Blue Nexus: Dark Soul Pt. 4 - The Prayers of Gods

Previously in "Blue Nexus: The Dark Soul": Kyle and Brenda journeyed to the lost, great Halls of Penetanon to see if they could find what the nefarious mage group, the Mystic Sven, had discovered. There they encountered a young woman named She, who informed them of the mysterious nature of the Dark Soul. Kyle and Brenda were separated, and while Brenda was flung to the far future, Kyle found himself face-to-face with a young Aequitas and his black dragon. 

            The black dragon emitted a bit of steam from its nostrils while it lowered its massive head down next to Aequitas, who patted its thick, sharp scales rather mindlessly. Kyle tried to find the will to stand but the blue eyes of the dragon held him in place. Aequitas grinned and strode across the way to Kyle, holding his hand out.

            “Don’t worry,” Aequitas said. “He won’t harm another Nexus.”

            “Is he a…?” Kyle asked, but Aequitas just yanked him up to his feet.

            Aequitas’s voice was different from the one in the ethereal Nexus, where he was a metaphysical being known as a Sentient. It was deeper here; perhaps not quite as resonant, but Kyle could feel power in it. Or maybe that was just the lull hum of the dragon breathing behind them both.           

            “So, what brought you here, young friend?” Aequitas asked.

            Kyle brushed himself off and gazed at his surroundings. They were in a wide open plain, with nothing around for miles. He checked beneath him, but there was no door there, not even a marking in the ground where he’d come from. Aequitas raised a curious eyebrow.

            “This isn’t the Nexus, is it?” Kyle asked. “Like, some sort of, I don’t know, physical part of it?”

            “We are on Earth,” Aequitas said. “Far to the east, away from any great civilization. Where I was born, raised, and discovered the gift of the Nexus.”

            “Earth?” Kyle asked. “It doesn’t feel right.”

            He held his hand out. He still had his Nexus energy emanating from his bracelet, but, something was off. There was so little else in the world. It felt like it did before the Awakening, before Rafael and the Magus War. The world was quiet, literally and magically.

            “What year is it?” Kyle asked.

            Aequitas glared at Kyle before his expression softened and he nodded. “It would seem that you’ve been misplaced in time.” Aequitas shot his hand out and gripped Kyle’s bracelet. Kyle had no time to react. A blue flame erupted between them and washed over both of them before fading to mist before it could touch the ground. “A Nexus from the future? How intriguing.”

            “It wasn’t the Nexus that brought me here,” Kyle said. “I was in the Halls of Penetanon, maybe you know where that is.”  
            Aequitas nodded. “I know of the Palace of Penetanon, to the west, where the mages live together. It’s not very open to others, despite my status.”

            “They won’t even admit someone with the Nexus?” Kyle asked.

            “No,” Aequitas said. “They are very particular over there about having mages, exclusively, reside within their halls. Though I suppose that’s more of a matter of keeping them in as well as without.” Kyle’s confused expression egged Aequitas to continue. “Magic is new to this world, perhaps only by a few thousand years or so. While it seems the rest of the universe has magic scattered throughout, this world has been slow on the rise, or so I am to understand. It’s magic that has brought me back here, and magic that, I presume, guided you here.”

            “More like shoved me here, but yeah,” Kyle said. “I fought some sort of shadowy monster beneath the halls, but, I didn’t see anything like a palace when I was there.”

            Aequitas nodded. “All the more telling that an ill fate awaits those at Penetanon. Unfortunately, I would not be able to point you the way.”

            “I can,” Kyle said.

            Aequitas chuckled. “I’m sure you could, if you knew where you were going as well. You know precisely where it is in your time given various reference points, yes? Well how are you to know where something is compared to the other if it looks completely different? Besides, you’re not thinking like a mage; they may use their Reality magic to hide themselves from the world.”

            Kyle sighed and agreed. “Do you know anything about a place called Magus Forest?”

            “There are thousands of woodlands around the world with mages in them,” Aequitas said.

            “Damn.” Kyle placed his hands on his hips. “No leads.” He raised an eyebrow and looked up to Aequitas. “Wait, what brought you to Earth?”

            “A mystical object that I’d only heard rumor of before, but research among the cosmos has told me of its truth,” Aequitas said. “I’d hoped those of Penetanon would help but it would seem that they wish to stay hidden, thus I must search for this object on my own.”

            “Well, not anymore,” Kyle said. “I’ll help you out. Maybe it’ll help me find my way back home. I’m sure there’s someone here with strong enough Reality magic to get me back home.”

            “Not just that, but you could also use the Nexus to your advantage,” Aequitas said.

            “How?” Kyle asked.  

            “Ah, you’re still green.” Aequitas held his hand out and enveloped it in blue flame that swirled up and then down his arm. The flame consumed his body and he vanished. When he reappeared, he held several apples in his arms and tossed them over his head to the dragon resting behind them. “The Nexus exists in a place out of time, out of matter. It’s power derides in cosmic energy, something that we, as humans, as creatures borne of the stars, can tap into. Using reality magic to bend the concepts of space, mixed with the time displacement of the Nexus, will allow you a direct path to Earth.”

