Author: Vincent Rodger | Banner: Vincent Rodger & Santiago Fontalvo

Chronicles of Conflict Episode 4

Mordor

They had searched for their master’s greatest asset for what seemed like millennia.

The Ring of Power taken as the dark lord was struck down by the world of man, taking the power for themselves only to be lost as their greed ended their life, the cursed object flowing down a river in the forests of Middle Earth.

It had been thousands of years since that great battle, and it was hundreds of years ago that a Stoor Hobbit from the River-folk had found the ring once more. Its power corrupted Smeagol’s mind, killing his own kin for the Ring before retreating into the mountains as a recluse. All they needed was the Ring, for it gave them seemingly ever-lasting immortality, surviving off of its curse with the occasional animal which they had eaten raw. 

But the forces of darkness had found Smeagol much earlier than was foretold, destiny shifting as the world outside of Middle Earth began to change. Entities slipping from the other side, the world of magic, while rare, was still becoming abundant in the outside world whereas this landmass had always known of magical elements. The Eye could feel it still, watching over the countless horizons as the shift in power continued to grow, the two factions daring the other to make their move in their silent war. 

With this, they could finally act.

Orcs growled as they dragged the tortured Smeagol up the tower, the fallen Hobbit’s pleading screams being unheard as the corrupted Elves simply marched forward towards their master. The armies of Mordor continued to prepare below the obsidian black tower, expanding their reach with their blood soaked hands, Middle Earth would soon bow to the might of the dark one.

“No, No!” Smeagol screamed as he was finally tossed alongside the Ring at the fire-filled oblivion that floated before him, fear unlike any other crept into his mind at a rapid rate, its bright gaze staring deep into his soul.

The Ring began to float away from the Hobbit, causing Smeagol to attempt to wrap his grubby hands around the object once more, only for a great gust to push him back like a leaf in a storm. Orcs flew off of the accursed tower, falling to their deaths with no reaction from the otherworldly entity, for at last they were whole once more.

Within the iris of the eye, a form began to take shape, one of eternal darkness. As the eye began to disappear, revealing the fallen Ainur’s true form for the first time in centuries, Smeagol attempted to leap forward at the sorcerer. An obsidian limb reached forward from the flames, wrapping five digits around Gollum’s throat as he stood tall, lifting him over his head.

“Accursed Hobbit,” He spoke with a raspy voice filled with venom, Smeagol clawing at the hand which began to squeeze, causing no pain to the dark lord. He could feel the Ring behind him, touching the back of his nape as pressure continued to build, wishing to remove it from his captor’s grasp. But it was no use, his body was losing strength as the harbinger of the apocalypse simply walked towards the edge of the tower, minimum effort being used as the corrupted Hobbit continued to struggle in vain.

His body began to go limp, his strength leaving him as blood soaked eyes looked as if they were about to pop, when suddenly there was a snap. Smeagol was dead.

The dark lord reared his foot as he dropped the corpse, punting the remains of the one who had eluded his forces for so long after discovering that the creature possessed the Ring.

His true form has returned to the realm of the living, no longer trapped within the astral plane after foolishly losing the item which held onto his vast power by the world of man.

Sauron of the Maiar looked past the horizon once more, his gaze turning towards a continent far away as a great act had begun, he could feel the change of the very world as everything went white and yet he could still see his enemy so very clearly.

The White Hawk of Prophecy.

The barrier between the realm of man and the realm of the endless abyss, concocted by the belief that something must be responsible for their turmoil, had been shattered. They were now one and the same. 

He formed a fist as the white void disappeared, the Ring of Power glowing as Sauron’s rage began to build. The God Hand would fall just as all life would to his power, recreating the world into a hellish landscape beyond a void any Behelit could ever conduct…

What was this powerful magic he sensed approaching Middle Earth? His gaze turned away from the White Hawk, oh so far away, to the sea. It was not one of the Ainur which had been sent to the Earth from Valinor but a human which had power beyond even seemingly those that would dare defy him, his prior kin, how interesting.

“I can see you.”

***

The Seahorse

They had been fortunate that Lady Farnese’s finance had given them the opportunity to escape from the city after dealing with the Kushan Empire’s forces. There was a great sigh of relief as the general of the White Hawk, Nosferatu Zodd, had not targeted them that day.

The battle had taken a great toll on the party’s leader, needing to rest below in the brackets of the vessel after managing to push the Kushan Emperor himself away from the battle, withdrawing their forces. 

His singular eye opened as he woke up from his slumber, pain flared across his entire body as he looked around the room, noticing his companions in the same area as himself. He let out a groan as he lifted himself up, bandages covered his torso and arm, wrapping around the stump that was once his hand. “Hey! You stay put!” A younger voice stated as everyone looked towards him, a smile appearing on each of their faces as their friend had managed to overcome the cost of the battle once again. She wore the robes of a mage, made specifically for her from her master, which were purple in colorization.

A bright turquoise was the color of her hair, the young mage held onto a wooden staff which connected her to the elements and Gods which she prayed to. The youngest member of their party, and yet she was the most powerful and reliable assistant to them, this band of adventurers that had found themselves in a wondrous kinship. 

“I got to at least sit up, Schierke,” Guts responded as he got a proper look around, seeing the others all continue on with their chores. “How long was I out?”

“Not all that long,” Schierke confirmed, taking a seat next to his bed. “Maybe a day, after reapplying the bandages and tending to your wounds, you seemed to finally get some sleep.” 

While pain continued to flare within his body, he paid it no mind and continued onward with the questions, seeing that his purpose was not currently in the room with them. His heart still ached from this long journey to keep her safe, but at the cost of being alienated by her due to the trauma deep within her soul. “Where is Casca?”

“Her and Lady Farnese are up top side,” Schierke answered as she sat beside his bed, her staff being placed against the nearby wall. “She was like a little kid looking out to the water, she seemed to enjoy herself well enough.” The news did bring a slight smile to Guts’ face, but it was barely noticeable. He was just grateful for the fact that she could still even be happy at all, even if he wasn’t in the picture as of right now.

“You are so annoying!” A familiar but small voice cut through the conversation, the little Elf flying away from another of her kind as he followed her down the stairs into the small brackets they were granted, the faint pink and green auras zipping across the room like fireflies in the night.

