Traitor's Legacy: The Claughter Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Isla Muerta

            The winds from the nearby coasts flowed through openings within Jaden’s tent, brushing past her hair and skin, causing her to shiver slightly. She rubbed her exposed shoulder in an attempt to warm it, paying no heed to her other shoulder which was covered by her armor’s shoulder piece. She then stroked her armor’s breastplate, relishing the moment she wore her new armor for the first time. With her nose held high, she attached her sheathed katana onto the armor’s belt and was prepared to move on to the next phase of their plan:

            The Battle for Isla Muerta.

            Pushing aside her tent’s opening, she trudged out of her tent and looked up into the dark skies. The cold wind sent shivers up her spine, adding in to her nervousness over the upcoming battle which could cost her life. The skies were prepared to cry for her in the battle, though whether it would be of joy or sadness was yet to be known. Heaving a heavy sigh, she reassured herself that she had taken many steps to reach there and the battle will be the last step before the conclusion.

            Looking back down, she spotted Yoren Wincaller, approaching her with an obvious smile on his wrinkled face. “You look good in that armor…even for a human.” the old orc commented.

            “Thanks. Let’s see what this baby can do in the coming battle.” Jaden replied.

            “Are you nervous?”

            “Hmph, I would be lying if I say no.”

            “Trust me, you’re not the only one. Come, the rest of the leaders are waiting for you.” Yoren said before gesturing her to follow him. Following him through a jungle of tents, Yoren lead her to a massive campfire where the leaders of the individual races awaited for the leader of the Liberator Alliance. Reed and Vader were present and, upon seeing Jaden, they waved at her. Naturally, she approached them with a beaming smile of joy.

            “Wow, that armor looks good on you. It will certainly serve better than the old rags you’ve been wearing.” Reed commented as he checked out Jaden’s apparel.

            “As long as you keep your eyes on the enemy, I’ll agree with you.” Jaden retorted.

            “Jaden Highland ready for combat?” queried Vader.

            Turning to him with a warm smile, Jaden nodded and replied, “Haven’t I always?”

            “Ah Ms. Highland. You’ve arrived.” Zian of the aliens greeted. “You really took your time to come after multiple transmissions. According to Mason, instead of killing Dark Viper, you actually joined forces with him? Could you explain yourself?”

            Jaden remained silent, expecting his accusations but still trying to form an explanation in her head. The other leaders turned to her with suspicion, with Rex flashing his red “eyes” at her.

            Thinking she owe them one, she replied, “Everyone, I did not join forces with Dark Viper. It was he who volunteered to join us.”

            “And you so quickly accepted his aid?” Rex of the VX Synthetics questioned.

            “No. In fact, I was more willing to kill him than anything else.” Jaden replied. “You see, while tracking him down, I was captured by Dark Viper’s men. During my capture, he revealed his identity as Blaze Hazard to me. He’s…”

            Her sentence trailed as she tried to think of a way to explain Viper’s true identity without making her already suspicious allies even more apprehensive. Telling them of her relationship with Viper would only cause mistrust, hence, she told them, “He was a friend of my mother.”

            “Is that so?” Zian asked. “According to what I know of human history, Blaze Hazard vanished during the Grand Betrayal, presumably killed by Viper. Are you telling us that Blaze Hazard and Dark Viper is the same person?”

            “Yes. He revealed to me that he was suffering from a spell known as Iblisan’s Will.”

            “Iblisan’s Will?” Lady Nora of the Mannihilators reacted with shock. “Are you certain? If you’re correct, that explains the Grand Betrayal.”

            “Indeed. Iblisan’s Will is capable of turning even the nicest human into a monstrosity.” Mistress Sierra of the Snow Mannihilators added. “But, if his original self was beginning to emerge, he must’ve been trying very hard to resist the spell’s effect.”

            “Yeah…at least that’s what I think is going on.” Jaden said.

            “So, you accepted his help?” Zian asked.

            “Initially, no. Dark Viper killed my family and I wasn’t ready to forgive him. However, considering his relations with Iblisan, and the fact that he has a large number of human loyalists on his side, his help would prove invaluable.”

            “You’re not afraid that he might just turn against us out of nowhere? What if Dark Viper just emerged out of the blue?” Zian questioned.

            “Then we destroy him. We have no choice and I doubt his men can do much against our combined might.”

            “Where is he now? How exactly will he help us?”

