Continued from Part 1.1: https://blogs.neoseeker.com/ShadowNc/6223-cracker-chronicle-11-we-fight-war-part-one-1-war/

***

May 9th, 2027.
Mexico.
Scott roared, tearing a human off his back and then ripping its throat right out. Literally nothing was killing the IDEA soldiers, so now he was just doing whatever popped into his head. He grabbed one by the head and placed a hand on its chest for support. He ripped the soldier’s head clean off, spinal column still attached. He turned, chucking the bloody head into the crowd.
Scott grabbed a human facing away from him by the shoulders, and then jumped on him, his full weight snapping his spine in half. He spotted a shotgun on the ground and picked it up. He turned, stabbing the barrel of the gun into a random soldier’s temple. He pulled the trigger, and the soldier’s head blew clean off, spraying blood and flaming gunpowder everywhere. He pulled the trigger multiple more times, but it was a futile attempt, as there was only the one bullet.
He tossed the shotgun away, and just as he was about to reach for another human, he saw in the distance that the desert was on fire, despite the fact that it was raining.
Then Scott heard Sam’s voice in his head. He couldn’t make out the words, but his tone was ominous. Scott shivered, just as another human tackled him.
Scott growled, “Alright, I’m done with all of you freaking zombies! Just die already!” He charged up a bit of energy, and then released it, a massive fiery explosion incinerating all of the humans around him.
“Scott!”
He turned to see Earth floating down from the sky, crystal sword in hand. He was out of breath, “Have you seen 9volt?”
Scott shrugged, “I didn’t even know 9volt was here. Nice sword, by the way.”
Earth nodded, “Follow me.”
They set off at a run, searching for the shapeshifter among the hundreds of soldiers. As Earth hacked through them, he explained the qualities of the sword, “The Light of Nc is made of a material known as Diamonium, the hardest substance in the universe. Remember that twenty pounds of diamonds I barrowed from you? Yeah, this is where it went. No, you’re not getting anything back for it. The best part of this sword is that it’s infused with Life Orbs; the slightest scratch, and any living thing that touches it is dead.”
“Amazing,” Scott gasped, “How did you manage that?”
“It’s quite simple, really,” he admitted, “I perfected the art of infusion back when I killed Mozart.”
Scott stopped in his tracks. He touched Earth’s arm so that he also stopped, and then shook his head, blinking rapidly, “You killed Mozart? As in, Wolfgang Amadeus?”
Earth shrugged, “I sure did. I sent him a letter infused with small amounts of Life Orbs. The letter asked him to compose a funeral piece.”
“You mean like a requiem?”
Earth was taken aback, “Actually, yes. Irony aside, the more he worked, the faster he died. All he had to do was take a break, and his life might have been saved.”
Scott’s jaw hung open, “But why?”
Earth shrugged again, “Hey, everyone’s killed someone that no one would expect them to kill. I killed Mozart, you killed Cortez, and even Sam killed Shakespeare. I don’t know what it is, but apparently elves have some deep hatred towards celebrities.” He narrowed his eyes, thinking through what he had just said. He frowned, “Of course, I’m referring to the irrational...you know what I mean.”
Scott nodded, “I get it. Hey, isn’t that 9volt over there?” He pointed out the shapeshifter, partially obscured by the crowd.
Earth squinted, “Yeah, it is. Wait a second...that’s Brianna!” His eyes widened. They watched as Brianna bit 9volt’s neck, and his stiff frame went very still. Earth swiftly sheathed his sword and pulled a crossbow from his pocket with some difficulty. He didn’t bother to aim, firing off three shots faster than the blink of an eye. The arrows pierced through Brianna’s bloodless body; one through her shoulder, one through her neck, and one through her leg.
Brianna screeched and fell away from 9volt. Earth ran towards her, drawing the Light of Nc and tackling her. Scott ran to 9volt.
“9volt, are you okay?” he asked, genuinely worried. He didn’t know much about vampires, but he knew it was near impossible to survive their bite. Only one subspecies of elf was immune to the venom secreted by their fangs. That subspecies wasn’t shapeshifters.
9volt gasped. He moved his hand away from his neck, revealing two small indents. He cracked his neck, and that part of his neck fell away, as if it wasn’t his skin. There was now a large chunk missing from his neck, which reformed in a matter of seconds. 9volt grinned haphazardly.