“All I did was mess with the crew a little bit, what’s the big deal? Ever heard of a joke?”

“He could have fallen off from that joke, you-”

“Can you two quiet down?” Guts asked, slightly irritated, “I haven’t been up for that long, and Puck, we are guests on this ship, no need to cause a divide between us and the crew. Even for a harmless joke.”

“Oh yeah, sorry,” Puck said nervously, rubbing the back of his head as he left out a chuckle. “Just bored is all, Ivalera has more patience than I do for this thing.”

“Would you rather be bored or fighting off those hordes of the damned for an entire night straight?” Ivalera asked as she sat nicely on Schireke’s hat, trying her hardest to not crease the item with her presence.

“Well, I would rather have peace and be bored of course, but like, we gotta entertain ourselves somehow as we recover. It’s a long trip to my old home after all.” Puck answered honestly, which brought the attention of the two younger men in the room, who had continued to dry the clothing that had been washed hours prior.

“Well I would rather be training,” The smaller of the two answered, his attitude being brash and growing impatient while knowing that his teacher must need the proper time to heal. “So hurry up and heal those wounds, Guts, as soon as you are up and ready prior to us reaching the isle of elves, I wanna spar some.”

The veteran looked at the youngest member of their party and felt a bit of pride but also concern. While he would support the boy’s dream of becoming the legendary mercenary that he wished to be, he feared the same dark road that he took would eventually consume the boy. It was at least his duty to show him the best chances of survival throughout their travels and show him the love that Gambino never did to him, though he would never say it out loud. Nor would he utter the fact that the man that Ishidro was chasing was him this entire journey. 

“Always so eager, aren’t you?” Guts asked as he adjusted in his bed, slightly cringing from the pain before continuing to speak. “The training when I recover will be the real deal, so expect to have to hold your own or suffer the consequences.”

A smile rushed to Ishidro’s face. “You’ll see, Serpico has been keeping me busy while you sleep.”

“Is that right?” Guts stated as his attention slightly shifted towards the man. While there was no hostile intention, the room between the two of them was filled with a different feeling than before, but he supposed that would always almost be the case due to their circumstances.

“The boy’s blade should never dull, figured you wouldn’t have an issue with that.” Serpico answered honestly, finishing with folding the laundry that had dried before standing up and meeting Guts’ glare.

“That is the correct course of action, you are right. Under the circumstances that we face, we must always be prepared for the next battle.” The whole group had been through so much, not just in their journey together, but throughout their entire lives. This world had revealed to them that the night was dark and full of terrors. At any moment, they could be devoured or defiled by a creature of the supernatural, the barrier only being thin within the last few years, but that was still enough for the worst scenarios imaginable to occur. Even the most battle hardened hearts could be scarred for life, the constant reminder of his failures being across his own body and the woman he loved.

It was then that the world felt like it was rapidly shaking and from the stairway, it seemed to glow brighter…

“Master!” Farnese’s voice cried out, fear and a feeling of uncertainty reaching everyone’s ears as everyone but Guts all rushed up the stairs, the black swordsman needing to prepare his gear before entering a potential conflict.

As the others all made it to the proper view, their eyes widened as a blinding radiant light engulfed their vision, the world before them seemingly becoming nothing but white. The group rushed over to Farnese and Casca’s side, the pair of women frightened by the well of magic before them, the latter hugging tightly as a child would to their mother.

Schierke could feel it, the vast energies of the entire world were shifting, the barrier between our world and the world of the supernatural was now completely severed. What lay ahead was completely unknown, but the Earth would forever be changed by the presence of the otherworldly. Humanity would forever be on the back foot, for this was not our world any more.

“Do not fear,” Schierke stated with a white lie, knowing that she was their only guide when it came to what was happening, the witch simply acted to protect them the little that she could with comforting words. “The light will brush over us, that won’t be the issue.”

“What do you mean that won’t be the issue!?” Ishidro stated with fear in his voice, staring as the light continued to approach them at a rapid rate with their mage not even simply attempting to do anything about their safety.

“Shut it, monkey!” Schierke stated as her staff bumped the top of his head, slamming the growing warrior to the ground with a simple strike. Whatever would come next needed a clear head. While she did not know that Griffth himself was responsible for shifting the very world with this act, committing it at the climax of his war with the Kushan emperor alongside his demonic generals, she did know what horrors would no longer be hiding in the dark.

As the light engulfed everyone’s forms, it felt as if a wave of purity was washing over them, the astral light giving a strange sense of warmth as everything before them suddenly vanished. But just as quickly as their sights were engulfed, they returned, the world around them seemingly not changing in the slightest to the naked eye, but Schierke and her apprentice knew better. “Can you feel it, Farnese?”

The older woman tried to focus on what her master was speaking of, trying to find the best way to describe her teachings to the situation, but she was still a novice. “The very air feels different, I don’t know how to describe it but it feels like the world that we knew and the world that is now, they’re entirely different to each other.” 

“Its not just the air,” Schierke answered as she turned to her friends, a look of worry upon her face. “Its the very essence of our world itself, I can feel the water itself has been disturbed as well as the soul of the Earth itself has been… Tainted.”

Guts reached the top of the stairs, black armor covered his body from the shoulders down, a gift from Schierke’s master which had saved their lives on several occasions but also came with a great cost. A black cloak flowed in the wind as he approached the ground, the Dragon Slayer sword placed onto his back would be too much for any ordinary man to handle and yet he did so with ease. Casca quickly hid behind Farnese, fearing the leader of their party for the memories that were locked away in her subconscious. Of agony and horror, which broke the young, strong woman and reduced her to a mute.

Every time she did so, it broke his heart ever so slightly more, but it would soon be behind them all. 

The brand on the back of Guts’ neck ached ever so slightly, a sting being felt as the world had shifted to this new order. He didn’t know exactly how, but the Black Swordsman knew that Griffth had his talons deep into what was occurring, his mind racing at the possibilities now knowing that this world was like that horrific place. He didn’t need to be able to have that special connection to the elements like Schireke or Farnese did, he had been around so much of the supernatural that it was like a new instinct granted to him from the years of dispatching their wickedness. 