            “He said that his army will strike from the shadows. I’m guessing he will attack Iblisan’s men only when the fallen angel least expect it. He won’t be participating in the fight however. He does not want to awaken Dark Viper accidentally by standing close to Iblisan.”

            “Hmm…I don’t like this Jaden. Viper is a very cunning individual. He might be faking this second persona of the missing Blaze Hazard.”

            “Trust me Zian…I was hoping he was lying too. I don’t like this as much as you do.”

            “Well…I guess we’ll just have to deal with him if he tries something. Next time, let us know if you want to make any big decisions like that. Come on, let us focus on the coming battle.” Zian said as he gestured to everyone to turn their attention back to the map of Isla Muerta placed on a portable table.

            “All leaders are accounted for. I say we start the briefing now.” Rex proposed, answered by nods from the other leaders.

            Jaden started by asking, “Okay, I don’t know much about this Isla Muerta so, could someone fill me in?” She turned to the island and pointed at the faded out silhouette of what seemed to be a mountain on the island.

            “The island of the dead volcano…at least that is what we used to call it.” the Dissidian Tribal chieftain, Randal, answered. “It houses a volcano which ceases to function after many long years of activity. Rather expectedly, Iblisan resides at the top of the volcano, treating it like his personal throne.”

            “What? He’s not afraid to char his butt with the lava?” Blake Mason jested.

            “It is nonfunctional, which means the volcano will not be erupting anytime soon.” Randal reacted while glaring indistinctively at Mason.

            “I know. I was just joking.”

            “If memory serves, Ariel fought Iblisan at the top of the volcano once.” Lady Nora added. “She lost the fight. I reckon Iblisan has an advantage up there.”

            “Nora’s right. Iblisan is a very huge being.” Zian spoke. “The path up the volcano is narrow and there’s little space for maneuvering. A carefully placed swat from him and you’ll be tumbling down the volcano. We can’t send an entire army up there and air support will be crushed by his unfathomable magic.”

            “In that case, only a small team should go up the mountain and combat him directly.” Mistress Sierra suggested.

            “We’ll need to send our best then. Any suggestions?” Jaden asked. However, rather than getting an answer, the leaders all turned to her.

            “Why don’t you do it Ms. Highland? According to Vader’s reports, you’re one of the best.” Rex told her.

            “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Jaden retorted. “Don’t you guys have anyone specialized for this?”

            “Perhaps, but none of them have the power or the experience in dealing with Iblisan.” Zian answered.

            “Neither do I!”

            “Maybe, but you certainly have a knack for the impossible.” Mason replied.

            Jaden remained silent, shocked by their suggestion, before tapping her thighs hard in frustration. Though she had been preparing herself for Iblisan, she expected herself to be backed by an army. She heaved a heavy sigh, cooling her tensed body, before answering, “Fine! But I’m not going up there alone.”

            “Of course you aren’t.” Zian replied. “You’ll assemble your own team. Our flyers will bring you behind enemy lines, where your team will fight your way to Iblisan. Our ground forces will fight through the enemy and our flyers will intercept any reinforcements they may try to bring in to assist Iblisan.”

            “And the Mannihilator fleet still orbiting space will provide air-to-ground support.” Lady Nora added.

            “Ok. Now that we got that settled, here’s a plan I hatched in my head during our rest.” Zian said. “We’ll be using alien portable canoes to transport our army to the island. The VX Synthetics and the sirens will form the front lines so they will canoe through first while the other provide backup. The dragonites will simply transform and fly to the island.”

            “Excuse me but mind if I interrupt?” Rex requested. “We VX Synthetics have force field generators that allows for underwater trekking. Our forces can stealthily move underwater without short-circuiting our systems. If that doesn’t suit your taste, we also have jetpacks that allow flight.”

            “Are you serious Rex?” Jaden asked.

            “Of course I am. Robots can’t lie.” Rex jested.

            “Alright then. The VX Synthetics will…well…walk underwater while the canoe carries the sirens and any of our warriors it can carry.” Zian continued. “Once we’re ashore, we will all form up and march towards the volcano. Chances are, Iblisan’s forces will gather around the volcano as a last line of defense.”

            “That’s where the action starts right?” Reed asked.

            “Yes. The shooting and slashing will start. Mason, are the sirens readily armored?”

            “Yup. I told Asura, she gave the order and they made no complaints whatsoever about wearing thick metal armor over their exposed body.”

