the blade carved into the floor in front of it. “Rise…” whispers came around Omar. They were not Luna’s, nor Erabusa’s. The same familiar tone that called to him in the woods with orders. The Whispering Mother herself.
“Rise?”
“My slave of secrets.” Her voice appeared out of thin air again. “Lord of the Shadows Light. Erabusa.”
The air grew thick around him like fog circling the two. A deep tension surrounded Omar, with a resonant growl coming from the body of Erabusa. Erabusa’s muscles began to shift on their own, rippling beneath his skin, which shredded off into dark hardened scales, shimmering with black light. His arms both reached for the blade which enclaved his grip into its hilt with razor-sharp little daggers to keep it gripped onto him. The body coiled rising from its kneeled stance, now standing over Omar, by five feet. “My loyal shadow.” The Whispering Mother whispered.
A faint black orb slowly burns on the neck of Erabusa’s corpse. Lightning struck twice and the orb now burned in black flames. Wings unfurled like the wings of a bat as the being shrieked with a devastating roar that woke up Luna in her bubble. The head was rattled away, yet this being stood prouder and with elevated strength.
“Omar! What is this?” Luna screamed. Omar threw his sword over his shoulder with a small sigh. “A true monster.” He noted.
“An a fucking ugly one at that…” Omar readied his blade.
Erabusa screeched loud, nearly popping Luna and Omar’s eardrums. It lunged forth thrusting its blade for to the chest of Omar. Omar stood firm, regaining his balance from the lunging screech. His legs were spread slightly apart gripping the hilt of sword with every fiber of strength he had. His breath shifted to a quick gasp, as he shifted his weight to the balls of his feet bouncing backwards to avoid the horrific beings blade.
Omar’s body shrugged off the fear and swung his blade towards the chest of the being. In one fluid motion, he went for a cleaving attack, which bounced back like a spring on a machine. “What the hell is this thing?” Omar muttered in sheer disbelief.
Erabusa wiped the shoulder Omar’s blade touched like filth. He screeched one more grabbing Omar by the collar and raising him to his flaming head. Erabusa grabbed the blade itself in his other hand and swung a powerful swing into the a wide arc to add power. The hilt of the blade cut through Omar’s armor like it was sandpaper, while his body flew from the force of the attack with a sharp whoosh into the broken doors.
“Omar!” Luna called to him, as the doors collapsed on Omar this time. She turned to Erabusa in her bubble, fear paralyzed her once more. She found herself unsure if meeting death in the other room was better than this.
Erabusa’s bones cackled as he walked towards both her and Omar. The flaming black head of the being groaned a screech as she backed herself up to the bubble, pulling her knife out. Every moment the being made was precise and controlled. The weak muscles worked in harmony to create a ten-foot oiled machine, capable of killing all those who dared to reach the Whispering Mother.
“Omar! Wake up.” Luna begged. She turned her head. “Natasha! Natasha! Where are you?” She failed to understand the circumstances of what happened. “Stay back, or I will… I will.” Her words became empty and her body froze to the overbearing goliath being that was Erabusa.
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Erabusa tapped the bubble and it shattered like glass. He had Luna cornered in the room and she couldn’t escape. The blade of Erabusa created a whirlwind of energy at the tip of it. It slowly made its way to her heart, where the tip bounced off her chest. In Luna’s body, the bounce resonated an impact with a thunderous clap of lightening that shocked her to her core. Vibrations were sent down her arms and legs as the presence of Erabusa was a testament of strength and her own weakness. He displayed his power.
“Souls…” The Whispering Mother. “She shall preserve you for another hundred years alone.”
Erabusa’s hunger was unmatched. “Luna!” Omar lifted his head up from the force Erabusa displayed. He could see Luna floating in front of the creature. A stream of blue energy flowed from her mouth and heart. His consciousness frayed as he grabbed his sword rushing towards her.
Omar made his way to the side of Erabusa and grabbed the monsters sword. “You will not have her.” Omar’s anger churned and spat out like flames in a volcano. His entire right arm glowed with a dark navy blue light that coiled at his sword. With a final, desperate attempt, he cleaved the beings hand from gripping Luna furthermore.
Erabusa screeched, backing up as his hand flailed to the floor. Omar covered Luna, who coughed out droplets of blood. “Are you okay…?” He checked her quickly while the being struggled.
Luna still winded, put her hand around his shoulder. “Fine.” She promised. “Just worry about that thing, please.”
Omar showed signs of concern, but his curse lifted him to his feet. The pale color of her skin intensified, contrasted sharply by the blue mana returning to her body. He took her left hand and placed it gently on her chest. “I need you to look elsewhere.” He commanded. “Please.”
Luna nodded. She didn’t question it as she turned her head to the corner.
Omar’s eyes met Erabusa who readied his one hand with his sword. “I will not lose another person I care for.” He muttered in anger. “Your goddess has no understanding of what I am truly capable of.”