“M’lady!” The captain of the Seahorse shouted as he quickly made his way across the deck, reaching out for Farnese to assure her safety. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, just a little shook up,” She answered honestly, a warm slight smile making its way to her face. “Thank you, Rodrick.”

“All of my men are spooked, but are continuing to move forward. It’s best not to stay in one spot for too long with the company that follows you all, especially not out at sea,” His experience spoke confidently from his many battles, he didn’t really understand everything that was going on, but he knew that these people were possibly the most important in the entire world right now. “I have a very bad feeling about being out on the waters with whatever just occurred.”

“I cannot state this in any other way,” The mage spoke as everyone turned their attention towards the girl, a look of grave concern plastered across her face, her tone of voice slightly dropping as it seemed that fear itself had wrapped its hands around her throat. “The barrier between the world of humanity and the endless abyss which birthed the God Hand, no longer exists.”

Everyone fell silent.

The world has been reborn by the White Hawk of prophecy, his final steps in order to acquire his own kingdom being made unknowingly to the party, Griffith had offered sanctuary to all that asked for it. It mattered little if they were born from the astral plane or the realm of the living, as long as all followed under his shadow, he would not take action to erase their existence.

Guts was the first to break the silence, a slight chuckle leaving his mouth as he stared at the ground with a look of annoyance. “So that’s it? He finally reached his goal, what a bastard he is.”

While the rest of the group, besides from Puck and Caska, had never met the leader of the Band of The Hawk, they had known of a history between Guts and the newly crowned demon lord. If it wasn’t obvious from the way his body twitched at the name, the puzzle became more clear as Nosferatu Zodd spoke of him after fending off the Kushan Emperor in a temporary truce. 

“I can see you.”

A chill was sent down the spines of every member of the party as the revelation was swiftly swept under the rug. The sky brightened with hellfire as members of the ship screamed in horror, a gigantic singular eye filled with an infinite void staring upon them. Flames surrounded the slit which made up the iris, a booming voice brimming with venom and authority echoed out, a raspy voice being mistaken for a hiss.

The young mage stared inward, the shape of the entity’s true nature gazing at her. Her eyes widened as the image seemingly continued to span for infinity. A well of pure hatred and power was before her, unlike any that she had ever witnessed in person, even as she called upon the powers of her divine idols. It was as if the beast before them was…

No…

“There has been an awakening? Have you felt it, human?” The entity continued to speak, more venom creeping through its voice. “All shall become nothing more than blood and guts, returned to the aether for eternal damnation.”

“Do you speak of the Hawk? Do you serve him!?” Schireke stated, holding her hat as the powerful gusts began to grow, pushing many people to the wall of the ship before it continued to speak.

“I serve NO ONE,” The voice oozed with malice, the winds picking up once more which forced the party to brace for impact alongside the crew mates, but they continued to press forward, a feeling of determination to protect one another rushing through their very beings. “There is no life, only the void. My chains have been severed and I shall destroy the worlds of Man, Elf, and Demon alike. None shall survive my war against the God Hand.”

“T-Then,” Schierke stated with a stutter, placing her staff firmly into the wood beneath her feet. “Why do you seek me, ancient one?”

“You defend the world of Man, child. For the sin of LIVING, you shall die first in the countless slaughter.” A hand firmly but gently placed itself onto the young wizard’s shoulder, causing her to look up to see the man that she wished to follow to the very ends of the Earth and somewhere in her heart, she feared that this feeling would come true.

One eye stared into another as the dark entity’s attention shifted ever so slightly, noticing the brand across his neck continuing to bleed, the seal no longer working due to the new laws of this world. “Save the high and almighty crap until you’re dead.”

“It matters not, cursed one, what you say or do. All shall be purged… Come now and face oblivion.” The eye disappeared from their sights, the sky returning to the original blue hue as the clouds parted away.

“What the actual hell was that thing!?” Ishidro spoke out loud, while he still wished to show the rest of his new found family that he wasn’t afraid to face this new foe, the primal fear still crept into his mind at the other worldly sight.

“The snake of the Garden of Eden,” Farnese stated as she turned towards the rest of them, the energy which surrounded them was far more vile of an evil than anything they had witnessed, a being of pure divinity in its most malicious form. “What stands before us is evil incarnate.”

“So wait a second,” The young swordsman spoke as he took in the information, scratching his head a little. “So you are telling us that, what we just saw, was the Devil?”

“Not exactly,” Schierke interjected, putting her hand to her chin. “But that would explain the energies surrounding the eye and what lied deep within it, it’s much older than anything we had seen.”

“Do you think that… Whatever that was will really find my old home?” Puck spoke up as he sat on Gut’s shoulder, his fellow Elf turning her attention towards him as sorrow began to fill his heart.

“We won’t allow that to happen,” Their leader stated, attempting to put his friend’s mind at ease. “We’ll draw the bastard out ourselves.”

“Do you have something in mind?” Serpico asked as he stepped forward, waiting to hear what the much older veteran had to say.

“We cannot risk whatever that thing was reaching the isle of Elves, it would make this entire journey in vain if they were destroyed,” While he was speaking with logic, underneath the rough exterior was a heart wishing to not watch another comrade suffer at the loss of all that they loved. “So we make landfall and challenge it directly, we stand our ground and kill it before it makes it across the rest of the world and starts a campaign against Griffith.” As much as Guts hated it, truly despised the idea of “protecting” the one that had destroyed him and Casca; if the two parties were to wage war against each other, it would bring the entire continent to a bare lifeless husk.

For now, this was the lesser of two evils.

“Do we have a proper plan to win this?” Serpico followed up, concerned for his half sister’s safety rising to its apex at the mere idea of charging head first at the enemy.

“We survive to see salvation or die before the world is consumed by hellfire, there are only two choices before us and running to Puck’s home will only bring ruin closer to not just our doorstep but all that live on this Earth.”

“Together,” Ishidro stated as he put his hand into the circle, waiting for the others. “We’ll make that scum pay for revealing himself like this if it’s the last thing that we do.”

“Together,” Farnese stated with a smile as she followed in the younger boy’s example, a moment before grabbing Rodrick’s own with her free hand and placing it into the circle. “We stop this threat now and live to see the world of Elves.”