            “They better. Iblisan’s lieutenants are armed with anti-shield magic. They will be shredded if they are unarmored.” Zian commented. “Ok, that’s all we got for this briefing. I’ll update as the battle wages on. Anything else you would like to add, Ms. Highland? A final speech perhaps?”

            Caught off guard by his question, Jaden’s brow rose with surprise. She looked around as everyone in the vicinity turned their attentions to her. Her heart began throbbing as her fear of being speechless came to her and sweat began to trickle down her shivering body. Her eyes moves wildly around, staring back at the leaders and the many warriors looking at her. However, when she caught sight of Yoren Windcaller, her eyes stopped moving.

            The elderly orc nodded with a warm smile. Despite the ambiguity of his gesture, Jaden knew what he was trying to tell her. With everyone’s attention fixed on her, the founder of the Liberator Alliance, they were hoping that she had something inspirational to tell them as they may not come out of the battle alive. Though Zian was the one giving most of the orders, she was the reason why they were fighting together. It was time she reminded them of their cause.

            Pulling in her fast breathes and ceasing her shivering, Jaden sighed in an attempt to regain her composure. While holding on to her wrist, she stepped forward, cleared her throat, and prepared a speech for the Liberator Alliance.

            “Here, we stand upon the soil of Dissidia, the home planet of my people, the humans. For many generations, humans were the primary civilized race that treaded upon the once tropical planet…until now. Today, for the first time ever, we have aliens, sirens, elves, orcs, dragonites, minotaurs, VX Synthetics, a demon and other factions of humans, all sharing the same space, walking united as one.

            We share the same campsite, the same fleet, the same name, and even the full might of Iblisan’s cultists and dark angels could not stand against us. For many years, we humans waged war against the non-humans. Now, we stand as one, shoving our birds at their prejudiced philosophies.

            I admit, we humans are not deserving of the kindness that the non-humans are showing us for the past month. Many died fighting against our ancestors, and many more have died fighting for our survival. But, trust me, your sacrifices will not be forgotten and the impact it has will be felt for the years to come.

            Today, we fight not only for the survival of my people, but also for all of you. The presence of the dark angels heralded many extinction events in the past…yet here we are, still awake and alive!

            For twenty years, my people have suffered until the brutal tyranny of Iblisan and his cultists! It is time we bring an end to all the suffering and bring back the peace we all crave for! Let us all repeat the legend of Ariel Silver by defeating…no…destroying the Angel of Temptations! We have made history today…and we’re only a step away from making yet another!

            Iblisan will fall today…if you all stand with me! Are we ready for the fight of our lives?”

            The crowd surrounding Jaden brought their fists up while cheering, “Yes!” Motivated by her speech, the warriors of the Liberator Alliance applauded their leader.

            “For the Alliance, for the dead, for Dissidia, for the world!” Jaden shouted before pulling out her katana, enchanting it with Light Energies and thrusting it into the sky. Her followers echoed her and the Liberator Alliance let out one, synchronized roar.

            With her sword held up, Jaden looked up into the sky, knowing well enough that all that she lost were in Spiritus, looking down upon her. Breathing heavily from the adrenaline rush, she thought hard about what led her to her destination and knew in her heart that her mother would be proud of her. She brought her sword down, returning to reality as orders were thrown around by the leaders to their people.

            “Alright people, get to your stations! Mason, tell Asura to direct the sirens to the canoes! It is time for the fight of your lives!” Zian shouted.

            Yoren approached Jaden, nudging her in an attempt to catch her attention.

            “Well said young one. Well said.” Yoren complimented.

            “Thanks. All that came out of nowhere.” Jaden replied.

            “Alright Jaden, form your team and rendezvous with one of our transports at the opening behind the campsite.” Zian ordered. “Yoren, old buddy, I need you to direct your people in the battle.”

            “I know. Good luck Zian.”

            “You too Yoren.”

            “I must go now Jaden. I suspect you want to have a few last words with your crew.” Yoren said before leaving Jaden alone. Her crew, eavesdropping Yoren’s words, approached their leader while waiting for her to speak.

            “So, you guys ready?” Jaden asked.

            “Tch, you were all high and mighty five seconds ago and that’s all you can say now lass?” Tareshah retorted. “Come on! We’ve been kicking ass for a very long time now! Have some spirit!”

            “In that case…are you guys ready to fuck up those assholes?” Jaden shouted.

            “Now that’s more I like it!” Kida reacted before the rest cheered, save for Vader.