Erabusa screeched. Luna turned her head and Omar stood in front of the chaos welcoming it. His free hand rested on his chest as he banged it against his empty heart. Blue flames were born from the beat. All of his bodies veins contrasted the same blue light, as his eyes shifted colors to a vanishing light blue circle on his onyx eyes. His arms became armored scales as he screamed back to Erabusa.
Erabusa prepared a slow attack, but the sheer speed of Omar beat him to the punch. Omar delivered three slashes with his longsword to the scaled abdomen before it could attack. Erabusa showed no bruises, as Omar brushed passed him, the slashes finally delivered their cuts, opening up pouring black goo on Erabusa.
“Now, monster. It is time you met a real monster. A Diborn.” Omar promised, thrusting the black goo from his blade.
Erabusa leapt towards Omar and their swords clashed echoing through the corridor. The black lightning and blue flames contradicted one another. The two monsters circled one another, breaths heavy with exertion from Omar’s burst of power. Erabusa’s screeches of pain from every blow delivered to him. Each strike had been met with constant counters and parries from the other. The rhythm of the two matched if they had sparred against one another for years. Only one, continued to land strikes to the other.
A sudden burst of energy, Erabusa lunged forward, but Omar grabbed his neck like a rag dog and dragged him to the ground. Right after, he lunged Erabusa to the air grasping both blades now he arced through the air at the monsters carcass. His body spun like a tornado as Omar’s determined will spun through Erabusa and crash landed back on the corridor.
“Fowl monster. A man who turned his back on which he loved. For protection.” Omar ranted as both blades were in the flaming head now. “A monster like you deserved far worse.” He left Erabusa’s blade in the skull, and cleaved his own out of the head. He cut the flaming head off the corpse.
The body evaporated and crumbled like the miser’s head did. Omar watched it flow like ash into dust with the winds. Whispers infiltrated the corridor. They were not the Whispering Mothers however. For a foggy ghost approached the corpse of Erabusa walding away into the winds. A younger man who had a handsome smile, hair dragging to the floor. He bowed to Omar.
“For now, you young man have freed me.” Erabusa’s younger self thanked him. “If I shall be born once more I will take to account to be content with what the gods had given me. For I am the living example of a man who wished for the world, when he already had it.”
A woman with scarlet red hair and a silk white dress approached him in a ghostly figure. “Oh, Nyxe. Forgive me, for I have failed as the man you loved.” He grasped her hand.
“My love.” She wallowed. “You never needed more than this right here.” She placed his hand over her own heart.
Erabusa smiled. Luna watched from afar as the flames surrounded Omar still. The couple turned to Omar both now bowing. “Young man, never forget what it is you have. Even with these curses may we still have love.” Erabusa sighed. He walked into the shadows with Nyxe, disappearing from this life to the next.
Omar felt the words of Erabusa. He touched his own heart and let out a deep sigh. His eyes were mellow as the flames around him coiled. Luna was unsure whether to approach him or not now. She held her wounds and slowly stepped forward to him. The flames disappeared and the onyx eyes of Omar returned. The shallow sea blue eyes now were a distant memory.
“You see me as a monster now don’t you?” Omar assumed, shaking his head.
The soft glow sparkled in the corridors, twilight faded the world around them, as it was only the two of them here in this moment. Luna approached Omar until she was inches away from him. She wrapped her arms around him, their hearts racing. One in fear, the other in reflief. The air hung with unspoken words.
“You aren’t a monster. You never were. To me.” Luna promised. Her eyes met his and a tear fell from her face. “So stop calling yourself that. You’re a hero. My hero. A hero everyone in this world is waiting for.”
Omar’s hands were at his side, but her words drew them closer to her face. His fingers brushed her cheek, with a hesitant touch that ignited the spark waiting to be set off. She searched his eyes for vulnerability but only could see the reflect off her mingling. But both of there’s were longing. Time suspended from this death trap. They both leaned in, anticipation heavy in the air.
“That’s all I ever wanted to here from anyone.” Omar whispered.
Their breaths mingled certain, and then, the story of Erabusa and Nyxe pulled them with a mysterious invisible force. Their lips met softly at first, a tender exploration. It felt like a long-awaited promise finally fulfilled with a connection deeper than anything anyone else could convey. The kiss deepened, enveloping them in a warm sense of comfort and safety. As if they both had finally found home through each other.
The world ceased to exist for that moment. Nothing else mattered. They pulled away from one another, resting their foreheads on one another. Luna sparkled with a smile, and Omar returned with a grin. A threshold of something beautiful and new had been born, they both felt.
Luna grabbed his hand. “You are no monster. You’re the hero I have dreamed of meeting.”
Omar pulled away. “Then, I must make certain this moment isn’t the last.” He promised brushing his fingers on her hand. “In one life or the next, it won’t be.” She smiled.
The final trial awaited them both. Through this hallway Erabusa’s power opened led to the end of the Whispering Mothers domain and into her tomb. As excited as the two felt from the moment they shared together the task remained the same. Recovering the power of purification was in dire need of doing or the world may fall to the Spectors truly.