Serpico let out a sigh, knowing that he wouldn’t be capable of convincing Faranese in avoiding the conflict whatsoever. The young knight placed his hand into the circle before speaking. “Together.”

One by one, all but Casca, had placed their hand into the circle in a pact to see this through to the end.

Guts had a horrible feeling within his core as his former comrades flashed before his eye before quickly dismissing the thought, he had faith that they could survive to the next dawn even if it cost him his own life. A fate that he must avoid at all costs, if not for himself than for the family that had found him while he was in utter hell… if not for himself than for her.

***

Gondor

The mighty warship had managed to somehow not be spotted by the neighboring kingdom, these waters unknown to the entire crew, but it seemed that luck may be on their side for now. For all they knew, the waters that they had trespassed on were preparing for a conflict with the entity that they had encountered, or even worse, were allied with the shadow. 

For the world of man sought to survive at all costs, even if it meant betraying their own kind for survival. Schireke suspected that it would not take much convincing of the weak minded to betray the rest of humanity.  “So what exactly is the plan?” Rodrick asked the group as they gathered their things below the deck, the captain of the Seahorse needing the exact details of their mission.

“We will lure this dark herald away from the ship and the neighboring kingdom. If he truly wishes to slay me, then it would be best to do so away from those not involved with this conflict.” The mage answered honestly, the child of magic walking towards the stairs with mixed feelings clouding her head. While fear still partially resided within her heart, the young woman had been training in the arts for as long as she could remember. She was a powerful mage, and more importantly, she had seen what the boundaries of the superhuman had produced. One man against all odds had fought for his entire life, born in the mud and seemingly raised in blood, he kept marching forward despite everything he had been through.

His spirit was unique amongst their group, as broken as he was, as much as his heart ached that he couldn’t reach out to the one who dwelled within that heart the most. A man that looked and acted like a monster in the heat of battle was the most human person that she had ever met. Their souls had intertwined, been woven together as the armor he wore came at the cost of that humanity and needed her guiding hand to avoid a total loss. It allowed Schierke to see the truth of this encounter.

The dark lord would fall just as every Apostle before him had, but this would be the most perilous fight of their lives, a gigantic worry within her heart was that not everyone would see another dawn.

“Do you all have a plan?” Rodrick asked once more, grave concern for not just their safety but the lives of himself and his men being the only thing he could think of.

“We are going to need everyone for this,” Farnese stated as she lightly brushed against him, stating with a slight smile. “That includes you.”

“You would all put such faith into me?”

“Why wouldn’t we?” Guts stated honestly as he marched alongside them, being the first to begin stepping off of the massive vessel. “We wouldn’t have gotten this far without your help, and you are no slouch when it comes to your combat abilities… However, I do take grave issue with you and Casca joining us.” The towering man stared at everyone, once more the flashes of those he had lost appeared for him, before quickly pressing forward with what he had to say.

“If you were to die, Rodrick, then your men would have no captain. And this is not a matter of combat ability or even survivability, alongside the fact that we need you alive… We dragged you all into this. Let us repay that,” He continued before staring at Casca, the woman quickly retreating behind Farnese, his heart sinking once more as she did so. “She cannot aid us during this, she has to be watched, and I would put my faith in you and Farnese to keep each other safe.”

“I am not just going to watch as you all march towards your deaths!” Farnese stated with a loud tone, huffing at her comrade’s suggestion. She had been training well under Schierke and had been trained to fight for a very long time, why now would he doubt her ability-

“Please…” Guts stated with a sorrowful look, while an emotional barrier wouldn’t allow him to fully break down before her and beg for this request, his tone became much softer and for the first time since knowing him… It sounded like fear. “I can’t… not her. Everyone else knows what this is, knows the imminent danger we are in doing this. It will leave us vulnerable and she can’t survive without us protecting her the entire fight.”

It was with that last sentence that gave the young mage an idea, one that she hated for even the slight chance of it going wrong but unfortunately it was better than nothing. “Perhaps we can turn that in our favor,” Schierke stated as she stepped forward, earning Guts’ attention fully. “If we can somehow convince this ancient being that she had an important role to play during our battle, it could leave him wide open to a fatal blow.”

“I doubt setting traps would work, at least normal ones,” Ishidro spoke, sharpening his blade as he sat by the group. 

“I hate to say it, but the brat might be onto something.”

It was that which gave Schierke another idea, her foot kicking his side which earned an annoyed groan. “We’ll have a much better idea of how to properly make this work once we reach a clearing,” Serpico said as he pointed towards the horizon. “And that doesn’t look like it will take us that long for us to arrive and discuss further, unless that thing jumps us which is also a possibility.”

Before Guts could speak once more in defiance of Casca’s presence on the battlefield, the young mage tugged at his cloak before speaking. “She will not be harmed, I can assure you. My magic will protect her from anything that he throws our way, we are not damning her Guts.” 

The veteran couldn’t exactly find the right words so with a scoff, he accepted. “Fine,” He began marching forward, causing the rest of the group to follow suit. “Rodrick, do as you please, but know that we cannot guarantee that we survive this.”

“I would be an awful partner if I could not defend my betrothed,” the captain of the Seahorse stated with pride. While this relationship had only started purely for gain, the more that he began to spend time with this party, the more he couldn’t help but genuinely get attached. Farnese blushed ever so slightly, a smile accompanying it as she followed Guts’ path. “And besides, the damned should stay together.”

The two Elves that accompanied the party flew overhead, acting as scouts to anything that could be hiding within the dark forests before the massive clearing, being small enough and more importantly fast enough to dodge any attempt on their lives was a great advantage. “We won’t let you lay a finger on our home…”

***

Time had passed rather quickly on the peaceful stroll, the small moment of peace before the living storm that was approaching them at rapid speeds. Casca sat still on the flower-filled fields alongside the apprentice of magic, laughing as she watched Ishidro chase after the two Elves, slightly annoyed.

Schierke stood alongside Guts, the two standing away from the pair, standing guard within the tranquil moment. Serpico and Rodrick hid nearby, waiting for their time to act within the equation that they had formed in order to destroy this evil. The Black Swordsman took in a deep breath as he continued to look towards the horizon, the brightly lit sunny day in the field reminding him of the moment he and Casca first made love. The memory made him take his gaze slightly off the horizon to look at her from afar, one of the few remaining of the original Band of The Hawk. He couldn’t help but fear the worst from this encounter.

