Shattered Conduit

His respite couldn't be long enough as Alex groggily awoke and rubbed his eyes. He spotted a pair of hikers making their way towards him. He knew he couldn't be seen armed to the teeth with medieval looking weaponry while wearing an infant dragon's skull half mask.

"Dad, we're getting too far from the trail!"

A woman with brown curly hair in her early twenties exclaimed.

"Calm down Nadia I know, just give me a minute, I heard screaming."

The older man said intuitively. He was experiencing a cold sweat yet was still curious. Nervous yet emboldened to help.

Interesting. That man. He's either stupid or brave; most likely both. Either way you know they can't reach the cave young one. We never cleaned off the blood or what was left of the body.

Alex agreed and knew the best course of action was to somehow force them away. He thought of simply telling them to leave but he left his mundane clothes back home. Alex's gut began to twist in knots.

"Damn. Guess I have no choice then."

Alex knew he had to conjure up some kind of spell or Arcane to scare them away. His powers were exhausted and he was still working out the kinks of the Arcane that Telimbyr gifted him. His mind was racing and he broke out into a cold sweat, 

'What to do, what to do?'

Would you mind if I took over young Achilles? If that man discovers the lizard's body you WILL have to discard both of them.

"No, hell no, I'm not doing that, you're not making me. They're innocent!"

He exclaimed as quietly as he could.

If you fail in being able to dissuade them from this location I will make you do so anyways. Even if it is against your will, young one. They cannot discover the existence of Laenings

Alex sighed. He was worried about Telimbyr's increasingly hostile and bloodthirsty attitude toward mundane humans and the general populace of his world and home. Did the Wraith forget that not too long ago Alex was no different then these people below him?

"Fine, Fine, just leave it to me."

Alex wasn't sure of the plan he had hastily come up with but it was the best he had. However, before he could jump down from the branches the two hikers simply became ragdolls and fell to the grass. Alex was taken aback.

Not a millisecond later Alex was sent through the branch he was crouched upon, he was smashed into the ground and cracks appeared where he landed. As he tried to lift his head to look at the bodies of Nadia and her father he felt an absolute pressure being exerted on his limbs and torso. His vision blurred and he coughed up blood and as he made an attempt to peer at the woman and man their clothes turned damp and became doused with a dark crimson liquid. Their limbs twisted in ways they shouldn't have. He could hear their groans.

"Wraith. They're still alive."

Alex said in terror.

 Their heads suddenly flattened like grapes on a wine press.

Alex's eyes grew wide with disbelief for a moment he couldn't think or say anything, a low growl escaped from his lips as tears began to trickle down his cheeks. He began to think back to how everything went so wrong so quickly...

How everything in his life became so mangled... Bleak... and desperate.

The loneliness, the pain, the suffering the futile attempts he made to empower himself and improve his abilities the best he could so he could protect those he loved. How did it go so wrong in so few months?

_______

"Alright, up you go buddy."

 Was all Alex could hear. His ears were numb and he was bleeding from the forehead, His whole body ached and was sore. His muscles tensed with nothing but pain.

Mino was trying to tell him something while dragging his semi-conscious friend along but he heard nothing. 

Mino was half Japanese. He had long brown hair but his eyes were slightly slanted, his face was angular yet square-like. He had Oliver People glasses.

"You look terrible." 

He said with a smirk. His auburn hair falling down his face haphazardly. He offered a hand and Alex took it and got off the floor.

Alex was sitting in the nurse's office propped up by a few pillows. He had a killer headache and could taste the metal in his mouth. Both his lips and left eye felt swollen and he felt some cuts on his brow.

Mino handed him a cup of coffee,

"This should help."

He said with a smile.

Alex took it without complaint even if he didn't like coffee too much, but better than nothing. Where Mino got it? Who knows. Alex knew Mino for swiping and hoarding all sorts of things. Of course Alex wasn't a snitch either.

Nurse Samaniego came in with a clipboard and a frustrated look on her face, Alex shrugged with nonchalant eyes, she sighed.

"you youngin's need to learn to behave yourselves, I swear I'm sending home half the kids that end up here today because of you and Mr. Osmit not to mention the poor kids who got trampled in today's stampede after your little fight with him." 

The fat nurse continued to scold Alex for a few more minutes and Mino cleaned his Oliver People glasses with the rag he obsessedly carried in his pocket at all times no matter the place. After a few more minutes the nurse let the two go off to class.

