06c - Reversal of Duty

[ForeverZeroUltima]

OOC: This chapter was meant to be written directly after 17b - Reversal of Emotions and 7a - Reversal of Fortune as the conclusion of the Reversal Trilogy. However, due to the end of the Element of Prosperity story arc, I will put it down as chapter 6 of the new arc.

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The rain had finally stopped. The dark clouds finally parted and the deep orange of dawn broke the horizon.

Lynx slowly trudged on through the field in an almost zombie-like state, without the moaning or awkward raised arm position. He had been walking all night long; his mind was completely blanked out except for two things: the mental compass and Ralza.

Her words seemed to echo through his head: Do us both a favor, Lynx, and wash your hands free of the blood-stained guilt you feel. Well, that was impossible. He looked at his hand, which still bore the red stain from touching Ralza's wound. His mouth went dry just from looking at it, but he knew he was not thirsty; he had completely turned back to normal and no longer felt the symptoms of hunger or thirst like a living creature did. He didn't even feel exhaustion after walking for nearly twenty straight hours.

Now that he thought about it, he realized that he hadn't paid attention to where he was going. Whenever the mental compass tilted to point in a different direction, he had followed it subconsciously while he was occupied with these thoughts. At least he was covering a lot of distance given how long he had been walking. He should be able to find the item in no time. Speaking of which...

He still didn't know what he was looking for. After further consideration, he began to think about the twins who had sent him on this mission. Who were they? Why was he drawn to them in the first place, without any prior knowledge of their existence? And why was he, of all people, chosen to do this? He clenched his fist in anger, unable to come up with any answers.

He reached the end of the plains and began crossing down into rocky territory. From there, he took a long path into a dust-barren field. As he continued to walk, the pull of the compass suddenly became stronger, almost tugging him towards in the forward direction. He quickened to a light sprint. Was the item here?

He slowed down to a halt as the compass suddenly started tugging in the other direction. What? he thought to himself. Why is it now pointing in the direction I came from? He turned around and the compass pointed forward. He took one step, then another. After two more steps, the arrow turned around and pointed the other way. Just as he thought, he spotted a marking on the ground when he turned to look back.

He knelt down to look at it (or rather, the compass tugged him down...he didn't know which happened). He stared at the mark. It showed two parallel lines spaced one inch apart, with a perpendicular line between them. The perpendicular line extended one inch past one of the parallel lines, but not the other. Lynx stared at it for a few more seconds and brushed his hand over it.

Right away, the symbol glowed and Lynx took a step back in precaution. The marking widened to reveal a hole with something inside. He looked. There was a piece of green cloth. He reached inside and pulled it out. What he saw next startled him.

His hand was firmly grasping the cloth, and as he lifted it out of the hole, he saw what was in the middle of it. There was a rectangular wooden plating in the center, outlined with yellow stitching. There was a green gem encrusted in the center, and upon further inspection, the same symbol was visible inside the gem.

He held it in his hands, and the compass in his mind disappeared. This is without a doubt what the twins were looking for. But what is it? He felt a strange energy emitting from it, almost as if to call out. It wasn't an energy that he was used to, though; this one was different.

He stood up, continuing to stare at it. He suddenly felt something else: a presence. He whirled around to face the person who had been standing there.

His eyes widened when he saw who it was. "You!"

[ForeverZeroUltima]

"You didn't kill me. Why?"

It was the shapeshifter from before. He was still lean and wiry, and his awfully long hair had grown even longer since they met. He was still wearing the same torn and tattered clothes. His green eyes glared daggers at Lynx in an accusing manner. Caught off-guard, Lynx could only stare back in shock.

"Why didn't you kill me?" he repeated. His voice was raspy, a sign that he hadn't talked for quite a long time and he was just now trying to get used to doing so again. "You had me down. But you didn't kill me. I want to know why."

Lynx stood silently, gripping the cloth tightly in his hand. He took a moment to think back to when he had fought the shapeshifter. He remembered the moment right before he defeated him; he had paused to think about how the shapeshifter must have felt, experiencing isolation through his entire life and suffering from others. Even back then, he was all too willing to die at Lynx's hands.

"I...I felt that something better could come out of keeping you alive instead of just killing you like that," Lynx explained. "You wanted me to kill you, didn't you?"