The magic which Farnese and Schierke had cast to protect the most vulnerable member of their family was what gave their leader hope, the only sense that she could still be protected against the dark lord of this foreign land. They wouldn’t leave this battlefield without severing his head from his body, even if it consumed his humanity to do so, though he knew that the young mage would be capable of bringing him back to the light just as she had before. 

The first step of the plan needed the entity to approach them casually, the condition for their trap being met would grant them the advantage that they needed. For if what Schierke said was true, they were going to need all the luck they could get. The wind brushed past them ever so calmly, the group quickly realizing it was the only source of sound, all the wild life suddenly silenced as if they were never there. 

It was then that pressure began to build, the brands across Guts and Casca’s flesh aching as blood began to emerge from the seals which protected them from the supernatural world. Teeth gritted as the veteran reached his hand around the hilt of the massive blade, standing on his guard as there seemed to be a voice carrying on the wind. While they couldn’t deduce what was being said across the element, it was filled with such an eerie venom that it sent shivers down all of their spines. A massive shadow quickly covered them, the same haunting eye born of fire stared at them for a moment as the being finally revealed itself to the rest of the party. The armored frame of the towering man carried a sense of immense power.

It was then that Schierke had been more glad than ever to know her master’s teachings, for in her seemingly endless books within their library, she had been given the knowledge of the revealed evil. Armor covered his entire body, the only colorization across the entire frame besides that of a void black was a golden ring which was wrapped around a finger on his left hand while the right held onto a massive six-bladed mace. “Sauron of the Maiar,” She spoke while staring with an endless hate, even knowing a little of his story was enough to spark such emotions deep within the mage. “Traitor to the Ainur.”

“Knowing my name shall not grant you the power to save your lives. May it haunt you as you descend into the void.”

There wasn’t a moment to lose. 

The Black Swordsman went to make his move, quickly preparing to charge forward with a powerful swing to cleave the malevolent entity in two. Only for Sauron to simply wave his hand towards the human before him. Immense pressure built up around Guts’ body as an invisible force attempted to swat him away like an insect, but Guts still pressed onward, the dark knight staring with an intense rage as he continued to march forward.

Even as Sauron continued to pour more effort into pushing the man deep into the nearby forest, he simply moved forward. An aura of malice surrounded the veteran, as if the souls of the damned were wrapped around his very essence.

An immoveable object had met with an possibly unstoppable force.

Sauron quickly changed tactics, sending out waves of magic in the form of flames through the field, the man surprising the dark wizard by charging head first through the elemental attack. Mordor’s corrupted deity saw only a deep hatred within Guts, his eye seemingly glowing with violent intent as he let loose a scream. The Dragon Slayer was aimed directly at Sauron’s head, forcing the traitor to the Ainur to act.

Cold metallic digits caught the massive blade with one hand, sending a shockwave through the now burning field from the blow, the attempt on his life forcing Sauron’s knee to buckle ever so slightly. His free hand began to glow slightly, even amongst the dancing embers, as the Ring began to illuminate with power. The ground beneath their feet erupted as a gigantic blast sent chunks flying across the battlefield, boulders falling down to ground below, the earth itself shaking from the display of power. “Guts!” Screamed Schierke, the young mage quickly being protected by the barrier she had formed prior to the fight.

Casca, Farnese, and Ishidro watched in awe as the massive chunks of earth simply shattered against the powerful magic, the former clinging onto the knight’s arm as fear quickly wrapped around her mind. Concern rose through each of them as the rest of their group was beyond the barrier, their respective roles in their plan to survive against the dark lord possibly destroyed by his first move. 

With remarkable speed, Guts had managed to perform a front flip even as the Dragon Slayer was within the grasp of Sauron, landing behind the dark wizard and swinging. The attempt on his life was halted as the powerful mace collided with the sword, managing to parry the blow and push Guts back with the defensive action. Sauron reached out with incredible speed, wrapping his hand around Guts’ face before slamming him as hard as he could into the earth, creating a crater in the middle of the battlefield with a loud slam.

But it did not halt Guts’ advance, even as the wind was knocked out of his lungs, his survival instincts forced the human to act. Teeth sank deep into the flesh of the Maiar, a black ooze of blood erupted from the wound which earned a hiss from Sauron, tossing the human aside with full force. The Black Swordsman crashed through the burning fields onto a rock formation, the large boulder shattering and scattering all around the flames.

This human was not like the rest, but that would not matter in the grand scheme of the conflict. Just as the rest of the planet would be consumed in brim stone and ash, they would be the first in the grand foundation of a lifeless corpse of a world which would float amongst a sea of dead stars.

The veteran returned to his feet, blood rushing from his head as he took in heavy breaths, placing the massive blade upon his shoulders as he stared with venom at Sauron. He grit his teeth before entering a stance to slice through the powerful wizard with one swing, without the powerful foe before him noticing what would be key in the strike, Guts’ artificial hand opened like a gate.

Without a moment to lose, Guts charged forward, making Sauron assume that the swing would be a fruitless effort just as the last, only for powder to ignite as a cannonball erupted from the artificial limb. Speed increased at an incredible rate, the man spinning from the force of the shot as flames surrounded his body like a burning devil. The dark wizard quickly acted to protect his frame, swinging the mace with incredible force in an act to break the sword completely with a powerful blow, only to miss entirely.

The Dragon Slayer had managed to force its way through the entity’s torso completely, earning a surprising silence as Guts had managed to strike true. The veteran of the Hawks quickly attempted to swing upward to precisely finish the job, only for fate to twist the blade, ironically.

The traitor’s form quickly transformed into a hellish blaze, the blade no longer puncturing flesh even as Sauron could still feel the pain from the strike to his soul, a feeling which the great serpent despised more than anything. “Very well,” Venom drenched the words spoken as a gigantic eye appeared before them once more, Guts standing tall amongst the fires which continued to even consume the very sky before him. “I shall grant you a fate worse than death, struggler.”

