The Primordials: A Joyless Life (Book Two)

Chapter I: Death Defying (Pt.2)

      After reaching inside my spatial bag, I pulled out a robe and handed it to Za'Fia.

      Za'Fia threw the robe around her without taking her sight off Tymon. Her eyes watered as she rubbed her hand across his body. She found the wound in his chest and gently allowed her fingers to caress it.

      I was about to look away and offer to give her a few minutes to herself, but I noticed her expression twitch from grief to bewilderment.

      "Wha–" was all that escaped her lips before she started to tear Tymon's shirt open.

     "What are you doing?" I asked her in shock.

     "Look," Za'Fia insisted as she wiped the blood from around his chest wound.

      As I watched, I could have sworn his wound was shrinking. Using my enhanced vision, I got a closer look, and sure enough, his injury was slowly mending itself.

      "That's what I meant by 'there's no need to worry,'" Viraa spoke from my holo-bracelet.

      "How is this possible," Za'Fia asked as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Some of Tymon's blood smeared on her face.

      "I will explain everything once he wakes," Viraa assured us.

      Za'Fia and I looked at Tymon, relieved to know that he would be coming back.

      While we waited, Za'Fia and I got to talking. She told me she still didn't know how the previous Death was killed, but her guts told her it had something to do with the JANUS drug Avarice planned to distribute.

      I informed her about Tymon's tortured experience and how his blood was used to create JANUS. Then, I told her how the JANUS drug were tablets that boosted a human's strength and power, made us impervious to diseases, and reduced aging while it was in effect.

      The air around us began to heat up.

      "I should've incinerated each of them into nothing," Za'Fia said through gritted teeth.

      "Well, that's probably easier said than done," I said nervously. "I'm sure we'll find a way to get them. Hopefully, one that doesn't involve anyone getting incinerated. Besides, there's no point in getting angry now; blind rage won't help against Avarice."

      Za'Fia let out a sigh of frustration as the air cooled.

      "By the way, you have a beautiful hybrid form," I said, complimenting her to get her mind off Tymon's captivity.

      "If not for Avarice, I would have died from being that close," I added jokingly. "But it was very powerful and majestic."

      "Thanks," She replied. Then, she started to blush. "That's the first time I've ever been called beautiful while looking like that."

      "To be fair, most who see it either wouldn't survive or is a current threat," I remarked.

      Za'Fia smiled.

      "I guess so. Never thought of it that way," she responded.

      "I like to think positively," I stated with a smile. "I suppose it comes with being an optimist."

      Za'Fia looked off into the distance where the smoke trail led, her smile fading the longer she looked.

      "Sadly, it wasn't enough to do any real damage to them," Za'Fia inputted. "I had no trouble against Trevor since I'm more immune to heat. Although it turns out, so is he. As for the other two, their abilities prevented me from finding any openings."

      I recalled my encounter with Wren and her ability to manipulate the air.

      "Viraa? Any insights about the High Gods?" I asked her out loud.

      "Hmm. Based on my knowledge of cintracies, Wren possesses Cataclysm – a powerful mystic cintracy that gives her spirit energy the qualities of multiple elements. Of course, this also gives her dominion over them," Viraa enlightened us.

      "I'm sure one of those elements is fire, isn't it," Za'Fia asked. There was a hint of annoyance behind her words.

      "Yes," Viraa confirmed. "Along with air, water, and neta."

      "Neta?" I inquired.

      "It's a general word for minerals and rocks. I believe you'd call it earth manipulation here," she clarified.

      "Next is Trevor," Viraa continued. "He too possesses a mystic cintracy. His is called Detonate: it's an odd cintracy that could also fall under the eutierric category. It gives his spirit energy the properties of smoke and allows him to generate explosions by condensing portions of his spirit energy into orbs that explode on contact. His smoke is also highly combustible should he decide to ignite it."

      "Then there's Junichiro," Viraa said as if saving the best for last. "Though simple, his power is extremely versatile and quite dangerous if used proficiently. The temp cintracy, Conjure, allows him to shape his spirit energy into tangible objects and weapons. Given that he seems to favor blades, he's sure to be a troublesome opponent if you are less powerful than him."

      "So, one's a sadistic yet fickle force of nature. One's a walking, talking nuke, and the other's an overzealous, callous arsenal of deadly weapons. And each is more powerful than a Supreme Primordial," I said sarcastically, summing them up.

      "What about Verin and Avarice," Za'Fia asked Viraa.

      "Verin possesses three cintracies; first is the temp cintracy, Empath, that allows her to feel pleasure and pain more intensely, sense the emotions of others, and even force others into a docile state should they be less powerful than her."

      I looked at Za'Fia, whose expression showed she'd come to the same conclusion – that was the power Verin used to keep Za'Fia in the container.

      "Second is the temp cintracy, Implode. It allows her to generate a film over a specific area. At her command, anything within that area will be compressed until everything is crushed."

      "I watched her use this first-hand. Used the way she uses it, it's an inhumane ability," Za'Fia commented. She shook her head slightly as if to shake out a disturbing memory.

      "Finally," Viraa spoke. "Her most troublesome power is her eutierric cintracy, Pressure. It gives her spirit energy gravitational qualities, allowing her to increase gravity anywhere within her reach. This could prove to make her a truly devastating foe further down the road."

      "No kidding," I commented. Hopefully, once everyone was together, we'd fare well when stacked against them.