The man shook his head. "No. You beat me. You are stronger, and I should have died for losing."

"There is more to life than just being strong," Lynx said quietly. The shapeshifter's eyes flashed, so he added: "You may find one day that you are willing to settle for something else and be content."

A scowl was the shapeshifter's only reply. Lynx decided it was time for him to start asking the questions now. "How did you find me?"

The scowl quickly turned into an expressionless state. "I...I don't know. When I woke up after fighting, I felt there was something tugging at me...like something was calling out to me. I followed it for days and days, and it led me to you. It was an energy that sent a chill down my spine; it was frightening. I don't know what's going on."

Lynx was surprised. How could the shapeshifter feel his energy from such a faraway distance? Did he have the ability to do so? No, that couldn't be it; he said he only started feeling it after the fight. Did Lynx unintentionally leave behind his aura after their brawl?

The shapeshifter started glaring again. "Who are you?"

Realizing that they didn't know who the other person was, Lynx replied: "I am Lynx. You are?"

The shapeshifter shuffled uncomfortably. "I was given a codename, Argon."

"Argon?"

"...yes. I was kidnapped as a child and experimented on. I was born with the ability to change my form, but this ability didn't manifest until much later on. For this reason, I was given the name Argon because of my power's seemingly inactive state." He clenched a fist. "You were right in your assessment that I would rather die than lose to someone. My horrible past had gotten me to distrust everyone."

"Believe me, I was like that before," Lynx said, surprising Argon. "But trust me when I say that you will find a purpose to settle for. Wallowing in your own self-pity and hatred of others will only lead you to an early demise."

Argon stared at him silently. After a moment, he decided to change the topic, pointing at the cloth Lynx was holding. "What is that?"

Lynx hesitated to answer. He was supposed to carry out this mission in secret, but he no longer cared as long as he would receive some answers from Kelis and Silek once he got back.

Argon stepped closer, staring at the cloth. "It has...an energy. It feels so natural, like you can taste it..."

Lynx paused again. How was Argon able to sense the energy? Only a few people he knew could detect such energy, so how was he able to do so? Perhaps there was more to this shapeshifter than he had originally thought. Besides, Kelis and Silek had told him to always have a partner at his side during this mission. Bax and Ralza were gone, so...

"Come with me," Lynx offered. "I did not kill you before, and I don't plan to at all. You have a unique gift, Argon. It would be a great loss for you to not put it to good use."

Argon simply stared at him. "You intrigue me," he murmured.

"Likewise." Lynx put the cloth away in his pouch and extended a hand to Argon. "I can show you what the rest of the world is like. It is dangerous, but you will find more -- much more -- out there."

Argon visibly hesitated, probably thinking over his options. Finally, he put out his own hand and grasped Lynx's. "Fine. I'll hold you to your word." His eyes shone clearly, finally showing some trust.

"You won't be disappointed," Lynx promised.

[ForeverZeroUltima]

A day had passed. Lynx and Argon traveled in the direction from which they came and soon passed through the forest again. Having confided in his newfound companion, Lynx had explained to Argon the nature of the spells and the dangerous game he was playing with the twins. He even went as far to explain his existence as the Shadow Caller. Argon accepted the explanation, but it was apparent that he didn't fully understand.

Lynx led the way, traveling with steady, paced steps, while Argon trailed after him quietly. "What is it like?" Lynx asked aloud, somewhat absent-minded.

Startled, Argon hopped back a step as Lynx turned around to face him. "What?"

"What is it like," Lynx repeated, "to be a shapeshifter?"

Argon stared at him with slightly distrusting eyes. "I don't know what you mean. All I know of my own life has always been like this, so I don't know how you would compare it with what other people would consider a 'normal' life."

Lynx nodded and turned to continue the walk. "But surely, you must feel something."

"Something? Like what?"

"I don't know," Lynx said in a monotone voice. He looked over his shoulder casually at Argon and narrowed his eyes. "Power?"

Though mostly simple-minded, Argon understood right away what he meant. "I...I guess so. Actually, yes." He picked up the pace so that he could walk side-by-side with Lynx. "I suppose I could say it feels great at times. When I want to go somewhere quickly, I can turn into a hawk or a panther to fly or run. And...and..." He becomes more excited, finally having the opportunity to speak to someone. "And when I get threatened by other creatures, I can turn into much more powerful and fiercer animals like giant snakes and chimeras." The pupils of Argon's eyes danced around wildly as he spoke.