For a moment, Guts thought back to the very battle which had driven him and his party away from the mainland in search of the isle of elves. How he and Zodd had faced the Kushan Emperor who had taken a similar form, and while he did not have his demonic rival here to aid him against the traitor to Eden, the experience earned a grin upon Guts’ face.

He trusted that by the end of yet another hellish battle with the supernatural, they would all survive this day.

Schierke during the conflict sat upon the grass beneath her feet, the barrier managing to be unbroken during the struggle, the young woman praying upon the elements to cleanse the flames from this land. The sky above began to roar with thunder as they puffed with rage, the young witch commanding a power almost as ancient as the great betrayer himself. The eye turned its gaze away from the man before it, turning to see rain pour upon the manifestation of Sauron’s soul, the water only managing to turn into steam as it touched the elemental orb.

Only for the true purpose of the storm to reveal itself as lightning forced Sauron back into the open, his physical form slamming into the ground beneath his feet, another shockwave ringing outward into the battlefield. The great serpent returned to his feet, his attention turning towards the nearby barrier and starting to march towards those who were protected by the spell, only for Serpico to emerge from the ruins. With lightning speed, the swordsman had managed to strike multiple times, the elemental fury of the air being commanded behind every strike to cut deep across the flesh of the powerful being. Flames quickly were summoned in a spire to burn the human down to the bone, only for the warrior to quickly manage to dodge out of the way.

The two locked eyes as Sauron went to reach through the flames, only for the feeling of a blade puncturing flesh to emerge through the lower torso of the serpent, earning his attention. Rodrick had managed to land a blow with the proper opportunity, black blood oozed from the being’s form onto the blade and earned a smile from the captain of the Seahorse. He quickly retreated, however, as the ancient traitor swung his fist forward, barely managing to escape death’s grasp as chunks of rock shot into the air from the blow, the sword which was still within Sauron’s body shattering in an instant from the attack. The great betrayer reared his arm backwards, aiming to simply slap the human far away as a lifeless corpse, but in just the nick of time, Guts had managed to block the blow.

The flat slide of the massive pillar of a sword sent out a ringing shockwave from the blow, even managing to somewhat push them back, but nonetheless the life of their comrade had been saved. “Join Schierke and the others!” Guts commanded the captain of their vessel, he had done his part and now was the time to retreat if he was to survive. Rodrick did not hesitate to listen to the warrior, there was a difference between confident bravery and pure stupidity, and facing Sauron without a weapon was truly the latter.

Serpico returned to the equation, attempting to attack Sauron from behind in a surprise attack, only for the attempt to be futile as they had transformed into a heavenly form. A bright glow surrounded the much smaller body of Sauron, pointy ears revealing it to be cast in the shape of Middle Earth’s Elves, as a blade covered in flames protected his body from the attack. “Futile.” Sauron quickly pushed Serpico back with a flurry of blows, sparks flying as the dark lord continued the assault, not allowing the human swordsman to have an opening to strike back.

Guts quickly shot out another cannonball at the dark harbinger, only for the blast to be simply dismissed as an invisible force shot it backwards towards its sender. The veteran quickly acted to survive, slicing through the projectile with the Dragon Slayer in half, the two pieces shooting outward into the field and landing with extreme force. The swordsman gritted his teeth once more with a groan of annoyance as he charged forward once more, for if he threw any explosives right now, it would more than likely end the same. 

The pinnacle of humanity leapt forward, knowing that this incredible close call would still force the dark sorcerer to act. The Dragon Slayer had tasted the blood of so many demonic entities that it now existed within both planes of reality, the strongest human possessing the iron will and the only true weapon against the supernatural a man of his cloth could wield. Surely, the prior strike to Sauron’s very essence would make the demonic entity wary of his foe.

And thus the calculated move was answered with Sauron completely shifting his form once more, the massive pillar of a blade now towering over Serpico and moving at violent speeds. The smaller swordsman quickly acted to save his life and managed to parry the weapon at just the right moment. Using the momentum of the several strikes of air deflecting Guts’ sword, he swung violently like a human torpedo, managing to slice through the back of the great betrayer with a precise strike, even in a more astral form managing to land true. A hiss exited the serpent as his hateful gaze turned towards the pair, the duo of swordsmen standing united as their teamwork had paid off. The elvish form of the powerful supernatural entity quickly morphed into that of a great demonic Warg. Yellow eyes glowed through the surrounding flames as he charged directly at the two of them, managing to almost knock Guts off of his feet as the hound’s fangs reached out to Scorpico’s neck…

Adrenaline rushed through their hearts as the Black Swordsman had managed to wrap his hand around the Warg’s tail, pulling him closer to him before throwing him back towards the rubble nearby. Sauron’s body bounced off of the ground like a rock to water, rage rising with a murderous growl leaving the canine’s maw as he finally caught their footing. Landing amongst the blaze which surrounded them, only for Guts to return the favor by instantly appearing before him, this time with the Dragon Slayer placed upon his back. The veteran appeared unarmed, but the great old destroyer knew better than this, something was up the human’s sleeve to land a blow against him.

Fangs reached out and sank deep within the flesh of Guts’ remaining organic arm, the rest of his body being covered in incredibly durable armor and his neck being too obvious for an attempt on his life. Surprisingly, this only earned a sinister smile from the mad man. His metallic limb held small explosives within its grasp, slamming them directly into the eye of the demonic Warg; a powerful boom engulfed the pair as it sent Guts flying backwards.

Blood flowed across the Warg’s face as a roar of rage left the hound’s vicious maw, the eye had been completely obliterated from Sauron’s form only for the wound to slowly reverse as dark magic went to heal the various wounds across his body. Guts simply stood with a sinister smile, slowly walking towards Sauron as if he wasn’t worth the extra effort to charge him. “The next one goes down your throat, bastard!”

“Enough,” The hound oozed as Serpico suddenly was pulled towards the Warg at rapid speeds, eyes widening as the sudden shift in power was shown, forcing Guts to act on the defensive and reach out to his comrade. The metallic limb held on as tight as he could as the pressure continued to build, the massive pillar of iron he called a sword being jammed into the ground to allow the veteran to keep his footing.