            “That makes so much sense now!” That, of course, Kyle realized, being his ability to travel through space-time in his little Nexus bullet; he practically moved through time. Learn something new every day, Kyle thought with a small smile.

            “Indeed, but it doesn’t mean we can waste any time,” Aequitas said. He turned away from Kyle, looking over the hill they were on. “I’ve been tracking a malevolent group of mages across the world with hopes they could lead me to my destination but it has been to no avail. They’ve shown me nothing, but have reached the point where fighting them is a challenge, even for me. This cannot be allowed any longer.”

            “Ah, good, a group of baddies we can throw down with,” Kyle said, clenching his fists. “Where are they?”

            “Six hundred miles east of here,” Aequitas said. “I wanted to stay relatively close to them.”

            “Six hundred miles is relatively close?” Kyle asked.            

            “Yes,” Aequitas said.

            Kyle just shook his head. The dragon snorted and stood up on its front legs. Something dawned over Aequitas and he just smiled.

            “Ah, how foolish of me, it seems we haven’t even had introductions,” Aequitas said. “I am Aequitas, son of Rylan, and this is my friend, Mogul.” Mogul nodded and shot some blue flares from his nostrils.

            “I’m Kyle, son of Mark,” Kyle said. “I’m from Earth.”

            “As am I,” Aequitas said. “Though, you seem to know me.”

            “I’d rather not explain why,” Kyle said. “But the fact that we’ve met at all means that everything could be messed up where I’m from.”

            “Or it could have just been set on its own path,” Aequitas said. “The nature of the universe and beyond still evades me, Kyle, but there are two truths I know as a certainty: everyone seeks goodness, and those who don’t seek conquest.”

            “You’re talking about the War Gods.”

            “Indeed I am. Have you encountered any?”

            “No, only their acolytes, and someone that tried to ascend to one. He was a mage, a pretty insane one at that. Maybe you know him, his name is Rafael, he was the leader of the Six Pillars of Magic.”

            “That name isn’t familiar to me,” Aequitas said. “But is the Mystic Sven familiar to you?”

            Kyle’s eyes widened. “No way, the Mystic Sven existed…I don’t know, hundreds or thousands of years ago? That’s insane!”

            “It’s improbable but given their nature not impossible,” Aequitas said. “Which makes them all the more dangerous. Come, we have to stop them before they can find another artifact!”
            Mogul roared and Aequitas sprinted forward, blasting through the air with blinding speed. Kyle’s aura burst around him and he shot through the sky as well, cutting through the air. It smelled much fresher than the air from the present time, and the ground beneath him was a lush, undying green. Fresh rivers and seas flowed beneath him.

            A shadow passed overhead and Mogul flew by even faster than both Aequitas and Kyle. Kyle surged forward, but never lost sight of the dragon flying in front of him. A stupid grin appeared on his face and he tried to keep up with them. Aequitas must have sensed the energy output and turned around to Kyle, but instead of rolling his eyes with disappointment at how slow Kyle was, instead beckoned him forward. Kyle happily responded.

            The dragon took a dive when they crossed over a long-flowing river. It dipped its wings into the water, throwing mist into the sky, and then skimmed its talons along the water. The great scaly behemoth bellowed but it was low, and, oddly, joyful. Kyle could somehow understand it. Mogul took to the skies once again, and the sun reflected beautifully off its scales. They twinkled and glowed in the afternoon light, just as beautiful as the Nexus auras coating Kyle and Aequitas.

            Mogul slowed up and Kyle spun out of the way as Mogul levelled out with Kyle and seemingly nodded to him. Mogul started to speed up and Kyle did the same. His eyes sharpened, though, and he significantly slowed up. Aequitas did the same. Kyle cut off his power and fell free through the air for a couple seconds before catching himself and dropping back down a cliffside. Mogul dove into the valley, masked by shadow. Kyle landed carefully next to Aequitas, who was hidden among the rocks.

            Kyle braced himself against one of the boulders, keeping his energy low. Aequitas had his eyes closed and his hands folded over one another. He stayed that way for another moment before he opened them and some sparks flew from his hands as he peeled them apart.

            “Nine of them,” Aequitas said. “Travelling fast. They’ll be here any moment.”

            “You can sense their magic?” Kyle asked.

            “No, I can sense their life energy,” Aequitas said. “Hurry, find another place to hide. On my signal we shall strike; but be careful. I sense that one of them is far more powerful than the others. He has things with him, weapons and artifacts that will prove dangerous in one-on-one combat.”

            “Right,” Kyle said, and skirted away to another cliff-face. He lowered himself to be immersed in shadow and held his hand out, summoning his Nexus lance. He sensed Aequitas also brandish his weapons, but couldn’t see him.

            Voices carried over the wind, but there were no visible signs of anyone. A rumbling up ahead turned Kyle’s attention, and a dust cloud started to form at the edge of the valley. Kyle gripped his spear tighter. Another voice grew among the rest, and he heard a rock tumble near him.