Scott laughed and helped him to his feet, hugging him, “Hey, buddy, glad to see you’re all right.”
9volt cleared his throat, “Regeneration is a lesser known ability of shapeshifters, but it makes sense if you think about it. The only problem is that it can’t occur when pressure is applied to the...” he trailed off, preferring not to say any more on the subject.
Meanwhile, Brianna had recognized her attacker. “Earth!” she screamed.
Earth raised an eyebrow, gripping the Light of Nc tighter, “Miss me, bitch?”
Brianna shrieked and pulled something from her belt; the hilt of a sword. A blade extended from it, curving around to her elbow. She lunged forward, slashing at him. Earth blocked, spinning on the ball of his foot and cutting right through Brianna’s wing.
She screeched in pain and the curved sword retracted. She twisted her own wrist, cracking the bones. The sword extended, aimed to stab straight through his head. He raised his sword and stopped the strike, the tip of her sword perfectly balanced in the engraving on the Light of Nc.
She retracted her sword and then extended it once more, slightly angled differently. The same result occurred, but this time, Earth shoved her back. While she was thrown off guard, Earth stabbed the Light of Nc through her chest. He twisted the sword, cutting the wound deeper before tearing the sword out again.
Brianna hissed in pain, but perked up, as if hearing something he couldn’t. She growled once before flapping her wings, taking off into the sky.
Earth narrowed his eyes, but didn’t pursue her. Scott and 9volt ran up to him, 9volt asking, “Are you alright?”
“I’ve been better,” Earth admitted, “But I’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, we would’ve helped out, except,” Scott said with a shrug, “You looked like you could’ve done without it.”
“I’m fine,” Earth assured him, “In fact, I’m better than okay. I feel great. I feel amazing.”
Scott groaned and clutched his head, “I hear Sam’s voice in my head again.”
Earth frowned, “I hear it too.”
“I don’t hear anything,” 9volt said confusedly.
“Yeah, well,” Earth said, grabbing Scott’s arm and dragging him in a random direction, “You don’t share your mind with an adolescent dragon who can only speak French.”
Earth and Scott ran through the field of battle, randomly changing directions every few seconds, 9volt struggling to keep up. Eventually they found themselves outside of the ensuing clash, facing a wall of fire. Sam stood in front of them, facing away, Demon’s Requiem in hand. Below him, there cowered two young dragons.
Earth bellowed furiously, running forward to stab him. Sam turned, blocking his strike. He underestimated the power behind it and was thrown back. Earth growled, “I would sooner die than to let you even touch them.”
Sam raised an eyebrow, “Then allow me to compensate.”
Earth frowned, “Must we? Are we not equals? Will we be forever locked in combat, from now until Judgment Day, until all of these people around us have gone to their rest, never to know the true victor of this war?”
Sam took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He raised his arms to the heavens above, “I’ve known of your dragons for the last seven months, roughly. And during that time, I’ve had plenty of time to think about this question you’ve just asked. Every day for the last seven months, I’ve woken up in the morning and asked myself, ‘Will my power be enough to let me live?’ Today, for the first time, my answer was yes. If I am wrong, then prove it to me!”
He lunged forward, slashing the Demon’s Requiem, creating sparks when it struck the Light of Nc. He began to fight differently than he had before, solely offensive. Earth struggled to block his vivacious strikes, and on several occasions he was cut lightly on the arm.
Sam’s black eyes flared. He was emotionless as he swung his sword, each blocked swing meaning nothing to him. Earth was overwhelmed, but responded brutally. He too, stopped being defensive, slashing with as much power as he could muster. They were equally matched opponents. There were several instances of them locking swords, sparks flying each time.
Earth broke a particularly long deadlock and kicked Sam in the chest. Sam was unfazed, running towards him and delivering three slices in the same second – all miraculously halted by Earth, who had yet to break a sweat.
Sam roared, bringing his ruby sword down over his head. Earth blocked, holding his own sword with two hands. Sparks flew as they stayed like this for a long time, neither giving any ground. Then, just as Earth was about to give up, he saw something in Sam’s eyes. A single tear flowed down his cheek.
Earth was confused by this sight, but he didn’t stop to think about it. He gathered the last of his available energy and gave one last push. It was enough. Sam fell back, the Demon’s Requiem flying from his grip. Earth held up a hand, causing a small burst of wind to blow Sam’s bangs away from his face, exposing the flame tattoo. Without hesitation, he raised the shining blade of the Light of Nc, and stabbed it through Sam’s forehead.