            “Ok, serious talk now.” Jaden said, silencing her crew’s applauding. “You guys are quite possibly the only true friends I ever had throughout this long journey. Very few people in my life remained faithful to me even after everything we have learned of one another. The battle that is to come is what we all work for. I’ll be blunt, the chances of all of us making it out alive is slim. But, know that no matter what happens, I will always love you guys like family.”

            “Hey, the feeling is mutual Jaden, except that I’m the husband and you’re the wife. The rest of these idiots are our kids.” Reed joked. Kida and Jaina, in retaliation, shoved him, causing him to reacted, “What?”

            “Hehe, if there’s one thing I will miss the most is your big mouth.” Jaden replied.

            “You didn’t think I will actually die do you? Besides, if you want to remember my mouth, might as well kiss it.”

            “Okay!” Jaden said before pulling him in and kissing him, much to the pleasant surprise of their fellow crew members. Startled, Reed pulled back from the kiss, wiped his mouth and said, “Whoa…you did not just did that.”

            “I sure did.” Jaden told him.

            “Hoho. I’ll be remembering that for a while.” Reed said while trying to regain his composure.

            “So, who’s going with you to Iblisan sis?” Markus asked.

            “Honestly, I’d rather all of you come with me but Zian insisted that the team be small. It was a hard choice but…Vader, Reed, you two will be coming with me. The rest of you, help the army.”

            “Yes Jaden Highland.” Vader acknowledged.

            “Awesome! Maybe you can kiss me again as we climb up the volcano. It may actually erupt this time!” Reed jested.

            “Alright Jaden, good luck and may Ariel walk with you.” Gavin wished her before the others nodded.

            “Have fun up the volcano Jaden. Kick that angel’s ass for my dead brother, Damien Mors.” Kida added.

            “Be careful sis. We’ll wish you three the best.” Lucas said before saluting her alongside their brother, Markus.

            “You’re my hero Jaden and you always will be! Here’s your number one fan wishing you the best!” Xiara said with seeming joy.

            “Good luck Jaden! If you make it through this, you’d make an awesome Templar!” Jaina complimented.

            “You’ll live through this lass, I just know it. Kick ass Jaden!” Tareshah told her.

            “You guys will be in my prayers always. Be careful and good luck.” Jaden wished.  “Now go. The army needs you all.”

            Acknowledging her words, her crew members left and joined the rest of the army as they began their trip across the waters surrounding Isla Muerta, save for Vader and Reed. Markus and Lucas, however, stopped in their tracks and turned to their sister.

            “Jaden, we’d like to apologize for lying to you. Dad was really proud of you…and we’re sure mom is too.” Markus told her.

            “This unit wishes to apologize too.” Vader added.

            “Already forgiven guys. Markus, Lucas, it is time we fulfill the vision Mason keeps talking about.” Jaden replied.

            “Indeed Jaden. Come on Markus. Let’s go.” Lucas said before leaving with his brother.

            “Well, now that all the wishes and greetings are over, what now?” Reed asked.

            “We meet up with the transport that’s supposed to take us to the volcano.”

            “Heh, you think the dark angels and cultists would simply let us fly past them? Why not just let me take over the Crimson Spinner and fly us to the volcano? I’m pretty confident in my abilities to dodge all their blind shots.”

            “You know what? Good idea. Let’s go!”

*     *     *

            “Crimson Spinner’s fired up and ready to go!” Reed said as he began pushing buttons all over the cockpit. Jaden and Vader stood behind him, watching as he prepared the ship for liftoff.

            “Does the alien, Zian, approve of this Jaden Highland?” Vader asked.

            “Maybe not but I already told the transport that they can go without me.” Jaden replied. “After all, I’m still the leader of the Liberator Alliance.”

            “A leader who may be flying right to her death.” a male voice said, coming from outside the cockpit. The trio turned to see a dark, hooded figure standing in the briefing room alongside a female figure. As they observed the figure, they noted the man’s violet eyes and the woman’s long blonde hair.

            “Viper…Elysia…what are you two doing here?” Jaden asked.

            Rather than answering, they marched into the cockpit while glaring at Jaden, causing a chill of uneasiness to flow down her spine.

            “I know I said I won’t be involved in this battle…but I don’t believe you’re properly prepared for Iblisan.” Viper said. “And please, don’t call me Dark Viper.”

            “What do you mean?” Jaden asked as she shrugged. “I know a secret to defeating Iblisan.”