            Blue lightning arced across the sky, and combat exploded before him. Aequitas was on the ground in a second and two of the mages were already down. Kyle couldn’t see what happened next as a streak of purple cut across his rib cage. He flipped away and blocked the next attack with his spear.

            He landed on uneven ground as a cloaked Combat mage danced through the rocks toward him, moving with grace and speed. Kyle whirled the spear and blocked his next attack, then thrust his elbow forward but missed. Still, he had an opening. He blocked the mage’s knife jab and crashed his knee into the mage’s. Kyle elbowed the mage across the face and he tumbled down the cliffside.

            Kyle flipped over the boulders and landed in the main fray, blocking a bolt of Demon magic with his spear and then slicing up with the Nexus energy to clip the mage across the side and knock him back into a large carriage that’d probably been carrying them. Kyle knelt down as he sensed Nexus energy swelling overhead and a massive blue bolt destroyed it, shooting blue flame and smoke high into the sky.

            The last of the mages dropped to the ground. Aequitas and Kyle opened their hands up and their weapons vanished. Kyle pulled a body near him and spotted the familiar mark of the Mystic Sven upon his neck.

            Though, it was strange; this man looked far more muscular than any human back in the present. He was well-cut, fit, and pretty handsome. All of them were. Perhaps this was some sort of elite squad, or, perhaps, humans were still evolving from their massive ape-like bodies. They would naturally have more muscle.

            “Kyle,” Aequitas said, and summoned Kyle to his feet. Kyle rose and turned to the flames, where a single figure strode out of them, holding an orb in one hand and a staff in the other.

            “It would seem we’ve attracted the attention of the Nexus,” the voice said. It was deep, powerful. Whoever this was crushed the orb in one hand and a substance swirled around him for a moment before absorbing into his body. “Very good. I’ve been meaning to see how I stand against one of the universe’s more formidable opponents.”

            “I’ve heard legend of you, but never thought I’d have the pleasure to meet you in combat,” Aequitas said. “Emperor Uruk.”

            With a single wave of his hand he blasted a gale of wind that snuffed out all of the flames. Kyle tried to see any hint of an aura around him, any hint of magic, but all that was there also came from the pieces beneath his feet.

            Uruk stabbed the staff into the ground and something pulsed around them, and a small black dot appeared beneath them, but nothing happened with it. Kyle held his hand out and his lance appeared.

            “Two Nexus,” Uruk said, and closed his eyes. He breathed in the fresh air, and in a single swipe removed his cloak, revealing a body carved like a statue, with scars running along it but with deep muscle lines. No veins protruded obscenely like most muscle men, though. Odd. Maybe another evolution thing.

            “Your path ends here,” Aequitas said.

            “My path only begins here,” Uruk said. “I’ve finally gained the objects I need to get into Penetanon. I was hoping I would meet some resistance along the path to test their true power before putting it on display for myself.”

            “This is no test,” Aequitas said.

            “No, it is.” Uruk stepped away from the staff and started strolling forward, rather lazily. His pupils turned pure black.

            “Kyle, get away with Mogul, now,” Aequitas said. “I can stop him.”

            “We’re stronger together,” Kyle said. “We can make this quick if we work together!”

            “Then you’ll die together!” Uruk, in a single bound was just in front of both Aequitas and Kyle. The man was massive, standing easily at what had to be eight feet tall and was nothing but pure muscle. Kyle moved out of the way, but right in the way of his leg.

            Uruk’s foot crashed against Kyle’s face and blood immediately filled Kyle’s mouth. He was also, in an instant, sent back-first into the cliff. Stars burst out in front of him and he couldn’t see anything for several seconds, but his other senses informed him of the sounds of battle. Fist clashed with fist, feet danced along the ground, and the rhythm of the violent battle sung to Kyle’s ears while he tried to clear his head.

            He finally got his vision back in one eye and watched, barely, as Aequitas launched a flurry of blows into Uruk, who either blocked or just took them all. Uruk grabbed Aequitas and tried to punch him but Aequitas was gone, in a flash, and was just behind Uruk. He kicked off the giant’s head and sent him into the ground.

            Kyle burst into action while Uruk propped himself back up. He launched an energy ball at Uruk’s face, knocking him back into the cliff but also getting him back on his feet. Kyle didn’t care and bounded forward. He dodged Uruk’s punch, and thunder clapped next to him. The entire left side of his body went numb, and then the rest of his body followed as Uruk punched Kyle in the face and kicked him away.

            When vision and senses returned to Kyle, what couldn’t have been more than a few seconds later, Aequitas was bounding toward Uruk again, but moved with a grace and fluidity that Kyle had never seen. He had his daggers out in both hands and spirals and flares of Nexus energy burst from each step he took, or ever move he made. Uruk was fast, but not nearly fast enough to block the onslaught of Aequitas’s attacks.

            Uruk stumbled back, almost tripping over the staff. Kyle quickly took up a ball of energy and cast it at the staff. Uruk roared and punched the ball of energy down, creating a momentary smoke screen before the small black hole beneath him opened up when the staff touched the ground and Uruk was gone. The dust fell in with him.

