The Garden

In a plain white dress, Vaoan sits in a small pile of sand.

Thin wooden boundaries keep the grains from spilling out into the thick and vibrant grass covering the garden. Surrounded by the walls of a large cathedral the vast flowering hilltop was also part of the courtyard. The stones were old and large and the windows of the building were long and full of colored glass. Strange and detailed battles played out on the windows – winged saints, demons, man – all warring and entangled in delicate geometric patterns and symbols. A large stone cross covered in ever flowing marble roses hung above the doors that separated the lonely garden from the numbers of soldiers and brothers inside… The sky was a rich deep blue and clouds seemed to glow as they slowly passed overhead. The wind carried the soft smell of flowers, and small birds darted in and out of the sanctuary of shadowy trees growing along the cathedral walls. Here the perfectly manicured lawn reflected the precision of its artisans, each vine and stick of brush snipped at exact length to please the masters of the house. The sun was almost too bright yet the air was cool as an early summer day should be.

The white of her dress seemed iridescent as she drew symbols into the soft sand with a twig taken from a small branch. Softly she hummed like a child, accompanied by the quiet clinking of her charmed bracelets as her hands completed the drawings mechanically. Her eyes, empty and distant as her mind traveled away beyond the walls. Heavy bells tolled breaking her state and pulling her back.

“How’d you get in?” She began, talking down to the sands, still scrawling out symbols.
“Easily” came the raspy reply from the shadow of a nearby tree.

She stopped and looking up she could scarcely see him until he stepped out onto the bright grass like a moving shadow. The dark clothe of his camouflage stark against the bright shades of green. But only for a moment... almost immediately he disappeared again, his strange armor became translucent, and she could plainly see the opposite tree line strait through him. But the eyes gave him away, like phantom candles they still approached her though the footfalls were absent.

Inside the building, men were shouting commands and heavy boots could be heard scuffing the polished floors. Still, for the moment, the courtyard garden was empty except for her girlish form.

As she stood their eyes locked, she ceased blinking until the moment he stopped only inches from her face.

“Why” came the question from the thin air – though she could feels his breath hot on her face.
“I was promised it was safe here” she spoke softly looking in to the deep fires of his eyes- “for me and my people” “It’s a prison lady.” As he spoke she could hear the soft scraping of his deadly blade being pulled from its sheath. The sound froze her breath, and she knew he sensed her fear and a smile was growing on those invisible lips. “There’s no security in this world...” he rasped “you showed me that,”– she could see the glint off his blade as it made an indention in the sand on her right. “Your illusions can only last so long.” He ripped the blade quickly through the symbols on the sand. The grass around the box began to grey and the beautiful green world, the flowers; the birds faded and swirled away on the warm wind like a colorful dust. Pale stones littered the dry courtyard; dead trees, soggy brush and spots of mud comprised the remainder of the ground.

He appeared again, His clothes a dark grey, matching the barren land, a short sword strapped at his waist and the other slack in his right hand. The tip of the blade resting on the dirt. The fires in his eyes were bright with deep agitation, a stark contrast to his scarred skin and ash colored garments…. There was something else in those eyes of his that those who did not know him would have dismissed…

Leaning on the sword as if he were an old man, back hunched, arms relaxed, but head staring unwaveringly toward her he simply gazed… The pounding and shouting of angry tribesman did nothing to stop the look he placed upon the girl.

"How long can this last"? He finally broke the silence. The question however was rhetorical and he went on. "How long can you live in your pretty-little-lies lady? While the rest of the world fights and dies by truth… you would... live here?"

"My people"…. She began.

"WILL DIE LIKE THE REST OF EXISTENCE! Gravity shouted at her, eyes momentarily blazing before he regained his calm. If the prophecy you spoke of is true… they will die alongside everyone else… "

"That is why you MUST go, love…"

She realized her mistake and turned her head to look upon the dirty sand at her feet. Narrowing his eyes to slits as the explosion of fire erupted from his sockets. Raising his sword to defend against her words, Gravity spoke in a quiet menacing tone that seemed to make the very walls of the garden cast shadows upon her. "Speak not of things you have no understanding of… you know as well as I do that words have power lady and that one I'm afraid has lost its meaning to you…"

"The fucking prophecy… Gravity nearly spat the words out in distaste. What the hell do I care for this world? What has this world ever done for me? What have the people done but fear and hate me? Who in this world even believes I live?" His demeanor relaxed and once more that cold smile found its way upon his lips.