            “Then you must have been speaking to Theresa. She told me the secret too.”

            “Ok, what are you two talking about?” Reed asked, his mind muddled by the unfamiliar terms.

            “Reed, not now.” Jaden replied. “You know Theresa?”

            “Know her? Yeah…I guess you can say that.” Hazard answered. “Her secret may be able to weaken Iblisan’s shields, but it won’t permanently destroy it. I know a spell that can destroy it for good…a gift from the angel himself.”

            “Alright. Are you going to use it against him?”

            “I can’t unless you want to deal with Dark Viper too. However, I can teach you.”

            “What? Now?”

            “Yes. Either now or never.”

            “But, what spell?”

            “Shatterpoint, a Force Energy spell. And don’t worry. Force spells can be cast by anyone with Magical Energies regardless of type.”

            “Force Energy? Hold it!” Reed interrupted. “Jaden, Force Energy spells are one of the three forbidden magic arts and for good reason. Force Energy spells are so powerful that it can potentially corrupt your mind, make you more power-hungry. No one has managed to resist the temptations of power that the Force magic arts give.”

            “It is the only way to destroy his shields Mr. Robinson, unless you want Jaden to continuously try to weaken his shields and tire herself out in the process.” Hazard retorted.

            “Ok Jaden, I don’t approve of this but it is your choice.” Reed replied.

            Remaining silent, Jaden thought hard about this tough decision. On one hand, she could listen to Reed, reject the offer and try to destroy Iblisan using nothing but the secret Theresa provided. On the other hand, she could learn the spell and have an easier time destroying Iblisan, although it could potentially harm herself according to Reed. She also thought about how long it would take for her to learn a new spell when a battle was going on.

            “Jaden, Iblisan is a very powerful being.” Hazard told her. “If you’re going to destroy him, you need to be more powerful than him, whether you like it or not. Use his weapon against him and Iblisan will die the most ironic death.”

            “Or you could turn into the very same warmongers that started the past wars. Those idiots may not have used the forbidden magic arts but all the side effects could make you end up like them.” Reed said in an attempt to counter Hazard’s reasoning.

            “Reed, I understand and appreciate your concern.” Jaden said as she gave her answer. “But, Blaze Hazard knows Iblisan more than we do. If I have to give up my sanity to defeat this fallen angel and end this war, so be it.”

            “Ok Jaden. But, in case you do get corrupted by the spell, just…don’t force me to be the one to end you.” Reed retorted.

            “Just like Mason and Dementius’s vision…” Hazard muttered. “Come Jaden. We’ll train in the briefing room. Learning a Force spell is unlike a normal Magical spell and won’t take as long. Let us start as quickly as we can.”

*     *     *

            The last canoe has arrived and the remaining warriors fell in with the rest of the army. With Zian leading the charge in Jaden’s stead, the alien king pulled out his laser katana and ignited its blue energy blade. Pointing the blade into the dark sky, he signaled the order to move. Throwing their fists into the air, the Liberator Alliance cried out with fury before pulling out their weapons and charging towards the dead volcano.

            In the distance, a massive flock of dark angels swallowed the sky in a sea of black and blue. They approached the army, flanked by a huge army of humanoid silhouettes, assumed to be the human cultists of Iblisan. An explosion echoed in the distance and a projectile, trailed by a smoke line, flew out of the cultist army and heading straight for the Alliance army. In defense, Kida flung a Shadow Bolt at the cannon, intercepting and destroying it.

            However, more cannons began to fill the skies and aware of the danger the artillery posed, the leading siren army powered a unified magical shield that enveloped the entire army. The cannons made impact with the magical shields and exploded, the Alliance army protected from the blast. Despite the protection, the sirens were forced to remain still, halting the army to remain under the shield.

            “They got us pinned down. What now?” Gavin asked Zian.

            Yoren answered, “Let us orcs deal with this. This dead land cries in pain and we shamans will direct its unrest at the enemy.”

            Flanked by many other robed orcs, Yoren closed his eyes and clapped his hands, releasing a soft tremor that erupted from him. Reopening his eyes, Zian recoiled at the sight of his eyes glowing white as brightly as Jaden’s. Yoren then continued clapping his hands, releasing tremors of increasing strength before his fellow orc shamans mimicked him.