            Silence befell the canyon. Kyle dropped to both knees, feeling the rivulets of blood trickle down the sides of his face and from his nose. His arms wobbled, barely able to hold the boy’s weight up.

            “Kyle, that was a good shot,” Aequitas said. “I’ve never seen a human capable of deflecting a bolt of Nexus energy like that.”

            “He was using magic,” Kyle said.     

            “No, he was imbuing his physical strength with magic,” Aequitas said. “That was all Uruk right there. I should have been more careful. You could have been hurt.”

            “I’m fine,” Kyle said.

“The world at large may not be, though,” Aequitas said.  “Not if Uruk can actually find the Dark Soul.”

            Kyle’s ears perked up. “You’re tracking it too, aren’t you?”

            “I need to find it,” Aequitas said. “I need to understand its nature and how it shall affect this world when its power is unleashed; I must understand how to stop it.”

            Kyle chuckled and some blood came out of his mouth, too. “Well, what a coincidence. I think it was something to do with the Dark Soul that sent me back here. Guess our little team-up is far from over.”

            Aequitas hesitated, then nodded and glanced to Kyle. He had a glimmer of pride in his eyes, a small smile on his face. “For years I served as Earth’s only Nexus.” A shadow came over him. “After tragedy struck my brother, I thought I’d be alone forever. But having you, Kyle, to help me? I wouldn’t trade it away.”

            A small pit formed in Kyle’s stomach. He could hear the words in Aequitas’s voice when the Sentient asked Kyle and Brian to put his brother down before he could absorb the universe in Dark Nexus energy. Black Nexus, Aequitas’s brother, was no more. He was still alive in this time, trapped in the Nexus prison.

            “We have to hurry, though,” Kyle said. “Uruk said he was headed for Penetanon. He might be looking to destroy it, and take whatever he can find to get him to the Dark Soul.”

            “I agree,” Aequitas said, and threw his hand into the air. A bolt of Nexus energy shot up, and when it exploded, took the form of a dragon’s head. A low roar shook the canyon before Mogul’s shadow consumed the sky, and he floated above them.

            “We’ll ride on Mogul for greater speed,” Aequitas said. “There’s not longer a need for stealth; the enemy knows we’re coming.”
            “But we still don’t know where to go,” Kyle said.

            “Unfortunately for Uruk, those artifacts he used also made it much easier for me to track him,” Aequitas said. “Though it’s faint. We must head west!” Aequitas helped Kyle up. “I also sense another disturbing bit of cosmic energy out there that we may need to tend to first. Something oddly familiar.”

            Aequitas helped Kyle boost up and onto the back of the dragon. Mogul’s body was much larger than it appeared in the sky. Kyle nestled down against the oddly comfortable scales. The body was warm and exhumed Nexus energy unlike any source Kyle had felt before. He felt his arm locked against the scales when Mogul roared and began to move.

            His body swayed once, like on a boat, and while at first the motion was unsettling, he grew used to it. The clouds and the sky turned to a very white-blue blur as Mogul cut across the Earth.     

            “Tell me, Kyle,” Aequitas said. “What do you know of the Dark Soul?”

            “It’s the most powerful magical artifact,” Kyle said. “And even the greatest mage in my time wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
            “Anything else?” Aequitas asked. Kyle shook his head. Aequitas said, “I thought it was simply a legend the mages whispered of. They spoke of it as it an object of the end times, though they coveted its power. Still, I must wonder why those of the First Civilization never spoke of it.”
            “So we’re in the Second Civilization?” Kyle asked. “That’s where magic began. I met someone from this time.”

            “Me,” Aequitas said.

            “No,” Kyle said and groaned from the strain of his injuries. “Someone else. Someone who still somewhat lives, anyway. She was in the Hall of Penetanon.”

            “While I have no doubt that the palace will eventually go away,” Aequitas said. “I should hope that it does not fall soon, otherwise we truly are seeing an end-times for the mages of this world. We live in a time of peace, of sanctity. Humans interact with each other as per usual, but without the presence of a War God there has been no major hostilities. Not to mention that the mages and non-mages of this world live in harmony.”

            Kyl felt Mogul begin to slow as they passed over land. Aequitas muttered something and Mogul responded by turning his path a bit. Kyle glanced over the side of the dragon and saw hundreds of tiny villages, all with Renaissance-level of technology and advancement, living together. However, while the houses were of a Renaissance-architecture, major buildings, incredibly tall and well-built like small skyscrapers, rose into the sky.

            “Humans are just fine without the presence of magic,” Aequitas said. “There’s no need for them to feel inferior to anything, even the great beasts of the land. It’s why the mages of Penetanon shutter themselves up, and why organizations like the Mystic Sven are looked down upon.”

            “Magic is a gift,” Kyle said. “We shouldn’t hide it.”

            “If people begin to fear, they begin to grow restless, and violent,” Aequitas said. Still, he sighed. “But this is the struggle of having a world that must be good. It’s so easy to become violent and fall into times of war; the true difficulty is understanding the path to peace and actually walking this path. Eventually this peace will be shattered, be it by Uruk, the Dark Soul, or a man hungry for power.”