He laughed… "How ironic… that this world will die with you. That blue skies and free people will end with the decisions of one fearful girl. This world… my world… dies with you lady..."

The sound of the first cathedral door crashing open was followed immediately after by the booted footfalls of many angry tribesman… and the rage walker still didn't move. He continued his burning gaze and his cold hearted smile standing perfectly still with his sword once more resting upon the dirt.

The fire in his eyes dimmed and was replaced with something else but his cold smile remained cemented upon his lips. Gravity stood still… waiting for the weapons of her beloved tribesmen to finally put an end to the warring within his heart.

The yard had suddenly become much more crowded. Confused and angry men in all different shape of leather and plated armor, as well as those in the dark navy uniforms of the magical brotherhood shadowed the walls.

Why didn't' this fighter arm himself? Cloak himself from the group that would see him hanging from the rafters in the East Hall? And at the same time what stilled the ranks of men? Their eyes anxious and waiting for the order to fire on the surrendering and suffering body of an otherwise invincible man.

Then she saw for the first time the dark shape that had eluded them both in their carelessness. The shape of a standing man, like the charred shadow remains of a man burned and blasted against the rough rocks of the courtyard walls. Soundlessly the flat black figure peeled off the walls in flakes of ash and began to take form and walk to the open doorway.
He was a dark cloud with a trail that pulled itself from the wall and quickly traveled to join the mass form of the tall man.

The armed men shirked from the path or the dark specter as it quickly grew dense, forming pale flesh and swirling folds of dark red cloth. Till the figure had fully materialized at the arch of the door way. All this in moments that felt like an eternity.

The prophet stood tall and emotionless. Dark robes of heavy cloth covered his body from neck to the ground and several large talismans hung down his chest.

Her eyes lowered, waiting for the judgment to come. She knew this chaotic man with his fiery eyes was the key. He was the missing piece the Prophet called into this world and finding too hard to control changed his plans...

She was the tool. The prop - and the prized possession, acting as the link between this and the outer worlds. Her beautiful engraved bracelets disguised remnants of a binding spell and as they sparkled in the last hints of the now setting sun - small tears welled that she tried her best to hide.

"Well?" Gravity shouted to the crowd, trying to provoke the statues that had them surrounded and outnumbered him -his favorite odds for a brawl.

A single dart from a defiant soldier sparked from behind them, which Gravity evaded easily with the spin of one resting blade. But thrown off course it managed to clip the tip of her shoulder. Her tearing eyes only served as fuel for the rising anger in him as she moved her hand to grasp at the poisoned wound that stained her white gown.

"Indeed," Prophet spoke with a soft resonation that filled the court and bounced off the stones. "I knew you would surface sooner or later.” “I hope you’ve had time to say your goodbyes” his words cold, dead and emotionless.

Prophet leaned a hand on the nearby doorframe. It instantly flashed brightly as an iridescent alchemic blue flame grew from his right hand down a path of symbols on the stones. The men in the courtyard jumped to life and began to scramble for the nearest doorways as the blue flames shot out across the stones of the courtyard floor. They failed, and one by one their screams rang out in the yard as the alchemic blue flames took their bodies to the next world as the scrawling stone symbols took life beneath their feet.

Prophets own men cried out to their master and leader with no answer save the reflected lights of their own death in the unforgiving pools of his eyes.

In an instant she pulled the coin talisman from the pocket of her gown and touching it to the blood on her shoulder it glowed red - she reached for her hunters open hand. A white halo surrounded the two, keeping back the blue flames. In the doorway the Prophet grinned, he knew with the binding there was no chance of her jumping worlds especially not with the extra weight of a man.

The flames had completed their pattern covering the floor of the courtyard in burning blue symbols of ancient powerful alchemy. Prophets spell was set, but where was the reaction. For each of his major spells he took power – took lives, and transferred the energy to his desires.

A humming tone began to fill the courtyard with waves of sound. The very flames pulsed as if the breath of god were trying to blow out a candle. In a rhythm they seemed to roil and flicker. Dust began to fall as well as small crumbling pieces of stone from the walls around them.

She felt faint, from both the spiritual energy used in the protective talisman, and the pressure of the waves of sound echoing in immense waves now. She looked to Gravity, he slowly opened his hand to look at the small coin she now carried with her constantly. It glowed brightly with all the energy and intentions she had directed into her protective talisman. A reminder of a life lost, the key to her lost world where freedom still ran through the mountain forests...

He let go of her hand and stepped backwards into the flame, he had other business. The flames licked at his dark skin, empowering his blades.