Only for his footing to be lost entirely as Sauron pushed Guts suddenly with enough force to finally leave his sight, the flames engulfing his body for a moment as he was thrown deep into the forest and Serpico was caught in the grasp of the warlord. His form returned to that of the dark wizard which started the brawl, the powerful entity simply rearing his arm backward before throwing the swordsman directly at the barrier which forced Schierke to act. “No!” She screamed before allowing a small part of the barrier to open, allowing their comrade safe passage into the area. He landed with one gash across his leg and head, a far better outcome to being slammed across the mystical dome.

“Serpico!” Farnese ran towards her servant, tears swelling within her eyes as she quickly looked at his blood covered face, the young man taking in deep breaths while attempting to concentrate on her face.

“He’s alive at the very least,” Rodrick stated as he turned towards the barrier, fear quickly creeping into the captain’s mind. “But I don’t know how long that will last exactly.”

Schireke stared at the approaching betrayer, the fallen angel marching towards the barrier with thunderous steps, the sound echoing within the barrier. Sauron sank his talons deep within their protection, attempting to tear it apart and reveal them to the inferno which had consumed the field, the Ring once more glowing as power began to build. Cracks began to form across the entire formation of magic, the witch’s spell would soon be undone and they would all be devoured by the great fangs of the serpent just as all life would.

The two fairy-like elves quickly took action, standing in front of Sauron’s vision and zipping around in an effort to force the demonic warlord to turn his attention away from Schierke and Casca, as well as the others within the barrier. “Oh hey oh great snake,” Puck stated in a mocking tone, sticking his tongue out as he pointed at the Lord of The Rings. “Some dark lord you are! Having to take in any effort to squash little ol’ us!”

“Yeah, your magic sucks, plus you reek, plus you are going to die.” Ivalera stated with a mocking smack on her ass, blowing a raspberry in the necromancer’s face as the cracks continued to form across the barrier.

“Your foolishness shall earn you your rightful fates.”

Suddenly the two disappeared from Sauron’s vision as Schierke stood tall, her staff pointed towards his head as he continued to force his way into their sanctuary. “YOU SHALL NOT PASS!” A gigantic beam of light erupted from the staff, striking him across the skull and sending the dark overlord of Mordor flying into the hellish ruins. He slammed into the earth as the beam ceased completely, Sauron now recovering far away from the barrier.

The necromancer continued to observe the recovering party, noticing that the barrier began to repair itself at a rapid rate, the hellish glow now returning to an undamaged sight. The rest of the party gathered around Serpico, waiting to see if he would recover properly with great worry within their hearts.

The act of emotion was disgusting.

Sauron rose back to his feet, raising his free arm up before snapping the storm that Schierke had conjured away as if it was a simple spell made amateurishly, causing great fear to quickly rise within their spirits once again. “Stand back!” Ishidro proclaimed as he stood in front of the rest of the party, unsheathing his blade to the open world and pointing it towards the approaching warlord. “Nothing will get past me if he manages to get in here, trust me.”

“This is NOT the time for your jokes, you monkey!” Schierke screamed while still keeping her eyes on the target, the snake of Eden continuing forward when suddenly, a black blur filled with rage rushed past them.

Schierke watched their leader charge at the enemy, a sonic boom erupting from the jump forward as he propelled himself forward violently with a cannonball, the Dragon Slayer aimed directly at his foe, only for Sauron’s frame to suddenly vanish from view. The Ring had cloaked the necromancer, becoming invisible to the naked eye, but the experience that Guts had gathered through his long hellish life had granted him the advantage.

It didn’t matter if the enemy was invisible, the sound of the demon’s feet within the burning brush was enough to reveal his location to the veteran, quickly taking this to his advantage and swinging violently with incredible strength straight at Sauron’s head.

Only for the field he was once in to transform into a memory as the blade struck the ground before him, what would have been met with the sound of the very ground cracking like an egg from the blow was only met with a clink as a normal broadsword hit the ground. Guts stared with confusion, the ground beneath his feet revealing the bright yellow grass in the camp he was raised in.

Tents surrounded him and-

He could see through both of his eyes. The veteran took in the moment, looking all around him before suddenly within the waves of people, figures began to reveal themselves, all important within his past. “You are nothing but trash I never should have picked up alongside that tree, bastard got Shisu killed!” Gambino yelled as the others began to join in on the laughter, the abusive alcoholic taking another swig from the gigantic bottle as he approached with a sword in hand.

“Why did you have to leave, Guts?” An angelic yet haunting voice spoke behind him, the man not wishing to turn to see the face of the one he trusted the most staring back at him, the man he would one day carve through to avenge all that they had lost.

“Blubbering mor-” A third voice, who had belonged to a member of the Band of The Hawk known as Corkus, was cut off as Guts left out only a single sentence.

“You’re quite the son of a bitch, aren’t you?” He quickly swung, letting instinct take its course and managing to strike true, the massive pillar of iron being forced through the dark one’s torso which shattered the illusion and returned them to the realm of the battlefield. “Think you’ll just throw all that shit at me and GET AWAY WITH IT!”

“Good. Let go.” A demonic voice uttered in his ear, and for once while wearing the gift given to him by Schierke’s master did he truly feel like listening to that violent urge to maim. The armor morphed around Guts’ skull into the frame of a wolf, a crimson red streak of rage took the form of an eye as a hellish scream of deep rooted hatred was unleashed upon the battlefield, the Berserker armor completely taking over his body.

“No…” Schierke spoke as she watched her dear friend once again risk his humanity to overcome such a hellish burden, a foe unlike any other forcing his hand to let the animal take control once more. Even after the talks of working together and the plan requiring this to happen, it was still so painful to her very essence to watch this display.

Sauron quickly acted to attack the animal before him, pushing Guts away with a powerful strike with his mace to the chest, sending the mercenary flying before taking flight. “All shall join the void, you merely delay your fate by moments.” The One Ring glowed once more before an earth-shattering boom echoed across the valley of flames, the nearby mountain exploding to rain down ash and meteor-like boulders from the top of the valley.

Guts unleashed a roar as he jumped at super speeds between chunks of falling rock, once again the spell protecting the rest of his new found family worked wonders behind him. While he would have been glad for this while having control, under the circumstances, there was only a blind fury charging at the necromancer like that of a natural disaster manifested into flesh. The ground beneath his feet continued to disappear, dancing amongst falling debris of gigantic magnitude only always managing to escape the clutches of death as he continued on. “Farnese,” Schierke spoke, turning towards her apprentice with a warm smile. “Do not forget what I told you, our lives are within your hands now.”