            “So it can never end?” Kyle asked.

            “I don’t know,” Aequitas said. “I truly don’t.”
            Mogul floated them to a town sitting upon a massive plateau, with a familiarly sloped hillside. Kyle raised his eyebrow at the sight and began to sit up, bracing himself against Mogul all the way. The dragon roosted upon the ground with a controlled descent. Aequitas hopped off and Kyle just rolled away, cutting up a bit more of his shirt.

            “I don’t think this is the Hall of Penetanon,” Kyle said.

            “No,” Aequitas said, and pointed ahead. “But that is.”

            Kyle followed the direction and his mouth dropped while his eyes feasted upon the most beautiful building he would ever see, even more splendid than the one destroyed by Black Nexus on Orion VI.

            It was a brilliant shade of rose and silver, with walls standing tall as a skyscraper and a keep that rode up even higher than that, high enough to see the entire world. The clouds cut it off at the head, so, perhaps there was more. Kyle could see specks of massive stone statues—those Silver Guardians!—standing at the edges of the walls.

            “Can you see it?” Aequitas said.       

            “Yeah,” Kyle said.     

            “Good,” Aequitas said. “Don’t let its nearby presence fool you. We’re still a ways off from it.”
            “Then why are we stopping here?” Kyle asked.

            The trio had landed a ways outside of town. The rest of the town was at the base of the hill while some of the smaller homes were on the plateau. Kyle approached a small hose on a little bump in the plateau. He massaged some of his muscles and goosebumps overcame his body.

            Wait a second…this…this was…

            “Ah, Kyle,” a familiar voice said. Kyle followed it to Brother Time, standing in the doorway with bags under his eyes. He wore clothes from their civilization, whichever one that was, and looked just awful.   

            “Brother Time, what’s happened here?” Kyle asked, rushing to his friend’s side. He winced at his injuries.

            “I was trapped here,” Brother Time. “I was split three different ways. I know I’m…” He touched his forehead. “No, I…I’m not certain of anything anymore. I just know I’m trapped here, and I’ve been waiting here for you.”

            “For me?” Kyle asked. “Did you send me here?”

            “The magic did,” Brother Time said. “As it did myself.”

            “The magic of PEnetanon,” Aequitas said. “I’m sorry, Kyle, who is this?”

            “This is Brother Time, a hero from my era and someone capable of traversing time,” Kyle said.

            Aequitas held his hand out and Brother Time meekly gripped it. Aequitas grimaced. “You are weak.”

            “I did skip leg day,” Brother Time said.        

            “No, your life energy runs low,” Aequitas said. “Whatever business we have here must now become urgent, or this man will die.”

            “Get me to Penetanon,” Brother Time said. “We need to be there, Kyle. It’s where everything happens.”

            “Everything?” Aequitas asked, but Kyle didn’t bother with the questions. He braced Brother Time and started away, taking one last look back at the house.            

            “You knew I’d come back here, didn’t you?” Kyle asked.   

            “You always come home, Kyle,” Brother Time said. “So I had faith to find you here.”

            Kyle smiled. “It’s good to see you. Everything is going to be okay, I promise.”
            “I know, I trust you,” Brother Time said, his voice raspy.

            “We shouldn’t fly Mogul over, we’ll have to go ourselves,” Aequitas said. “Will you be okay, Kyle?”

            Kyle grimaced, but nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

            “Then let’s go. We should figure out a way in on our way there.”

            Kyle started floating. “I think I know a way.”
            They blasted off. Kyle held tight to Brother Time, which grew easier the more he slipped into the Nexus energy to gain strength. They sliced through the sky with ease. Kyle looked up to Aequitas, who flew with precision and focus.

            He felt dwarfed by the man. Aequitas wasn’t just a legend, he was the legend. The one that drew Kyle into the Nexus, the one whose brother had the power to engulf the universe in darkness. Aequitas had travelled galaxies, fought actual War Gods—he had a dragon as a pet!

            How belittling must it be for Aequitas to be running around with someone as weak as Kyle? He couldn’t even get a hit in against Uruk and was tossed around like some random ragdoll, meanwhile Aequitas was able to go in there and force Uruk to retreat. Aequitas could do things with the Nexus Kyle could only dream of.

            Still, though…Kyle smiled. Aequitas was real, and he and Kyle shared a similar goal. They wanted to save the world, they wanted to be heroes. Aequitas wasn’t above something as simple as that.

            It took them about a half-hour or so to fly to the edges of the castle. A small town—miniscule in comparison—coated the outer rim with some stores, vendors, and homes. The massive Silver Guardians stood watch, stoic as ever, over everything. Aequitas and Kyle floated down to the titanic iron gates, with a massive watchtower dividing the two sides of the door.

            Kyle set Brother Time down and ripped free part of his shirt before the Silver Guardian at the top of the watchtower even had time to move or ask them anything.