The ground rumbled and groaned beneath them, and an unexpected shockwave of earth erupted beneath them sending the two flying apart, sprawling dirt and flame.

The ground and rock began to rise, lifting a gargantuan head formed of dirt. The result of Prophet’s alchemy. Large root like arms of stone blocks and mud pulled themselves free of the ground. A torso hips, and legs – a demon creature of dirt broke itself free. Its head clearing the top of the courtyard walls when the creature became fully erect.

Blue robed men went silent with fear and stopped casting their magic. They clearly didn't fully understand the dark magic that Prophet was capable of casting… and if they did… they never imagined he would ever use such dark forces.

Warriors of the United Tribal Refuge were strewn over the courtyard like litter after the explosion of earth and rock from Prophets Spell. Many of Prophets own sentries dotted the ashen grey ground with the navy blue robes of the order.

The creaking of the Chaos-GI's breathing sounded like oak trees being bent with great force. The Elemental gazed over everything but made no move as it was yet to be given the order to do so.

How it wanted to though…

The ragged breathing and roaming fiery blue eyes all pointed to the one thing everyone in the court yard felt… this elemental was out for blood. It wanted death on a great magnitude and cared little for "sides". It would follow Prophets commands… Grudgingly… and only while the circle of blue alchemic flames remained intact.

Gravity stood motionless within the wall of blue flames… His two swords Gog and Magog glowed brightly from the feast they found within the energy of prophets spell… Had this been a lesser summoner and the alchemic symbol of a lesser power, the swords may have leached enough energy from the circle to force prophet to close the gate and banish the beast before it destroyed him as well as everyone else… But the swords did little to quench the roaring blue flames. These where symbols of ancient origin that no one but a desperate heartbroken mystic of the highest order would ever use.

No fear played across Gravity's face… he had seen beasts of this nature during the near eternity he spent in the chaos realm. Deadly and definitely an equal match to the rage walker… but the beast was born into this world with limitations… Gravity was born into this realm with none.

Gravity scanned the surrounding area for Vaoan, having lost her in the explosion of earth. "Noottthingg yoouu caan dooo about thaaattt…" the ever cynical swords reminded Him. Not answering his blades he did manage a short nod before turning toward the problem at hand.

For a moment, within the raging blue flames and the distant archway Prophet and Gravity locked eyes… an entire conversation then played out within them… still bonded by the laws of The Path. No one but Vaoan heard the silent argument that then ensued between the two enemies and where ever she was she was either incapable of protest or said nothing to stop the heated exchange.

The conversation ceased. Confused men on both sides realized that this was a battle that was not there's. This was a personal grudge between the Rage Walker and the once praised Prophet. Nobody on either side wanted to get in between the two fierce warriors… even without the menacing glare of the Chaos-GI.

Seconds played out like hours, the tension within the walls of the courtyard rose and the entire area seemed as if it might tear itself apart with the anticipation of these two titans clashing.

Within Prophet's eyes you could see the reflection of the ever defiant ever unreliable Chaos Warrior. He stood with in the flames a cold smile on his lips and both cursed swords at the ready. The flames danced upon his skin but did nothing to harm him… black cloth covered in red symbols was tied around his head and covering the tops of his ears. The Emetgis Momar… Prophet marveled at the rage walkers find… How in the 7 realms did he retrieve the Chaos Crown? No matter… the crown would do little against the Chaos-GI's raw power… But still… what had those two been up to during their 2 moon sabbatical? What other secrets had the two discovered in his absence. Gravity's eyes were bright as stars making the blue flames seem tame in comparison. Quiet controlled rage swelled and pulsed from the rage walker the memory of Vaoan being thrown to the ground and lost in the earthquake played over and over in his mind.

"Kill this fucker… find Vaoan… smoke my pipe." Gravity checked off his mental itinerary as his instincts took over losing himself to the Chaos within him.

Gravity took one step back and sank into the flames… The blue fire shrouded him in a brief silhouette just before he disappeared completely from sight. Prophet seeing his prey escape into the flames ordered his demonic charge to attack.

In the blink of an eye the Chaos-GI stormed forward in a flurry of splinters and crumbling stone, raising and lowering the giant stone blocks it used as limbs, on the exact spot the rage walker had just disappeared from. Over and over the giant mallet-like fists slammed down with enough force to rattle the teeth of any who stood near. Alcoves of the cathedral dropped from the walls as the tremors from the force of the swings shook the foundation of the ancient edifice.

"Enough." said Prophet in a quiet but forceful voice. The begrudging Golem took one last swing at his unseen enemy and then stopped, once again straightening to its full height and staring back at Prophet for further instructions.