Mino thought it to be sad though. His friend was always fighting, always struggling to do right and be better but often times then not he failed. Whether it be against Oslo or girls or even life, but Mino quickly dismissed the notion and was simply glad Alex was happy

Alex sneezed then rearranged his green and black striped beanie.

They arrived at Biology, their least favorite class and took their seats. The usual monotony of the day passed them by. Calisca gossiping about boys, Halle reading her books, and Rome flinging papers and other school supplies across the room and Alex fidgeting with his beanie. It seemed as though the ticking of the clock couldn't go by slower for either of them. 

"Now everyone I posted the wave proportion's assignment on google classroom and it'll be due by next Monday you'll have the rest of class to work on it and catch up on any missing work you might have."

Mr. Jay finished his lecture and went to his desk to read.

Mino noticed it was an older book, The Crystal Shard. Mino was never the reading type but thought it might be a good read if he was reading it.

"So you just gonna keep staring at him or what?"

Calisca raised her eyebrows in confusion.

Mino couldn't get her out of his face. Then again she did sit next to him. She was a rather petite girl with medium length hair. The color of said hair though was platinum blonde at the tips and a deep dirty brown at the roots with highlights of brown scattered about her head. "Calm down, it's just that Mr. Jay is reading and if he's reading something then it must be good."

Calisca looked at Mino as if he were crazy. She blew her hair out of her face and just went on her phone to check her new wolf cut and frosted tips. Mino shrugged and made his way to Alex across the room.

"It's funny. Not even an hour ago I was covered in blood yet here I am not a care in the world."

Alex cracked a huge smile and motioned for Mino to sit next to him.

"Not even an hour ago you were getting your ass beat."

Mino reminded him.

"Yet here I am."

"Yet here you are."

They sat in silence both smirking and on the verge of laughter.

Mino was perplexed though. He hadn't heard that many rumors or people for that matter talking about Alex's little scuffle. Either people didn't care or Mino wasn't listening. Maybe a mix of both, but Alex didn't seem to care and he didn't; he was just worried about passing Mr. Jay's class and about eating lunch. They're only just kids their only worries are school and what video games to play when they get home. Unlike actual adults they don't have to worry about bills or rent that they might have to pay.

The Bell rang. 

The rest of the day went off without a hitch and Alex trotted his way home walking past the 101 freeway and to his dilapidated house of one story that he lives with his single Mother.

"How was your shift at the hospital?"

He shouted across the tiny duplex.

"It was fine. Don't stress baby."

She grunted. 

Alex's Mom was splayed out on the couch three beers deep after a long graveyard shift at Talon's very own metro general located in downtown Talon. Alex was surprised she was still up considering she was working the overnight shift but he figured she was about to pass out anyways. He grabbed her EMS jacket and threw it in the washer machine and some of his own laundry.

He stared insistently at the roaring of the machine. Focusing on the tossing of the clothes and spuds from the soap and water mixing. He left to pick up and clean after his mom, he carried her to her room and tucked her into the queen sized bed. 

"Ay, what am I gonna do with you?"

Alex wished he remembered that Spanish song that always soothed him that she used to sing. Working at the hospital and as an EMS no less is stressful, even more so at night with drunk driving accidents and other crimes.

After a certain point you get numb around the death and suffering of others so Alex figured his mom tried to shelter him from those very things. She did her best he had to admit but at the end of the day she was trying to drink herself into an early grave and Alex didn't want that for her. He cared too much about her and didn't want her to go down the same path his Dad did. Alex hated the bastard for leaving them even though he wears the guy's beanie everywhere. The one thing he can't let go of is that stupid beanie. It's the only thing that gives him comfort in times of anxiety and stress. A sort of coping mechanism if you will. That and a reminder to be better than his father no matter how painful the memories were.

Alex sighed.

"The hell am I gonna do?"

He nodded his head and took it easy for the rest of the night and fell asleep to some old 80's movies.

A growing sense of lust clouded his mind. He was surrounded by the mourning of death and a stormy castle veiled within a thick fog. But a different likeness of lust grew about Alex. His lust for battle and the deeply seeded, although small, core of ambition was within him. He knew in the very roots of his subconscious something was waiting for him. A light that was also dark. a darkness that was also bright. Or were these feelings even his in the first place?