Lynx tilted his head and nodded. He could see how such an ability would be so useful in almost any situation. He even felt a tinge of envy, himself.

Argon calmed down, then looked at Lynx with the same curious eyes. "What about you? What is it like?"

Lynx glanced over at him. "To be completely non-human, or to be a Shadow Caller?"

He grinned sheepishly. "I guess both."

Silence hung over the two of them for a short moment. "I suppose it is similar to your situation, but mine causes more apparent problems to others. You see, humans generally fear what they do not understand, and I am no exception. There are a few who have come to know me, but that's about it." He paused before answering the other half of the question. "Being the Shadow Caller is a different story. It is something that I am always to take responsibly, but it has its rewards." He paused for a moment to extend his hand, emitting dark energy as an example. "Everything I have ever known or done was through the scope of an Element Caller. Sometimes you just take on these responsibilities because it is your duty. Nothing more. If it weren't for that reason, my existence would have no meaning." He clenched his hand closed, causing the energy to dissipate.

The shapeshifter followed along the explanation, understanding some of it. "Is it this duty that made you accept this 'mission' that was assigned to you? Why risk your life for some piece of cloth when there are spells that could kill you?"

Lynx turned his head in the other direction. "Sometimes there are things I must do just because I am drawn to it. There is no way to explain it, but it sometimes pays off in the end."

Argon, disappointed at the vague answer, looked up and counted out loud. "The black spells you've run across so far are the compass, the monster, the mask, and the sword. That just leaves--"

His words were cut off as he stepped on something and tripped. He threw out his hands in front of him, catching himself safely. "What was that?" He looked behind him.

Lynx had paused at the moment Argon had tripped. "What?" He stood in placed and knelt down to look at whatever Argon had tripped over.

All he saw was a round, black object before it flashed and disappeared.

[ForeverZeroUltima]

Lynx blinked a few times to make the flash in his eyes go away.

"What...?" He stood up and looked down at Argon, who had rolled over to sit up straight. "What was that thing?"

"You're asking me?" Argon replied. "You were the one that saw it."

"I didn't get a good look at it," Lynx responded. He scratched his head, wondering which spell he had just run into. He looked left and right, expecting something to come flying at him in a frenzied attack.

Argon also looked about before standing up. "I don't think anything's happened. What could it have been?"

"I don't know," Lynx growled anxiously. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a white spell randomly; he had selected the white skull. "But if I set off a black spell, I'm supposed to use a white spell to counter it, right? So, here goes." He held it out in front of him and spoke loudly: "Invoke!"

"No, wait!" Argon protested, trying to stop him. He was too late; the spell flashed brightly and suddenly there was a pure white shield in front of him. It was half the size of him but equally as wide; one could crouch down and hide behind it if an intense enough attack were to threaten them.

"Oh, the shield?" Lynx said in mild surprise. Argon quirked an eyebrow. "Well, good thing! If we run into the black swo-- oh, wait..."

"You idiot!" Argon snarled at him, drawing a look of shock from Lynx. "Just because a black spell went off doesn't mean that you should cast a random spell hoping that it would do something! You don't even know which spell you're up against! Also, if what you told me was right, you've already fought the black sword so the shield is meaningless now! Geez! How can you be so...so..." He paused suddenly. "Stupid! You got hit by the idiocy spell!"

Lynx stared blankly for a few seconds before attempting to recount all the spells he had run into, used, and what was left. Indeed, he had not run into the idiocy spell yet, so this must have been it. To make matters worse, he had already used the intelligence spell a long time ago; he was stuck with the effect of this one now.

"Well," Argon said more quietly, "on the bright side, you didn't need the white shield anymore anyway, so it's probably a good thing you released it. By getting rid of a useless spell, you increased your chances of using the right spell from now on."

"So should I use another one, then?" he asked. He reached for his pouch.

"No!" Argon grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Just...keep calm for now, okay? The idiocy spell was probably designed to impair your decisions, so don't act on any rash thoughts you get, okay?"

"Okay," Lynx agreed, slightly confused. He let go of the shield. Argon said he didn't need it anymore, so there was no point in keeping it; besides, its magical properties would probably wear off shortly anyway.