            Marred beneath the Nexus aura and some lines of energy was the growing Demon mark implanted upon Kyle many months ago by Jericho in the Nether. Kyle saw Aequitas freeze, but Brother Time looked with impatience from the guardian back to Kyle.

            The Silver Guardian flashed and then tapped the tip of its blade to the ground. The gates groaned and slid open.

            “You’re a Demon mage?” Aequitas asked.

            “It’s a long story,” Kyle said. “But hey, now we have a way in. Let’s move before they realize what you guys are.”
            Kyle still helped Brother Time in, using his shoulder a crutch as they moved into the massive courtyard. The gates started to close behind them. Kyle looked nervously at first around the walls but when his eyes fell to the calm, collected visage of Aequitas he quelled his nerves.

            The world around them blinked and they were in another room. Kyle froze, and Aequitas stopped walking as well. Silence befell them, until footsteps echoed nearby.

            “It’s not Uruk,” Aequitas said.

            “Indeed,” a feminine voice said. Kyle looked over his shoulder as a familiar young woman strode forward. She wore a long black dress that covered all of her body, and she had short hair that bobbed up and down while she moved. “It is merely I.”
            “Who are you?” Brother Time asked. Then, he whispered to Kyle, “I’ve seen her.”

            “Same,” Kyle muttered.

            “My name is Abalin,” she said. Kyle looked her up and down. Now question about it, this girl was She, the odd ethereal figure from the Halls of Penetanon. She held herself with a  bit more respect and regality now, though. “I summoned you here.”

            “Reality magic at its finest,” Aequitas said.

            “Ah, Nexus master, how interesting to see you,” she said, and stopped, standing atop a seven-pointed star. “You are no mage, and yet, you seek something.”

            “I seek to stop the one known as Uruk from attaining the Dark Soul,” Aequitas said. “And I wish to find it so I may understand its properties, and ensure the safety of our world.”
            “Very well,” Abalin said. “I shall guide you to this understanding.”

            Aequitas couldn’t get a word out before Abalin’s hand flared green and black and Aequitas crumbled to his knees, but his eyes remained open.

            “What’d you do?” Kyle asked.

            “Showed him what he seeks,” Abalin said, and Kyle saw a red glow form around him. In her other hand she weaved her fingers about, performing Shield magic. Kyle’s wounds and aches vanished, and Brother Time stepped away from him, breathing easier than he had the entire time they’d been together. “What is it you seek?”

            “A way home,” Kyle said. “And, yeah, to understand the Dark Soul.”
            “You’re not where you belong indeed, Nexus wielder,” Abalin said. “But your voice, it speaks of knowing me. Some version of me.”
            “Yeah,” Kyle said.     

            “I understand,” Abalin said. “My magic stretches far and wide, across all realities. Such is the curse of being the first mage of this Second Civilization.”
            “How old are you?” Kyle asked.

            “Two and a half thousand years old,” Abalin said.

            “And all the other mages?”

            “You seem to think I’m not human, when that could not be further from the truth. In actuality, my body is weak, but my soul?” She reached down and touched her hands to her heart, and a black glow formed there. A small white outline distinguished a small black ember in her hands. “My soul has existed since the First Civilization.”

            Kyle’s eyes widened, and Brother Time took a step forward. Kyle stopped him. “No, don’t touch it, we don’t know what it can do.”
            “This is but a piece of the Dark Soul,” Abalin said. “The ethereal part, the part that one cannot simply attain. When it merges with the physical soul it shall coat the world in a great darkness.”

            “I won’t let that happen,” Kyle said.

            “It is the nature of things,” Abalin said. “You seem to not understand. I know the true nature of the Dark Soul, Nexus. It is magic, time, and space. When the Dark Soul is awoken, this Civilization shall end, and a Third shall rise. Then the same shall be with it, the Fourth, and so on.”
            “Which one are we from?” Kyle asked.

            “The Fourth,” Brother Time said. “The Third Civilization saw the rule of Rafael and the Six Pillars. It was brief; the world could not handle all that magic.”

            “And the Dark Soul was activated sooner than expected, leading to history forgetting itself,” Abalin said.

            “And what happens if the Dark Soul is destroyed?” Kyle asked.

            Abalin looked to the magic in her hand, and then drew it back into her body. A small veil appeared around her for a moment before dissipating.

            “I know not,” Abalin said. “I’ve only ever known the Dark Soul. When it destroys this Civilization it shall leave me for a time before returning; the ethereal soul must have a host until it can find and merge with the physical soul.”
            “All of these people are going to die?” Kyle asked. “You’d let that happen?”

            “No,” Abalin said. “Well, yes, of course. Life ends and death begins. Eventually these people will die off and magic will find its new home, guided by great scholars wishing to understand the nature of the universe, such as our dear master here.”

            “Can you stop the souls from merging?” Kyle asked. “Is it possible?”

            “I don’t know,” Abalin said. “I know only this: Uruk seeks the ethereal soul, for he knows the location of the physical one. Only I have the power to stop him now. He will be here soon.”

            “Then we have to destroy the physical soul,” Kyle said. “That way we can stop the Dark Soul from ending this Civilization.”