            Eventually, the tremors grew powerful to the point of cracking the earth and turning into a violent earthquake. Yoren ceased his clapping and reached out his hand at the enemy, controlling the direction of the earthquake and directing the shockwaves at their artillery. With the force of the earth, he destroyed the artillery units, burying into the earth or breaking them with the full force of an earthquake.

            The dark angel flock reached the Alliance army and noticed the elderly orc channeling his spell. Realizing the danger he posed, the dark angels dived towards him, through the magical shield, and prepared to attack him. Sensing the danger he was in, Yoren stopped his casting and sidestepped to avoid a sword slash. He kicked the dark angel away, exposing it to a flurry of bullets shot at it by the Alliance army.

            Locked in combat and the threat of the enemy artillery reduced, the sirens lowered the magical shield and engaged the dark angels alongside their allies. With their enemies busy fighting the flock, the cultist army, led by the infamous Lieutenant Father Heyman, moved in while utilizing any artillery units that managed to survive the onslaught.

            Zian brought up his rifle and blocked a dark angel’s sword. He struggled as he tried to push against his assailant’s immortal strength. Suddenly, Kida’s loyal minion, Hathgrave, cut down the dark angel with his titanic axe, freeing him from the struggle. After nodding at the demon as thanks, he turned around to notice the approaching cultist battalion.

           

            “The Cult of Iblisan approaches! Bring in the air support!” Zian shouted.

*     *     *

            A beep sounded on Reed’s earpiece, signaling the order for air support, which included Jaden’s strike force, to begin their flight towards Isla Muerta.

            “Hey…hey! That’s the beep! We’re to fly behind the cultist army now!” Reed shouted. “Jaden, wherever you are, you better be ready because I’m flying the ship now, straight into the fire!” he said through the intercom.

            “Jaden Highland is currently attending lessons with her father and…”

            “Yeah yeah whatever Vader. I’m not falling for your lies anymore.”

            “I’m a robot Reed Robinson and…”

            “Robots can’t lie…I know. You’re getting predictable and it’s not going to work on me anymore. Now shut up and let me fly the ship in peace.”

            Seemingly annoyed by Reed’s tendency to contradict himself, Vader heaved a robotic sigh.

            In a rush to get into the action, Reed quickly hovered the ship off the ground before following other ships and a dragon flock into the sky. He then made a beeline for the battlefield, closely following behind a dragon. As he neared the chaotic and explosive environment, his heart began pumping with anxiety and excitement. His grip of the steering handle tightened and sweat trickled down his forehead.

            Maintaining a smirk on his face, he reassured himself, “You can make it through this. This is for my family…especially you lil’Marian.”

            Jaden sat on the cold floor of the Crimson Spinner, her eyes closed and her mind cleared of thoughts. Heightening her sense of hearing, she listened closely as Blaze Hazard explained to her the new spell she will be learning.

            “Shatterpoint is a Force Energy spell and as you probably heard from Reed, it is one of the forbidden triumvirate arts and posed a danger to anyone who utilized it excessively.” Blaze explained. “You will feel the temptation to learn more from the forbidden arts once you start using its spells but, with a strong enough will, the temptations can be brushed aside. Otherwise, you’ll soon become power-hungry and deprived of humanity. I hope you are ready to resist the lust for power.”

            As the ship rocked from a nearby explosion, Blaze and Elysia lost balance for a brief moment while Jaden only flinched barely. She nodded in reply to Blaze’s question, prompting him to continue his teachings.

            “Very well. Listen Jaden, we live in a material world full of things, both tangible and intangible. Everything that exists in this world remains in existence as long as the God of Creation is in control. As powerful as the God of Creation is, his creations are not perfect. We are the prime example of this; we age and we injure. Because of this, know that no matter how impenetrable something may be, there is always a weak point to be exploited. With proper training, one can even break time itself.”

            “Shatterpoint, a Force spell, gives a Magic user the ability to detect these weak points. With this spell and a properly placed shot, you can break anything, even something as impenetrable as a siren’s shield. In order to use this spell, you must channel your available Magical Energies into the object you wish to break. Like sensing a heartbeat, you reach out for a weakness, or a “crack”, in the object and then use whatever you have in your arsenal to strike at it directly.”

            Blaze pulled a nearby chair to his side. He lost his grip of the chair as the ship vibrated once again before Elysia passed it to him. “Now Jaden, block all of your senses from your environment and channel your Magical Energies into this chair on my hand. Take note that my hand is holding on to this chair and you may accidentally sense for my weak point instead. Once you find the weak point, destroy it with your sword’s hilt.”