"Let's just keep going," Argon sighed. "And don't do anything. Those few spells you have left may be what you need in order to survive."

"Alright," Lynx agreed again. He still didn't understand completely, but that was probably due to the effect of the spell. It was a scary thought, too; the fact that he could end up destroying himself through bad decisions. It wasn't a common feeling he had, but right now he was glad he had a companion with him.

[ForeverZeroUltima]

The flash vanished and Lynx regained the familiar feeling of being in his own body again. He flexed his fingers with one hand to make sure.

"Whew...that's another obstacle down," Argon said, sighing with relief. He let go of Lynx and allowed himself to fall on his back on the ground to rest.

It had been five days since Lynx's run-in with the idiocy spell. His new companion had made the intelligent decision of slowing down their commuting pace so that Lynx's less-than-desirable intelligence wouldn't cause too much chaos along the way, and to allow time for it to wear off. It didn't work as well as they'd hoped; for one reason or another that Lynx couldn't remember at present, he had activated another spell. It contained the properties of the doll, which swapped Lynx's body with that of the closest living organism to him at the time.

Most unfortunately for him, the closest being was not Argon -- it was a tiny dragonfly.

Lynx also fell over, sighing with relief. "I don't ever want to experience that again."

Argon chuckled. "It's a good thing we ran into the black doll when we did, huh? I was getting tired of having to drag your body along with us."

The dragonfly, seeing that it had its own body back, flew off. Lynx nodded to Argon's statement. "As long as you didn't inflict any physical harm, heheh."

"I tried my hardest not to, but that dragonfly kept trying to escape. You know, I would've changed form in order to give you some company, if not for that." Argon turned his head to look at Lynx.

It was Lynx's turn to chuckle. "Well...I do appreciate the effort." He returned the glance and the two laughed.

"Say...how many spells are left?" Argon asked.

Lynx took a moment to think back to all the events that had occurred since day one. "...there's one more black spell." He reached into his pouch and found the shield and stone spells. "And I have two white spells left."

"And we're about half a day's journey back to where you started?"

Lynx nodded solemnly. "I have so much I want to ask them..."

Argon put his arms behind his head and stared up at the night sky. "I'm sort of curious about this whole thing, too."

Lynx turned away. "You don't have to be with me when I confront them, you know."

Argon shook his head. "I know I don't. But I don't want to just stand aside, either. I've been completely clueless about myself for most of my life. I just don't want to see you leave without answers."

Lynx raised an eyebrow at the last part.

Without so much as a wince, Argon added: "Because you're the closest friend I've ever had."

"I see." Lynx sat up and put himself against a tree. "Friends...I've had a few of them, myself."

"Hmm?"

Lynx shook his head. "Nothing. Go ahead and get some rest."

Without a word, Argon turned on his side and closed his eyes. Lynx closed his as well; he didn't need sleep, but he wanted some time to think to himself.

Ralza...

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The pair began their journey again early the next day. To maximize efficiency in time and body energy, Argon transformed into a horse and Lynx rode solemnly atop of him. Lynx continued to think to himself, barely even noticing the cool rush of wind and the blurry scenery race past him.

Kelis was waiting in front of his mansion. When he saw Lynx approaching, he smiled and straightened up his white robe. His staff was held calmly in his hand.

Argon slowed to a stop and Lynx dismounted. Argon decided to stay put, nodding to Lynx. Lynx understood and began walking towards Kelis.

"I see we've taken a liking to gallant and dynamic entries, yes?" Kelis greeted him.

Ignoring the comment, Lynx gruffly said, "Cut to the chase. I want you to explain everything." He began to cross the moat bridge, briskly advancing on Kelis.

"Let's not be too hasty, now," Kelis replied with a light, hearty laugh. "You should probably pay more attention to what's about to jump out at you, first."

"What?" Lynx stopped in his tracks and looked down into the moat.

There, he saw the last black spell -- the one he had forgotten about. It was a black skull; the Spell of Death.

It flashed.

[ForeverZeroUltima]

"Impossible!"

Kelis took a step back in shock as Lynx continued to advance on him.

"You're...you're supposed to be-"

"Dead?" Lynx scoffed as he shrugged off the bright flash from his eyes and continued to walk towards the sorcerer.

"But how?" Kelis protested. "Our spells have never failed before!"