Sam screamed, neither of pain nor anguish, but of defeat. He screamed for a long time, far longer than humanly possible. Suddenly, the soldiers of IDEA joined in with him, crying out as one unit. Then one fell to the ground, the skin of their face chafing away, blowing away in the wind. They grunted once, and then their entire body disintegrated to dust. Then another IDEA soldier fell, and then another. In a matter of seconds, nothing was left of IDEA’s forces. NSK employees lowered their weapons, unsure of what was going on.
Earth pulled his sword from Sam’s head, and the former leader of IDEA fell silent. His eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed.
Lopez walked forward to 9volt’s side. He stared at Sam for a moment, and then looked to Earth expectantly. Slowly, he raised his right hand to his own forehead in a salute. He turned crisply around to face the remaining NSK forces. He raised his voice, somehow shouting over the many leagues of the battlegrounds, “Ashama, ucenha!”
The NSK forces yelled, “Ha!” standing straight up and holding whatever weapons they had in front of them. Earth, Scott, and 9volt shrugged, doing likewise.
They stood like that for a time, and then Lopez shouted once more, “NSK, we have successfully annihilated all of IDEA’s forces in literally one swift blow. For those of you still alive, you should be proud of yourselves. Ackana!”
The NSK forces broke attention and cheered. Earth, Scott, and 9volt each gave Lopez a high-five in turn.
There came a soft grunting behind them. They turned to see Sam on his hands and knees, shaking slightly. He laughed, speaking to the ground, “You didn’t really think you’d gotten rid of me, did you?” He coughed and spat up blood. He shuddered, laughing darkly. His body convulsed, rippling uncontrollably. The air around him grew dark.
Earth motioned for them to stay back. Sam’s blackened body grew, scales forming over his skin, jet black. His spine punctured through his back, becoming spines that stabbed the air threateningly. His limbs grew thick, claws extending from his fingers. His black eyes sparkled as his head deformed, the scaly skin of his face stretching into barbed whiskers. He reared back on his haunches, and he seemed to quadruple in size, smashing back down to the grounds on fearsome clawed feet. He roared at the sky, and his back ripped open, giant black wings darkening the day even more than the storm had. His transformation complete, Sam turned his attention to the one human and the three humans standing below him.
“Stand your ground!” Earth yelled, unwavering, “Show no fear and he’ll have no reason to kill you! If you run, he’ll go out of his way to be sure to kill you first!”
“All I’m going to say is that there’s something really ironic about this,” Scott said.
“Not at all,” Earth said, staring up at Sam, “He’s taken the form of a Darkness Fire Dragon, the only species of dragon that wasn’t wiped out through human...interference. They’re the elite of the dragon race.”
“How were they wiped out, then?” Lopez asked, his voice cracking slightly.
“Lack of suitable mates,” Earth said bitterly.
“You’ve got to be kidding!” Scott exclaimed, “The most powerful animal the world has ever seen deliberately denied itself freaking sex and ended up extinct because of it!?”
Earth nodded, “No offense or anything, Lopez, but humans would do good to follow their example.”
Sam had apparently grown tired of waiting for one of them to run, because he roared and lowered his head, breathing orange flames outlined in black at them. Lopez, 9volt, and Scott moved to run, but Earth stopped them, saying, “Don’t! The more you move, the faster it will kill you!” With that as his chosen possible last words, he turned to face the inferno head on. He held up his arms, and the flames stayed back, barely inches away from his skin. A single lazy flare licked out, lashing his hair. It failed to catch, but either way Earth wouldn’t have noticed. He began to sweat from the effort, shaking. With a groan, he pushed the wall of fire back.
Sam reared back, surprised. In a deep rumble, he declared his thoughts to them, “You may have defeated my army. You may even have defeated me. But this is not the end! For I have one last tactic...an ace up my sleeve!”
He flapped his enormous wings and began to fly, headed north. Earth stared after him, eyes narrowed.
Scott shook him, “Earth, come on! You heard him, he has a secret weapon! We can’t just let him get away!”
Earth brushed him off, saying, “You only assume he actually has a weapon. Any way, we’re like ants to him, Scott, in the figurative sense as well; we’ve only been able to slow him down, and he just keeps getting back up. There’s no use in even trying at this point.”