            “You’re a powerful Magic user Jaden. You can do this.”

            Listening to his directions, Jaden ceased her sense of hearing and succeeded in blocking off all of her senses. While trying to sense for the chair’s weak point, she accidentally reactivated her sense of hearing. She reached out for Blaze’s heartbeat instead, more used to it than the spell she was learning.

            Though not her intentions, she noticed an unnatural slowness in Blaze’s heartbeat, implying that he was calm despite the situation they were in. This also contradicted with Dark Viper’s furious and aggressive temperament. Despite being calm, her heartbeat was still faster than Blaze’s and hearing his heartbeat eased her mind with a soothing chill and allowed her to better focus on her training.

            Retracting her heartbeat sensing, she forcefully ceased her sense of hearing once again and utilized her Magical Energies, channeling her Light and Dark Energies into the chair. Though her eyes were closed, she could see a blue and red energy forming into the shape of a chair. Bright cracks began to envelope the chair, converging at the base. Instinctively, she knew that is the chair’s weak point.

            Grabbing her katana and enchanting it with Light Energies, she leaped at the chair, prompting Blaze and step away. She struck at the chair’s weak point with a tap of her sword’s hilt. Seconds later, cracks similar to what Jaden saw appeared and the chair began to disintegrate. The pieces fell onto the floor while Jaden watched, stunned by what she just observed. With a light tap of her sword, the chair simply broke.

            “You’re a fast learner.” Elysia commented. “It is no wonder why you’re so powerful.”

            “Indeed.” Blaze added. “You’re ready.”

            “That felt…easy.” Jaden told them. “I don’t want to sound cocky but…”

            “It seems too easy…I know.” Blaze replied. “Just like the secret Theresa gave you, learning this forbidden spell is very easy. Mastering it would take days rather than years.”

            “But if it so powerful…able to destroy time…why is it so easy to use?” Jaden asked. “Normally, I expect very powerful spells to be difficult to learn.”

            “Aside from being dangerous to one’s sanity, there are reasons why the spell is forbidden.” Blaze answered. “It is very easy to learn and that adds to its powerful nature. In fact, it is the ease of learning that usually tempts people into wanting to learn more.”

            “I see. Yet, spells as powerful as this are generally harder to learn.”

            “Because other spells requires mastery over a certain Magical Energy type. Force Energy does not require mastery at all.”

            “Which reminds me, why was I able to use Shatterpoint even though I don’t have Force Magical Energies?”

            “You do actually. Everyone does.” Blaze replied. “Force as in your “life force”. With whatever Magical Energies you have, you channel your own life force into casting this spell. This also explains its corruptive nature.”

            “But…I wasn’t even hurt. Isn’t using your own life force supposed to hurt?”

            “It didn’t hurt because Shatterpoint is the most basic of all Force spells.”

            “Hmm…I can almost see why people would want to learn more about Force spells.”

            “Don’t fall to the temptations now Jaden…unless you want to end up like me.”

            “Don’t worry. I won’t.”

            An explosion shook the ship and Blaze answered, “Good because we’re in the middle of a battle. Remember that I can’t go near Iblisan. You only got Reed, Vader and Elysia to back you up.”

            “Good enough for me.”

            As Jaden approached the cockpit to check on Reed, Blaze held her shoulder to stop her. “Jaden, Iblisan is very powerful.” Blaze told her. “Please, be vigilant around him. Never take him lightly. I already lost your mother and all my friends to my crazy alter ego. I don’t want to lose you next.”

            “I’ll be fine Blaze.” Jaden replied while pushing Blaze’s hand off. “You worry about yourself and Dark Viper.”

            Blaze nodded, understanding what she meant, although he sighed as he recognized a hint of hostility in Jaden’s expression.

            “Alright. Use Shatterpoint and Theresa’s secret together to defeat Iblisan. Good luck.” Blaze wished Jaden. Believing the sincerity behind his words, Jaden nodded with a forced smile before continuing into the cockpit.

            “Elysia, watch over your adoptive sister for me. Sometimes, I get the feeling that her anger over what Dark Viper did will cause her to lose focus.” Blaze said as Elysia approached.

            “I will dad. Don’t worry about her. After all, she is the prophesized person in the vision you kept mentioning.” Elysia replied.

            “Dementius, the man who first saw the vision in the future, warned me that these visions are not always set in stone. I certainly hope he’s not right in this case.” Dark Viper explained.