Lynx stopped and fixed a glare at him. "In order for you to kill something, it has to be alive in the first place."

Kelis trembled in fear. "You...you can't mean-"

Lynx turned his hands apart as he spoke. "In all honesty, I had been unsure of this up until the middle of the mission, but I have it all figured out now. All that's left is for you to answer my questions."

"Questions?" Kelis blinked in surprise.

"What was the purpose of the mask spells?"

Kelis, caught off-guard, replied with uncertainty: "What do you mean? All they were supposed to do-"

"Were to enhance or tone down a single attribute," Lynx interrupted. "Why, then, was I brought back to life?"

"You...WHAT?" Kelis was completely confused now. "That's impossible!"

"That's what I thought at first, but it happened. I could...see the world in a different light. I was subject to eating and drinking, as living creatures do. I needed to sleep. Explain this to me, sorcerer." Lynx continued to glare at him while concealing what had actually happened during the spell's duration.

"It doesn't make sense," Kelis mused. "But..."

"But?" Lynx continued to interrupt.

"Well, ah...if you're, erm...'dead' now, the only reason I can come up with..."

"Yes?"

"...is if you were alive in the past, and the spell made your body, time-wise, 'young' again!"

Lynx paused. It was his turn to say, "That's impossible!"

Kelis shook his head. "It's the most reasonable explanation, really!"

Lynx shook himself vigorously. It had to be a lie! Moving on quickly to the next topic, he asked, "What is the object you wanted me to find? And what is its purpose?"

"If you've made it back here, then that means you must have found it," Kelis said, his eyes widening. "Show it to me!"

Hesitant, Lynx took the green cloth out of his pouch. The emerald in the center reflected the light of the sun as he held it in his hand.

"This is wonderful!" Kelis exclaimed gleefully. "That means that I win this competition! Hand it over to me!" He reached out a hand in an attempt to take it.

Lynx quickly threw the cloth in the air and muttered, "Imbrium!" The gold-and-black scythe appeared and he caught the cloth on the tip of the blade.

"No!" Kelis shouted in alarm.

"You still haven't answered my question," Lynx threatened as the cloth began sliding down the sharp blade.

"I don't need to answer that!" Kelis said, visibly becoming angry. "We sent you on a mission to find this object. We don't need to tell you what it is!"

"And that..." Lynx said as he shifted his scythe to drop the cloth back in his hand, "brings me to my next point. You haven't told me the whole truth about yourselves, have you?"

"What on earth do you mean?"

"You just referred to yourself as 'we', not only just now but also a moment ago," Lynx pointed out. "Also, you thought that I would die instantly upon facing the black skull death. But when you first introduced me to the spells, you said I would be given time to repel the black skull with the white skull. But if I were to die instantaneously, then that would mean the black skull had been tampered with." He paused before throwing in the clincher: "Your sister, Silek, is the only one who can do that. And given the relationship you two share with each other, she would never tell you, because if I died, she would win. So tell me...who are you?"

Not only did Kelis flinch, but Lynx heard Argon nervously shift in position behind him.

Kelis shook his head. "Looks like you've found us out." He began turning in place, and Lynx was surprised to see what happened next.

As Kelis' profile continued to turn, his back came to face Lynx. But his white robe turned to black, his hair grew longer, and his body build became slimmer. His staff, which was emitting a bright light at the end earlier, suddenly began emitting a dark flame. When he completed his turn and was facing Lynx again, he had completely turned into Silek.

"Fool," she hissed, flashing the deep grays of her eyes. "I told you not to interfere with our affairs." She suddenly raised her staff, pointed it at Lynx, and began spouting dark flames towards him.

Lynx, quick to act, jumped out of the way and quickly put the cloth away in his pouch with one hand. With the other, he swung his scythe at Silek's legs. When the blade was an inch away, however, a bright white flash repelled the attack.

"We have the power of both light and darkness!" Silek exclaimed. "You cannot hope to defeat us!"

Argon began to move, but Lynx motioned him to back away. "I need to do this on my own," he muttered softly. He straightened up. He was up against a very powerful enemy, but he had his pride to defend. The twins had messed with him for long enough; for Ralza's and Bax's sakes, and for himself, it was time for him to end this.

"Bring it on," he growled.