The castle Alex saw shook and exploded with the rattling of catapults being hurled back and forth destroying magnificent stone towers that defended the castle. Banners of a crescent blue moon being stabbed by a rapier were draped all along the castle's walls and towers. Soldiers bearing the same insignia were being mowed down by a single gigantic foe clad in full viridescent armor. Alex at first assumed it was for camouflage but soon realized it was not in fact camo at all but emerald armor with the symbol of a spiked leaf on the centerpiece of the breastplate.

"Who wilt challenge I? Rodrick The Greenspike? Who amongst you unworthy Swiss knights will fell me?"

He roared while taunting the Moon knights. A single much smaller foe approached Greenspike boasting a crown made of some sort of onyx stone and the symbol of the castle on it. The knight held only a single knife and a wooden hatchet.

Greenspike laughed, bowing over to come face to face with his opponent. His expression and demeanor immediately changed however and he recognized who it was instantly and swung his great ax first.

The knight blocked the attack with the blunt side of his hatchet and stared with such an intense amount of bloodlust and murderous intent Rodrick almost puked. He stepped back to gain some reach and continued his onslaught from afar trying to break through this knight's or rather the king's defense. This did not bother Rasputon however, and he began to shift his arms in such a way that Rodrick knew what was coming and Rodrick whispered. 

"May the All Seeing Mother be with me."

He charged.

Rodrick full well knew what was coming but was also smart enough to know there was no way to defeat or avoid it. So he chose to die with honor.

"Xanul." The king spoke without hesitation.

An orange and red beam of incredible light burst forth from Rasputon's arms and Rodrick The Greenspike shouted with all his might as he charged towards his death.

"Damn you brothe-"

Then nothing.

Greenspike was nothing but ash and dust. Not even his beautiful armor could save him.

The king sheathed his weapons and rubbed the temples of his forehead. He sighed and quickly completed some hand symbols and spoke.

"Hear me honorable soldiers of the Greenspike faction. Your leader is dead. see through my eyes and witness what thou art occur to those who defy me. Lay down your arms in humility and you may yet live another day to fight honorably for a lord who cares." 

Rasputon fell to the ground afterwards, having been exhausted from casting of the Arcane. 

I told you not to push yourself my love.

a playful yet feminine voice reached out.

Rasputon smiled knowing Selene to be by his side. It gave the king solemn comfort to know the love of his life would quite literally never leave his side.

A young but rather strong looking woman appeared before him basking in a radiant yet reddish hue of scarlet light. Her curly golden hair burst with color and her smile made the king melt. His happiness was cut short however as the commander of the king's watch rushed to Rasputon's side. Kneeling before him, head bowed.

"My lord many of the Greenspike forces have surrendered and joined our forces but some have rallied with rage in spite of Rodrick's death."

Rasputon grunted.

The greenspike family did encourage and bring about impressive morale, it is only sensible their lord's death would enrage and bolster them to keep fighting

The woman said within his mind. 

Rasputon's face grimaced with an even darker expression and merely grunted again. The woman disappeared and Rasputon drew his weapons to finish what he started.

"Where are they located?"

He asked his commander flatly.

"On the south side of the castle my lord, on the ramparts and siege towers. There are four battalions of them with each tower numbering around 50 men each. The other remaining Greenspike forces surrendered as I said."

"Good. Let's get this over with then."

His eyebrows furrowed with fury and Rasputon was off jumping above his castle wall to head towards the southernmost part of his castle. His home, Castle Selene, named after his family's surname was all Rasputon had known and he could not afford to lose it.

 Alex could feel it. He felt Rasputon's emotions, his identity, his ambitions and dreams, doubts, fear, anxiety, hope all of it as if it were swirling within his own heart. 

He felt who Rasputon was and he was the kind of man who did not give second chances. One who would coldly do what he must.

So Alex continued to watch this dream until he awoke covered in sweat.

The Tv was still playing but this time instead of 80's cartoons it was reruns of Doctor Who from the late 2000's. He turned off the TV and furled his brow while trying to wipe the sweat off his back and armpits. His mother was still passed out beside him and he carried her to her room. He wondered if that was really a dream or not. He almost confused realities but to Alex it felt so vivid, so real as if he was transported to another world. Either way it didn't matter. 

What mattered was taking care of his mother. That and eating he was starving and ordered some pizza for dinner. It was around midnight yet Alex wasn't tired since he took the nap but he did have work tomorrow after school so that would be a problem.

"Might as well try and get at least some sleep before school tonight."

"Well maybe after this pizza."

He said temptingly, while maddeningly rubbing his hands.