“You’re just...giving up?” Scott asked, confused. He shook his head, “Earth, freaking, Sven...giving up?”
Earth sighed, “I’m not giving up. I just think that Sam may be right; there’s no point in randomly lashing out for eternity, or until we end up killing each other, as we’re pretty evenly matched. If only there was something we had to overwhelm him all at once...”
“I think I can help with that,” Lopez said. He snapped his fingers, and several NSK employees came forth, pushing three large objects under tarps. He nodded and the tarps were torn off, revealing three mint condition fighter jets underneath.
“You can’t be serious,” Scott said gaping, “They’re made of plastic and paper, aren’t they?”
“No, they’re real, I assure you,” Lopez said, grinning.
Earth frowned. “So you had these on hand the entire time?” he asked, incredulous, “You never thought they’d come in handy, like, two hours ago?”
“Well, you did say that IDEA had anti-aircraft guns.
Earth and Scott looked at each other. Scott shrugged, “We did say that.”
Lopez nodded, “Do you want them or not?”
“Hell yeah,” Scott said, jumping into the nearest jet.
As Earth followed suit, Lopez turned to 9volt, “We weren’t sure if you would need one, on account of your shapeshifting-”
“Keep it,” 9volt said, holding up a hand, “I’ll take something a little more...subtle.” His molecules melted away, and then rose up, reforming in the form of a sickly purple-scaled dragon. 9volt was a regular-sized dragon, but was comparably smaller than Sam had been. He grinned, exposing his toxin-soaked fangs, and then took off, flying after Sam.
Lopez climbed into the pilot’s seat of the third fighter jet. Earth raised an eyebrow, “You’re coming with us?”
Lopez chuckled, “Why not? I was in the US Air Force before I was recruited to NSK, and I want to say that at one point in my life, I was an equal with elves.”
Scot saluted him, “Today’s as good a day as any, seeing as what we’ve been through already.”
Lopez strapped on his seatbelt, and then put a pair of headphones on. He adjusted the mouthpiece, saying, “You might want to put your radios on. I don’t want to be talking to myself up there.”
Earth and Scott did as he said. The glass covering was lowered, and Earth spoke into his mike, “Testing, testing, over.”
“Roger that, over,” Lopez replied.
“Roger, Earth,” Scott’s voice said in his ear. He chuckled, “Hey, I feel the need.” There was an awkward pause as Scott let this statement sink in. “The need...to use the power of lift to fly at a high altitude at an extremely fast velocity!”
“Shut up, Scott, over,” Earth said, switching on the engine. As it roared to life, the jet sputtered forward, gradually gaining speed. He tested the wheel, pulling back on it. The plane responded smoothly, dipping off the ground. He pulled back harder and was in the air, zooming over the desert sands at over one hundred miles per hour. Experimentally, he spun the wheel and the jet did a barrel roll. As it gained speed and now headed north, he spoke into the microphone, “This is Earth Sven speaking. Takeoff successful. Scott Lycanthrope, you are clear for takeoff.”
“Copy that,” Scott’s voice rang in his ear, “Way ahead of you, Sven. Lopez and I are already in the air, over.”
“What?” Earth exclaimed. There was a short pause before he spoke again, “Oh, yeah, over.”
“You might have forgotten, but flying does come easier if you have some control over the wind, over.”
Earth groaned, mentally hitting himself over the head as Lopez chuckled in his ear. Earth sighed, catching up to the other two planes, “Alright, we’ll go in fast and right on his tail, but don’t make contact until I say so, over.”
“Roger that, over.”
“Same, over.”
It was a matter of minutes before they caught up with Sam. He was still in the form of the gargantuan black dragon, but was flying slowly and lazily, as if not expecting an attack. Earth smiled at his cockiness, “Target in sight, prepare to make contact, over.”
“Copy that, over,” Lopez said, without a hint of nervousness.
Scott’s voice was languid, “I hear ya. Hey, don’t fighter pilots wear those cool helmets? When will I get one? Over.”
“Never,” Earth replied coolly, “To us they serve no purpose. They’d just get in the way. But Lopez needs one. You do, right Lopez? I didn’t see you put one on, over.”
“Roger that,” Lopez said, “I do indeed, over.”