[ForeverZeroUltima]

Lynx was quick to move when Silek began hurling not only dark flames, but also bolts of black lightning. He managed to dodge most of the attacks, but a single stray bolt came his way as he remained airborne, and he had no choice but to shield himself with his scythe. The bolt struck the metal, and he quickly swung the blade into the ground to try to negate the impact; he wasn't quick enough though, and the electric shock jumped down the handle and coursed through his forearms.

"Urrrrghmmmff!" Lynx did his best to muffle his yell of pain as he kept his focus on Silek. She appeared to be hovering a few yards away, gloating.

"Had enough?" she sneered.

Lynx replied by lifting his scythe, tearing the blade out of the ground, and swinging it in an arc to send a wave of dark energy at her. Again, she simply stood her ground as a light barrier formed around her and repelled the attack.

"Yes, keep wasting your energy," she laughed. She began walking towards him, holding her staff out at arm's length and forcing Lynx to back up. "My brother's light magic will protect me from your dark attacks. Then, when you are helpless, I shall let him take over and he will exterminate your black soul once and for all!" She sent another dark bolt at him.

Lynx narrowly dodged it as he held his weapon out and rolled along the ground. Upon gaining his composure again, he backflipped away and put up a defensive stance. He had never fought against such a frightening opponent before! He began to breathe heavily as he anticipated the next attack.

"Oh? Out of shape already?" Silek exclaimed with surprise. "Ha! The mission must have worn you down to the point of exhaustion, but you can thank my spells for that. I guess I can get away with letting my brother take over -- for now, at the very least." With that, she spun around and transformed back into Kelis.

Lynx let out a growl as he faced the sorcerer again. Kelis cocked his head to the side. "I suppose I can be a little more forgiving than my cruel sister," he chuckled. He face suddenly turned serious. "Give me what I want, and I will let you walk away alive."

"No," Lynx replied without a second thought. "You will give me the answers I seek, and you will also pay for the turmoil you put me through."

Kelis simply smiled. "Too bad. Guess it's time to put you out of your misery, then." He raised his staff, let out a yell, and a bright flash occurred. Lynx was thrown back suddenly, landing roughly on his back. A searing pain began to course through his body.

"What the--?"

"My light magic burns through beings of a dark nature not unlike yourself," Kelis said calmly. He pointed his staff toward Argon, startling him. "It would not have such a grand effect on your horse over there; I'll be sure to let Silek deal with it later. We may come up with a nice experiment for it."

Lynx's anger began to rise as he gripped his scythe. He wasn't going to let another friend become a victim. "You just focus your attention on me, you bastard."

"Oh my, what is this? Emotion coming from a dead being?" Kelis' expression turned to that of interest. "Very well, I shall grant your wish." With that, he raised his staff again. This time, he let out a steady stream of white lightning.

Lynx had no time to get up, so he did the only thing he could do, despite knowing it wouldn't help; he held his scythe in front of him and tried to resist the attack. The lightning struck and began to push him back. Lynx's body began to burn in agony as the lightning coursed through his body; he was in too much pain to even cry out.

The attack pushed him up against a tree. As the attack finished, Lynx's burning body fell forward in a heap. Argon began to move in alarm, but stopped as Lynx moaned in pain.

"Not dead yet?" Kelis' taunting voice reached Lynx's ears. "Fascinating. Perhaps we will dissect you and study your magical properties, even."

Lynx pushed one hand against the ground to try to hold himself up. He found he was too weak and collapsed again.

You're looking pretty pathetic right now.

Lynx opened his eyes.

Call off Imbrium. You need my help.

Where was that voice coming from? Lynx's mind began to wander as he felt the male voice sounded familiar.

NOW.

Lynx didn't trust this advice, but as he glanced up to see Kelis preparing to strike again, he realized he had no other choice. He closed his eyes and forced his scythe to dissipate. And almost immediately...

Lynx opened his eyes again. He looked down and realized he was holding another scythe. Imbrium was black with a golden design, and had a single amethyst shard in place where the steel blade began; the scythe he was holding now was black and red, with an iron blade. The most unique feature, though, was that where the blade began to tip, it branched off into four separate teeth.

Let's go wild.

The scythe suddenly ripped out of his hand and flew in an arc towards Kelis. The sorcerer, caught off-guard, turned his attention to the animated weapon and fired a beam of light at it. The scythe was struck and fell to the ground, but immediately rose again. It began spinning wildly like a boomerang. Because it didn't have enough time and momentum, it only grazed Kelis' side.