            “Kyle, no!” Brother Time exclaimed. “Then what happens to you and me? We cannot damage time like this.”

            “The Dark Soul is time, and it is space,” Abalin said. “It’s impossible to know how things will truly change.”

            “If we destroy it, we take out any chance that Uruk gets more powerful than he already is,” Kyle said.

            “No.”
            Kyle turned to the glowing aura that rose up, and Aequitas’s eyes filled with blue. His weapons were already drawn.

            “We must preserve it,” Aequitas said. “The Dark Soul cannot be destroyed. If it should be, then all balance in this world will be destroyed as well.”
            “You can’t know that,” Kyle said.

            “I do,” Aequitas said. “I’ve seen it.”

            “She…she might be playing games with you!” Kyle exclaimed. He heard Brother Time step away while Aequitas took a step forward.  

            “Kyle, you have been a noble ally, but you must understand,” Aequitas said. “I am going to find the physical soul. Abalin has shown me the path. I’ll find it, and I will protect it until the time comes for the souls to merge.”

            Abalin bowed but Kyle stepped between them.

            “Stand down, Aequitas,” Kyle said, and felt his hands shaking.

            Aequitas simply nodded, and removed his cloak from his body. Kyle’s was already in tatters. Dozens of tattoos and markings graffitied Aequitas’s body. He held his hands out and the two long, curved daggers formed in his hands.

            “Don’t do this,” Aequitas said.          

            “I have to,” Kyle said. “For your sake. I’ve seen real darkness, I’ve been there.”

            “The Dark Soul isn’t true darkness, Kyle, it is the step forward,” Aequitas said.

            “At what cost?” Kyle asked.

            Aequitas remained silent, then, “The necessary one.”

            Kyle roared and his lance formed in his hand. He slammed it on the ground and the world blinked again, this time taking them to massive, open field. Kyle barely realized it, and Nexus energy still pulsed from the ground toward Aequitas, who bounded towards Kyle.

            A million thoughts of fear, doubt, guilt, and shame all crossed his mind but they were consumed by an overwhelming instinct to dodge. Kyle listened and avoided being sliced in both shoulders by Aequitas’s blades.

            The two turned to face each other. Kyle enhanced his aura and power and burst forward, attacking with all the skills he had at his disposal. Aequitas blocked all as if they were child’s play. Kyle jabbed one last time before surpsingly letting go of the spear, flipping back, and kicking Aequitas across the chin.

            “Wave Two!”

            He landed with another burst of power, this time lightning crackling in his aura and his power growing immensely. He held his hand out and the lance snapped in two when he caught it. Kyle caught the other end of the lance and once again moved toward Aequitas.

            Aequitas led the assault this time, but Kyle was able to keep up. They moved at a rhythm, with Kyle seeing Aequitas’s moves just as the master decided to make them. Kyle’s right hand weapon clashed with Aequitas’s and a gust of power knocked the two back.

            Kyle flung one of the pieces at Aequitas, who blocked, but wasn’t fast enough to block Kyle’s flurry of kicks across the sky, landing one on Aequitas’s shoulder. Aequitas sliced up but Kyle kicked the dagger away.

            He landed. Aequitas looked to the dagger in the ground, and then to the one in his hand, and dropped it.

            “Indeed you are skilled, Kyle,” Aequitas said. “Even tapping into more Nexus energy than your normal limit. It’s impressive. But you still stand in my way, you still don’t understand.”
            He held one hand out and it began to fill with fire.   

            “Bring it,” Kyle said, and Aequitas vanished.

            Kyle spun and blocked the attack, but was sent flying half a mile back, digging a rut in the ground while he landed. Kyle rolled away and Aequitas was right there, faster than Kyle could even think to move.

            He blocked his punch again and tried hitting Aequitas but he was just too fast. Aequitas punched Kyle in the gut, kicked him in the side, and then blasted the boy back the other half mile. Kyle flipped end-over-end until his body dragged along the ground. Kyle punched the ground and got back up.

            Through blurry vision he saw Aequitas moving toward him, covering the gap with ease. Kyle’s aura swelled around him and then burst. Lightning cracked and singed the ground beneath his feet.

            “Come on,” Kyle said. “I ain’t done yet.”
            “You’re a stubborn fool,” Aequitas said….

            …from behind Kyle.

            He hadn’t even seen Aequitas move. He felt a sudden gust of Nexus energy around him, but it hadn’t even registered that it could be Aequitas. Kyle sighed.

            “I know,” Kyle said. “But someone once taught me to never give up in the face of your enemy.”
            “I’m not your enemy, I’m showing you that we cannot mess around with the Dark Soul,” Aequitas said. “I know one day you will understand. This is the only way to save the world.”

            “I’m sure,” Kyle said, and spun, stopped, and then turned back and almost punched Aequitas in the face if it weren’t for the lance that impaled his side and stopped him completely.

            Kyle coughed and blood sprung from his lips. His vision blurred again, but this time, he felt the water in his eyes. He coughed again and crumpled to his knees, letting tears and blood run alongside each down his dirty face.