The young student of magic nodded as she quickly poured all that she could into the barrier, her master’s body sitting with a slight limp as she appeared to sleep, separating her soul from her body to create her astral projection once more. The young witch quickly began to look for their friend, the Black Swordsman continuing on a beeline path towards the great destroyer in the sky, continuing to climb the rocks at a rapid rate even as they continued to fall.

Sauron stared at the feral beast that was quickly making its way towards him, the man that he was once facing was no longer present, replaced by a hate only seen within himself. He raised his iron mace above his head, preparing to strike down the berserker with a single blow, only for a grasp to halt him. His gaze turned, seeing the soul of Schireke holding the limb back with everything she had, a face filled with defiance staring directly at him. “I see you, fool!” He roared as he reached out, remembering back to when Celebrimbor had attempted to force him into servitude. Instead, Sauron had absorbed the soul of his enemy, as he would now as talons attempted to wrap around her throat…

Only for Guts to launch himself like a missile from a piece of debris, a sonic boom echoing past him as the sword was reared behind him. “You are the fool, Sauron!” Schierke screamed as she defiantly held on until the last second. The Ring quickly formed a barrier around the dark wizard’s body, but it was futile. The pillar of iron swung directly at his frame, breaking the protective spell with a powerful swing and instantly carving through the traitor of the Ainur. Schierke’s soul finally let go, escaping her companion’s blind wrath as he rushed past her like a bullet, black burning blood bathed the Dragon Slayer as it rained down onto the blazing fields filled with rock.

The corpse of the great destroyer fell to the ground, slamming into the ground completely separated. The Lord of The Rings had been vanquished by the world of man once again, the fate of one so foolish as to deny the potential of mankind.

Guts began to plummet towards the earth below, the violent intent still rushing through his veins staring forward with crimson completely engulfing his senses when Schierke’s astral projection wrapped her hands around his neck to bathe him in ethereal light, her soul once more starting the process of guiding him back. “It’s okay, we did it. It’s done.”

The mercenary heard her voice echo within his mind, calling to him to return home, to return to them… To Casca. The woman he vowed to protect, the one who he loved more than anything in the world and alongside the rest of his party, was proof that he did in fact deserve love. His eyes began to truly open once more, the demonic hound armor slowly peeling away as he descended towards the ruins below. Slamming onto the ground with a loud thud, bones breaking from the impact were quickly reinforced, their structure returning to their “proper” state as he took in deep breaths.

The warrior began to get back to his feet, turning his gaze towards the one who would have dared to attack his family, his hate slowly turning to that of a void as he began to walk away towards the barrier…

He turned back towards the corpse, the ring which was still attached to the finger began to call to him just as Schierke’s voice had done prior, the dark wizard’s ultimate weapon might as well have glowed like a beacon to the broken mind before it. Guts walked over to the artifact, wrapping his hand around it and removing the powerful object away from the deceased evil. He stared at it, a feeling of dread managing to wrap around his brain as it continued to speak of such atrocities to him, begging him to cut all in his path to keep it.

Just as the armor would speak to him.

“Guts?” Farnese spoke as the group all approached their leader, caution being made as he stared intently at the object before him.

He quickly turned towards Casca, reaching into his satchel as he did so to retrieve a piece of rope that was thin enough to make a necklace, quickly wrapping it around the Ring before forcing the object onto her. The broken woman screamed as he pushed past Farnese, using his superior strength to force Casca to stand still to put the necklace onto her, struggling the whole time as she screamed.“Guts, stop you’re scaring her-”

“Keep that fucking thing away from me!” He roared as he pointed at the cursed object, the great artifact which was calling towards his damnation still continuing to whisper in his head as he quickly backed away, a look of fear being plastered across his face. One which they had never seen before. “If I even so much as ever reach for it, you cut my damn arm off, you understand!”

There was a moment of silence before a voice replied, the wounded member of their party speaking for the first time since Sauron had dispatched a proper hit upon him. “We will, without hesitation.” His declaration calmed Guts down, placing one arm onto his forehead as he continued to breath, anxiety slowly decreasing.

“Good,” He stated with a raspy breath as he turned his eye towards Casca. “She will have to hold onto it until we learn how to destroy the item, preferably before we restore her mind. All that work down the drain would be pointless.”

“I would agree,” Schierke interjected, a look of grave concern being plastered on her face. “We must destroy it before Casca is brought back properly.”

“Let us make haste,” Rodrick commented as he aided Farnese in holding Scorpico up, a warm smile making it across his face. “I believe that we have spent enough time here, let us return to our journey to the home of the Elves.”

“I can’t wait to go home now more than ever!” Puck commented with glee, flying around his fellow elf which greatly annoyed her. “With that dumbass dead, nothing will become of our salvation!”

“I wish I could have helped, but I am glad I was there to at least keep you all safe,” Ishidro added, starting to take charge and walk towards their vessel.

“As if!” Schireke replied, fury rising through her voice at the boy. “I was keeping us all safe with my magic!”

“Well yeah but, I would have been there if that guy got through.” The sweet comment made the young witch slightly blush, both out of the embarrassment that the foolish boy would be any of their savors and the fact that she could picture it herself.

They all began to walk back the way that they came, the storm which Schierke had summoned prior returned naturally as if the heavens above were acting to make their journey easier, the flames quickly dissipating. No matter what they would face, if they were together, then they would overcome anything that would come their way.

The children within their party would live to grow up, warriors would one day be capable of putting their weapons away and living a quiet peaceful life, bonds would be reforged. 

No amount of pain that he would inflict upon himself during a horrific battle, no amount of pain that the enemy would force onto him, nothing would stop Guts from seeking that ending of peace within his heart and mind.

In this world, if the destiny of mankind was controlled by some transcendental entity or law, even if the hand of the creator were to act against him…

At least it was true, that man would break that hold on destiny, even if it cost him his own will.

The End.

Next Time: The Doom Slayer vs. Kratos (Doom vs. God of War)