"Arrrghhh!" he yelled in agony, clutching his side. The scythe didn't stop there; it turned around and upside-down, pointed its teethed blade at him, and began rolling and spinning along like a buzzsaw. Kelis narrowly dodged it this time. He shot a glare at Lynx before quick-changing back into Silek.

"You had to push my hand, didn't you?" Silek hissed at him. When the scythe struck again, the light barrier appeared and blocked the attack.

The scythe flew back to Lynx. He reached out and took it in his hand. Wield me.

"What?" Lynx murmured. "But as long as I'm fighting the sister, her brother's light magic will repel my every move!"

Leave that part to me.

He had only had a brief rest, but it gave him enough energy to stand up again. "I'm putting my trust in you," he stated softly. He began running toward Silek and prepared to strike.

"You fool!" she cried out. "Will you never learn that I am invincible against you?" With that, she held her staff aside and the light barrier materialized.

Lend me your power, NOW! Without hesitation, Lynx let his dark energy flow through his arms into the scythe. He swung at Silek.

What happened next was something beyond Lynx's understanding. The blade passed straight through the barrier and towards Silek. Lynx expected it to slice her, but then it passed straight through her skin, too.

Silek gasped, probably in disbelief that her barrier had been broken, but she then followed up by groaning in pain, despite not suffering any apparent wounds. Lynx quickly withdrew his weapon, and in doing so, released traces of dark energy from Silek's body.

How delicious. I hunger for more. Let me FEED!

Lynx suddenly understood everything; this scythe was unnatural, possessing several teeth. While it may not be ideal for inflicting physical damage, it possessed an increased attack range which was a perfect compliment for its true power: its ability to strike down its target's energy rather than its physical health. Because it was not aiming to to inflict actual harm, it was able to pass through the barrier!

Silek staggered backwards and clutched her chest. "H-How...?"

Now that Lynx had it all figured out, he wasted no time. He wound up, then flung the scythe towards Silek at full speed.

[ForeverZeroUltima]

"Oooh!"

Silek let out another gasp as the scythe once again passed through the barrier and sliced through her. Despite knowing that she was not physically harmed, she instinctively clutched her chest where she was struck. The scythe passed through behind her, leaving a trail of diminishing dark energy.

"Screw this!" she screeched, quick-changing back to Kelis. He quickly turned to face the scythe, held his staff ready, and let out a yell. The scythe was knocked down on its return path, visibly startled.

"Ha!" Kelis exclaimed triumphantly, his eye pupils narrowing in excitement. "A tool of evil is no match for my light ma-"

His words were cut short by Lynx, who had run up behind him and punched him in the face.

Kelis felt the wind getting knocked out of him as he hit the ground. His cheek began pulsing as the pain settled in. Angry, he gripped his staff and turned up to face Lynx, only to have Lynx reach down and grab his face.

With his free hand, Lynx ripped the staff out of Kelis' control. With the other, he dug his claws into the sorcerer's face. Kelis screamed.

What beautiful agony! The scythe hovered over and struck its teeth into Kelis' neck. It began to feed.

"It's over," Lynx snarled, letting go of Kelis' face and gripping him by the chest instead. "I know your type. Without your staff...without your energy...you sorcerers are nothing!"

"P-Please..." Kelis stammered, pleading for mercy. "I'll do anything..."

"You know what I want," Lynx said with a growl, throwing him back to the ground. He took out the cloth and the nearly-empty bag of spells. "Explain!"

With a whimpering voice, Kelis slowly spoke, "I've told you about the spells and what they do..."

"I want to know why you couldn't have just taken this journey, yourself!"

At this point, the scythe had drained Kelis of so much energy that he began to lose his ability to maintain full control of his shape. Half of his body began to diminish, only to be replaced by Silek's scowling countenance.

"My fool of a brother thought that we could find and share the item we were looking for," Silek spoke in a distorted mix of both her brother's and her voice. Lynx could only truly tell it was Silek speaking because her voice was more dominant in the mix. "But I had different ideas; if we found it, I wanted it all for myself! I value power above all else! Since we couldn't come to an agreement, our only choice was to get someone else to find it."