The silent blue flames roared on… casting strange shadows along the courtyard wall. They flickered and moved making Prophets eyes dart from one side to the other in attempt to catch a glimpse of the rage walker.

"OOANOAN ALLAR" Prophet whispered the sacred words for a vision enchantment. What he saw next shocked him… the vision enchantment he enacted granted the caster targeted sight of an unseen adversary. When he cast the spell the first thing he saw was that the flames of his sigil now appeared a pinkish red color instead of the deep blue of the Chaos flame. The unseen should glow a bright red to the caster… Being one of the most knowledgeable mystics of the time, Prophet was not accustomed to surprises.

"OOANOAN ALLAR!!" he shouted above the roar of flames, thinking his first spell had gone awry. From the eyes of Prophet the flames remained the same pinkish red color. Prophet shook his head slightly, took a deep breath to calm his agitation over the unusual change in the sigil's color, and directed his summon to stomp the flames from one end of the court yard to the other giving specific instructions to use care and not weaken the sigil.
Prophet stood, arms crossed, overseeing the methodical destruction of the courtyard a grim expression on his previously confident face.

The few on-lookers who had not left the area already watched with a mixture of fear and awe as the 20 foot tall Chaos-GI stomped one section of the flaming sigil down before methodically moving onto the next. The thunderous booms of the crushing blows sent everyone still conscious in the courtyard to kneeling positions, trying to protect themselves from falling debris and the shockwaves sent out by the Chaos-GI's attack.

A few minutes passed with no response from the elusive Gravity… and then laughter seemed to emit itself from nowhere and everywhere at the same time… the raspy smoke scarred voice of the rage-walker could be heard echoing the courtyard walls.

"You know MASTER Prophet, the summoning of a Twisted Elemental is considered pretty BLACK amongst your order isn't it?... These really must be DARK times…" Gravity mocked with the relaxed amusement that one might expect from an old friend. As the flames roared, Prophets eyes did not look at his recent Summon, who continued its merciless assault on the Chaos flame, but prowled the still Flaming area for the laughing Rage Walker.

Before his eyes the flaming sigil once more returned to the blue color they were before. "Enough" said prophet. The Elemental slowed his assault on the flame but did not stop…

"ENOUGH!!" Prophet shouted with more power in his voice. The elemental immediately went to its full height and stayed impossibly still but it seemed as if the awaiting stare it gave Prophet seemed to have a bit more malice in it this time.

Prophet listened intently… there were the sounds of the wounded lying as close as they could against the walls, trying to get as far as possible from the battle taking place. Their groans and fearful whimpers a musical under tone to the ballad of destruction that was taking place. The sound of wind through leaves and the soft grating of stone against rock was the Chaos-GI's breathing.

The metallic ring of blades sounded along the ramparts of the courtyard... Prophet at once noticed the magical red silhouette of Gravity running with impossible speed along the upper parapet… He never slowed but his swords rang out above the roar of the flames and whimpers of the dying as he cut one of Prophets Men from the wall after another. Their piercing screams echoed the walls to Prophets ears with great clarity and the Broken Hearted mystic winced as he heard the death rattles of the men that served him before they fell from the wall.

"THERE!" Prophet shouted at his summon pointing along the North West corner of the courtyard and just West of the main cathedral.

The glowing red form of Gravity danced along the upper rim of the cathedrals main entrance to the North East section of the court yard, causing the swift Elemental to fight through the stony grey elms that stood between the monster and his prey. The quick change in direction did little to slow the beast, only a couple of breaths passed before the large rock monster crashed through the trees to the other side and swung its boulder like fist directly on the wall that Gravity had stood upon.

With typical agility Gravity leapt from the wall a split second before the crash fell. The thick stone wall cracked and the upper portion of it was crushed to powder. The boom of rock against rock could be heard for miles around and deafened anyone that was nearby. Gravity snatched one of the long vines that hung from the Chaos-GI's upper arm.

Swinging up and around the swift assassin crawled up to his feet on the Chaos-GI's arm and ran forward toward the stone fist that was raising back off the crumpled wall. Leaping again the rage walker flipped passed the destroyed portion of the wall and ran passed to the far side of the north east section of the court yard ramparts. Turning he stood looking directly into the eyes of the Chaos-GI.

The icy blue fire within the monster blazed brightly in recognition of Gravity's blazing hot red ones. For a moment they stood facing one another… there could never be a more troubling moment for Prophet as he stood watching a silent exchange between his summoned slave and his bitter enemy.

