Red Valor 1282: The End of an Era

[Elven Doritos]

The Anti-Mage stood triumphantly, adorned in his trademark glistening ebon platemail as energies of the foulest sort crackled violently around him. He stood on a beautiful grassy knoll as thousands of acres seemed to stretch around him, the unnaturally clear sky magnifying the beauty of the spectacle. Laying dead beneath him, however, were the carcasses of false creatures, petty in nature and impotent to his conviction, each of whom demanded to be adored by mortals.

Gods. Pathetic, wretched deities, lacking the power or instinct to combat the black power brought by absolute devotion to a singular cause: destruction. One by one, the Anti-Mage's blade ended their pretentious existence as its wielder, in perfect harmony of weapon and spirit, rejoiced in the glory of battle. But the deaths of these pathetic idols were not enough. The Anti-Mage sought clarity, perfection. Completion.

A stern voice, flushing with an undertone of utter contempt, echoed around him, filling the open vale with the booming cry of a mighty lord. The Anti-Mage turned to see, sitting upon a regal throne, an aged man dressed in Imperial robes, gazing emptily at him. It was the face of Maximelius Detrivan in all but its cold, empty eyes: black pits that seemed to pierce through souls.

The Anti-Mage laughed hysterically as he struggled to speak. "Krio-Rionisis, leader and patriarch of the false idols. What an amusing situation this is."

The regal figure continued to gaze at the Anti-Mage, showing no emotion at all. No fear, no hatred, no disgust was evident from the blank expression. The words he spoke, however, carried the weight of a thousand years, issued with nobility and poise only possible from the greatest of beings. "Amusing?"

The Anti-Mage stiffened at the empty response as he drew his blade closer. "Yes. Your kin are all but gone, and it is only a matter of time before the rest are nothing but ash."

Rionisis sat in silence, his empty gaze upon the Anti-Mage.

The Anti-Mage brought his blade dangerously close to the deity as it crackled with black lightning. "You empty wretches disgust me. You are nothing but little children given too much power!"

Rionisis did not stir.

A nervous laugh escaped the Anti-Mage's lips. "You are given the power to do anything, yet you cannot even help those in need. They cry out to you, huddled in the dark, and you are but a crutch for them. They rely on you, they depend on you, when they could help themselves. You are indifferent to their pleas, and you are therefore guilty of any harm that comes to them!"

Rionisis tipped his head casually to the side, as if he was bored.

The Anti-Mage brought his blade dangerously close to the deity's throat. "You are guilty. And I am here to deliver the verdict."

Rionisis spoke. "Do you really think it will be that easy?" The regal deity began speaking in the Tongue of the Gods, speaking words of primal form. Words that represented the very fabric of the universe: The Words of Unmaking. Words that Rionisis had spoken seventeen times before, each time resulting in the death of some cosmic figure. Beings of near-omnipotence. Gods themselves.

The Anti-Mage felt a tear forming in the very well of his heart. His soul was being pulled in a thousand different directions, even as his body felt as though it was aching in ways he had never known possible. With a sharp movement, he fell to his knees, the pressure on his mortal form being too great to withstand. His eyes were boiling, even as his heart ceased beating-- perhaps it was gone altogether. Each of his fingers seemed to be turning into a liquid, and his hair felt like it was growing inward.

And then, nothing.



Nothing?

He flexed his fingers.

The Anti-Mage removed his helmet so that his opponent could see his broad smirk. "I am alive, Rionisis. Even your word-magic cannot harm me."

Rionisis twisted his borrowed visage into the semblance of fear. The empty-eyed doppelganger was staring in horror at the black-armored Maximelius Detrivan, the latter now full of malevolent confidence.

Rionisis faltered. "No..."

The Anti-Mage grinned. "Yes."

Scarlet spattered the golden fields as the Anti-Mage cackled with joy.

[Numinous]

Hallelujah!!!  ElDo gives me more fiction!!!  I salivate oce again for the stories I dream of...

[Raelifin]

Critiques: "The Anti-Mage stood triumphantly, adorned in his trademark glistening black platemail as energies of the blackest sort crackled violently around him."

I'd change the second bold section to "empty, entropic energies". It just seems a bit silly and repetitive as it is now.

"And then, nothing.



Nothing?

He flexed his fingers."

This was very confusing because I thought the deity had won. By using the word "nothing" followed by a personal pronoun you confuse the reader. If this was intentional, cool. I had to read it twice though.