            “Stop this, Aequitas,” Kyle said. “Please.”

            “I can’t,” Aequitas said. “And that is the truth of it all. It will never end, Kyle, because it can never end. Uncertainty leads to fear, and we both know what happens when fear grips the heart of our world.”

            “Please,” Kyle said again, but Aequitas stepped beyond Kyle.

            “You will be a great Nexus one day,” Aequitas said. “But that day isn’t today, because you aren’t wise enough to know what choice is right and what choice is wrong.”

            “You…you’re no legend,” Kyle said.

            “I don’t want to be a legend,” Aequitas said. “I want to be a hero. Like you.”

            Kyle shut his eyes and let two more thick rivers of tears fall down his face. He was numb to the pain growing in his side. Aequitas stepped past Kyle, without even a word, and blasted off, away. Kyle bowed his head and let the sobbing take over, allowing tears to flow freely. He punched the ground once more time, and the illusion shattered, returning him to the great hall where Abalin and Brother Time were waiting, watching.

            “He’s gone,” Abalin said. “Off to complete the task he set out for.”

            “I failed,” Kyle muttered.

            “You didn’t,” Brother Time said. “You found out more about the Dark Soul. Soon, we’ll be able to get you home, to…”

            “Exactly,” Kyle said. “To what?”

            Brother Time looked from Kyle to Abalin, and then stepped away. Abalin nodded to him, and Brother Time meekly started out of the room, and vanished in a plume of green mist.

            “Uruk shall arrive soon, and destiny comes with him,” Abalin said. “You cannot be here when this happens, Nexus, for you shall also be trapped.”

            “Trapped?” Kyle asked.

            “This Palace was created to protect the Dark Soul, and if need be, it shall do so to the end,” Abalin said. “It may be the only way to take down Uruk.”  

            Another red glow washed over Kyle. He screamed as he pull the lance out from his sides, but relief quickly replaced that as the pain subsided and the wounds healed. Kyle just got to his feet when an explosion reverberated throughout the room.

            The seven-pointed star glowed all the colors—save for gold—and Abalin stood in the center of it. The room began to shake.

            “I shall trap this monster and ensure the safety of the ethereal soul,” Abalin said. “You have to run!”

            “What are you doing?” Kyle asked.

            “I’m preparing a spell,” Abalin said. “That will bind us for all time.”

            Something bashed against the door. Kyle sensed a familiar presence on the other side of it.

            “Abalin, there’s no time, you need to run!” Kyle exclaimed.           

            “I’m not the one that needs to run,” Abalin said. “You are in grave danger here!”

            She flung her hand to the side. “Through there you shall meet a man, named Guhuray, who exists beyond our world. He shall guide you home!”
            Guhuray, that old shaman, the one who was raising the next Grand Elder for the mages of his world. Kyle shook his head.

            “I’m going to protect you,” he said, and the doors burst open behind him.

            A massive presence towered up and stalked toward them. Abalin’s own power continued to grow and Kyle could almost smell the magic behind him.

            “You are the progenitor,” Uruk’s heavy voice said. “And the keeper of the Dark Soul.”

            “And you’re about to get your ass kicked!” Kyle exclaimed, and blasted toward Uruk. The debris and dust from the door explosion wiped away and all that was left was Uruk’s stunned face as Kyle punched him.

            Uruk slid back and retaliated, but Kyle, still in Wave 2, was much faster. He dodged away and kicked Uruk to the side. He filled his hands with energy and launched four energy balls at the Titan.

            He leapt away from a falling piece of the palace. Kyle glanced over his shoulder to Abalin, who was still concentrating, and the Palace continued to crumble around them. She was taking it down, to take Uruk down with it and seal them…

            Away.

            Kyle realized it just before Uruk could impact him. He had to stay and fight. Abalin was right, this was destiny; otherwise, she could never hide away in the darkness to ward off Corbin from the Dark Soul!

            Kyle wheeled away from Uruk and kicked him away. But, then, where had Uruk gone in the intervening years?

            Uruk almost grabbed Kyle but Kyle slipped away and stuffed an energy ball in his face, knocking him back.

            “I’m ready!” Abalin exclaimed. “Nexus, you must run, now!”
            “Kyle, she’s right!”
            A vortex opened up next to him. Uruk and Abalin, both stunned, looked to a refreshed Brother Eye, wearing different clothes, that appeared in the portal.

            “This is it, this is what everything has been leading to,” Brother Time said. “Everything is aligned, let’s go, now!”

            Kyle hesitated, just a moment, to watch the floor beneath both Abalin and Uruk give. Abalin gave Kyle one last knowing look before plunging into the darkness, coupled with Uruk’s cries of defiance.     

            “Alright,” Kyle said, and leapt through the vortex.

           

Next time: It's the "Blue Nexus: The Dark Soul" finale! Kyle and Brenda return to the present for one final battle against Corbin, and must decide what the fate of the Dark Soul shall be: to destroy it and risk the future, or preserve it, and let the world run its natural course. Check it out next month!