"DESTROY HIM NOW!" Prophet ordered the monster. It stood still… apparently still lost within the eyes of the Chaos Warrior… recognizing that they had both arrived from the same plane of existence.

"Yes." Gravity whispered to the Chaos-GI. "Please end this…"

The Chaos-GI then did the most unexpected thing… It slowly tilted its great moss covered head back and shouted a long almost mournful cry at the now night sky. The call of the Chaos-GI sounded like a hundred avalanches colliding at the same time. The very sound that emitted from the beast caused stone to crumble and the earth to shake. The wail of the Twisted Elemental frightened as well as piqued the interest of the remaining Brotherhood Mystics who looked on with blank starry eyed amazement.

Prophet stood still even though a small smile of respect slowly came across his face.

Gravity stood tall, swords in hand, eyes blazing violently and pointed directly at the monsters own… He tilted his own head back before letting loose with his own brutal blood curdling battle cry. The sound stretched on and on as both beings from the Chaos realm gave one last shout of respect before the world that they were forced into made them do what beings of chaos do best.

As the cries of both died down and the roar of Chaos flame once again was the only sound within the courtyard Prophet gave his final command to his charge.

"Kill him."

Once again the Chaos-GI paused.

"Yes G'.." Gravity whispered. "Please kill me…."

Another pause and then both great arms of this mighty beast of chaos slowly rose upward.
Gravity remained motionless but his eyes switched from a bright fiery red down to cool green embers, the somber glow of his eyes silently accompanied the man while he waited for the crushing fall of the monster's arms and an end to his suffering.

Midway between Prophet and the beings of chaos, Vaoan watched silently within the protection of her coins spell. Tears streamed silently down her face in grief for the rage walker. "What have I done…" she whispered into the roaring flames. The memory of the extraordinary man's rescue played out over and over within her mind. The first time her and Gravity met within the chamber of the Illuminati spiritualist encampment when briefly their eyes had locked and she recognized the sad humanity that raged within the man.

"I'm sorry…" her silent plea for forgiveness could not be heard over the roar of the chaos flame.

Bound by the laws of the Path… Both Prophet and the Rage Walker heard and felt the weight of her grief like an ax every tear she cried struck their spirit.

The great arms of the beast made their final descent towards Gravity…

Hearing Vaoan's final plea, a million thoughts raged within the chaos warrior's mind. Memories of the times where he and Vaoan had shared life… when life wasn't about the end of the world, when life wasn't about the sins of humanity and the advancement of the New World Order. He remembered a time when he was briefly allowed to be human, when he was briefly allowed to hope for something more than an existence of violence and death and an afterlife of torment for his sins. He remembered Vaoan's kind dark eyes… he remembered love and realized that the path was not finished… He had not reached the clearing… there was… More.

Time seemed to stand still as Gravity made his final decision a split second too late. One great leap off the wall wasn't enough… The Chaos-GI's great arms smashed into the wall clipping Gravity on its way down and sending him flying toward the eastern wall where he hit with a great thud and fell to the ground in a heap of metallic swords and leather armor. He lay perfectly still the fire in his eyes snuffed out by his closing lids…

The wall where the arms smashed crumbled and cracked along the Far East corner causing the still standing wall in between the two weak spots to shake precariously in its position. The groans and cracking sound of the wall caused the Prophet to yelp in fear as he realized what the dead or unconscious Gravity had done…

The great wall of the cathedral courtyard standing a full 20 feet tall shook and began to fall forward within the courtyard. Earth and stone were pulled up from the ground as the wall smashed onto the ground with one great reverberating boom. Gravity had done what Prophet thought was impossible. As the dust and rubble met their final resting places and the air cleared enough for the Prophet to check the integrity of his alchemic sigil… he screamed in fear as he noticed that the wall had fallen over a 30 foot section of the Chaos flame causing a break in his binding symbol. The spell that had bound the will of the Chaos-GI was broken… but the being of chaos remained.

The monster realized its freedom before the fire of the sigil had begun to die out. He moved with startling speed toward the only thing it wanted more than to do its masters bidding… Kill the master himself. It reached the dumb founded Prophet before he could banish the beast back to the realm it had come from. In one last desperate attempt to escape the wrath of his onetime slave, he touched one of the pendants at his neck and once again flattened to ash and disappeared through the walls of the courtyard in a cloud of dark smoke leaving everything… his surviving band of Mystics, his enemy, and his prized possession behind to face the terrifying Chaos-GI alone.