Lynx glared. "What is the item, exactly?"

"That piece of cloth has very intense magical properties," Kelis explained. "It is said that it belonged to a very stalwart, powerful warrior from long ago."

"That still doesn't make any sense; what's so important what someone wore long ago?"

"You fool!" Silek shrieked. "YOU of all people don't know what it is?! Then you can spend the rest of your miserable existence in despair!" She tossed her head back and laughed maniacally.

Lynx's eyes narrowed. "What is that supposed to mean? Answer me!"

Kelis struggled to regain control of his body. "You will...find out that item's importance...when the time comes." He paused for a moment, then asked, "What spells do you have left?"

Still disgruntled by the lack of answers, Lynx growled as he took the two remaining white spells out of the bag: an eye and a mask.

"We've lost too much energy," Kelis stated, his voice growing weaker. "There is no doubt we'll die within the hour." He closed his eyes for a moment and smiled. Lynx grew silent. Kelis opened his eyes and reached out with one hand, taking the eye spell before Lynx could pull away. "I did promise you a reward if you could find that cloth, right? With the last of my energy..." He closed his hand around the spell.

There was a weak flash, and he opened his hand and put the spell back in Lynx's hand. "Your reward...I've reversed the effect of...that spell. Have a nice life." With that, he shut his eyes a final time and became silent.

The scythe withdrew its teeth from the body and hovered. What a feast! I've never tasted such delicious energy before. It flew back into Lynx's grasp.

"Wait!" Lynx said suddenly. "Just who are you?"

Ha. Have you forgotten already? I am Crisium, whom you have retrieved from the Void. I am he who enjoys the taste of flesh.

Lynx had completely forgotten about that event. He looked down at the dreadful scythe he held in his hand.

I'm done here. Call me again whenever there's someone for me to eat, got it? With that, the scythe dissipated.

Argon approached from behind. His canter turned into soft steps as he transformed back into his human self. "Are...are you okay, friend?" he murmured.

Lynx sat on the ground and took a moment to breathe. "I took a bit of a beating, but I'll be fine."

"I'm glad," Argon whispered. He sat down too and nudged Lynx. "You're really something else."

Lynx looked at the spells in his hand. All the black spells were gone. Two white spells remained. For one last time, he closed his eyes and recalled all the spells he had used thus far. When he realized which ones were left, he muttered, "He couldn't have..."

"What is it?"

Lynx opened his eyes. He spoke in a wheezing voice, "He wants me to...bring...back..."

With that, he held out the eye spell at arm's length and activated it. If this was the spell he thought it was, and Kelis reversed its effect, then it would...

Just as I thought. When the flash dissipated, the limp body of Ralza lay before him. Even after several days, she still looked beautiful.

"That bastard Kelis," Lynx snarled. "From the moment I tried to protect you, Argon, he must have figured out that I'd lost someone precious during the journey."

Argon looked back and forth between Lynx and Ralza. "What happened?"

"The spell was supposed to banish a monster," Lynx explained. "Kelis changed it around so that it would bring forth a creature of my choosing. And when combined with the very last spell I hold..."

It was Argon's turn to be surprised, as he too recalled what the last spell was. "No way!"

Lynx closed his eyes and placed the mask over Ralza's heart. He murmured, "It's funny, isn't it? The mask is what brought us together, and now I am using it on you." He chuckled lightly. "From the start, I was planning to save this spell for myself...so I could undo all the wrongs...but I was too selfish. I don't deserve forgiveness. I don't deserve a second chance. I am what I told you I was...a misguided soul. I am not a pure creature like you, Ralza, and that...that is why you deserve this. You deserve this. I want you to have this, Ralza. I want you to have a second chance." He opened his eyes and focused. "The Spell of Life, I invoke you!"

A radiant flash emitted from the mask, one that blinded Lynx. The flash was so bright that Lynx stood up and backed away while shielding his eyes. When it finally died down, Lynx lowered his arms.

Ralza was alive. Slim and weary, but alive. She locked eyes with Lynx.

"Ralza..." Lynx was at a loss for words. He knelt on one knee to put himself at her level. "I'm so...so happy you're..."

Without warning, Ralza pounced on Lynx. She knocked him on his back and placed a paw at his throat.

You never howled for me, you rascal. Ralza smiled, and Lynx knew she was happy as well.