Earth shook his head, “A’ight, enough of this. Time to get serious. On my signal.” His mind wandered, out of his body, out above the clouds, to a shapeshifter lying in wait. Earth thought one word, clearly heard by 9volt, “Now.”
9volt roared, swooping down from his hiding place. Sam turned, seeing the three fighter jets and the one dragon bearing down on him. He growled in annoyance as 9volt landed on his back, sinking his venomous teeth into Sam’s neck.
Earth yelled into his microphone, “Go, go, go!” His jet screamed through the sky, diving underneath Sam. He clicked open the dual joysticks, pressing the red buttons while shouting, “Fire at will!”
Four streams of bullets poured into Sam’s underside. As Earth pulled away, he flashed Scott a thumbs-up as his jet flew past. He saw Lopez’s jet lagging behind, not firing a single shot. It flew extremely close to Sam, and the black dragon lashed out, nearly knocking the plane out of the sky.
Earth hurt his vocals shouting into the microphone, “Lopez, what are you doing? We can’t afford to lose you to a bout of foolishness!” He was greeted with silence. Frowning in confusion, he swung around in a death-defying spin to face Sam once more. He realized something and growled irately, “Goddamn it all, over!”
Lopez’s voice was shaky in his ear, “These controls are messed up or something! The jet just won’t respond to me! Over!”
Earth swore to himself, but he could feel it himself. The jet’s wheel was sticking, refusing to turn as easily as it should. And the wind resistance was unusually high...
He growled, “Sam’s a freaking elf. He’s controlling the metal of our jets. Scott, stick close to Lopez and make sure nothing happens to him. But just don’t be afraid to stab your entire plane straight through his black heart! Over!”
Sam elbowed 9volt off of his back and slashed his razor-sharp claws through 9volt’s wings. Instead of bleeding, purple molecules flowed from his wounds as he barked in pain, dropping to the ground thousands of feet below.
Scott’s jet screamed by Sam’s own wings, ripping bullets through them. As Sam swiped at him, distracted, Earth used the opportunity to unleash another stream of bullets into Sam’s stomach. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lopez attempting the same, only he flew much closer to Sam and his bullets curved away from their mark.
Sam roared, sinking his teeth into Lopez’s jet. As Lopez screamed into Earth’s ear, Sam turned, tossing the demolished plane at Scott’s. Scott dodged out of the way, but nevertheless Lopez’s jet exploded in midair. Scott released his controls and pressed himself against the glass, crying out, “Lopez!”
“Scott!” Earth shouted in alarm, “Hands on the wheel! Concentrate!”
Scott grabbed the controls and righted his plane. Static flowed from his headphones, and after a moment, he ripped them off his head.
Earth shook his head; Lopez’s scream still ringing in his ears. Sure, many NSK employees had died of unconventional means in the past, but Lopez – his real name being John Bauer – had been a favorite of Scott’s. And today he had proven ten times his worth, only to fall prey to ill fate. If it had been him, or Scott, they would have survived. But no, it had been John. Earth tried to remember his final words but could not.
“Scott,” he said, gripping the wheel tighter, unaware that Scott could no longer hear him, “Now it’s personal. Let’s do this for Lopez.”
There was a soft thump, and Earth found that his windshield had blackened. He groaned in annoyance, “Oh, what now?”
A hand pressed against the glass, pale and lifeless. A cold voice spoke, coming from all around him at once, “Sven, I hope I haven’t kept you waiting.”
Earth growled, “Brianna.”
The hand retreated from the glass for a brief second and then burst through in the next. Brianna grabbed Earth by his shirt and pulled him out of his fighter jet. She flung them both above Sam as Earth’s plane veered off, crashing to the ground.
Earth and Brianna drew their swords. Brianna surged forward, swinging her sword over her head. Earth blocked, and in the same motion whispered, “Light of Nc.” His sword shone as he stabbed it through Brianna’s chest. As Earth withdrew it, Brianna screeched in pain. Earth spun around and slashed through Brianna’s wing, crippling her. She screamed, falling down towards Sam.
Earth was struck with sudden inspiration as Scott’s fighter jet zoomed past. He telepathically told Scott his plan as he stared at Sam, noting the notch in his shoulder area, aiming for that spot. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes before letting gravity overtake him. He fell, and as he did so his eyes burst open, and he twisted in midair, flinging the Light of Nc down towards Sam. The shining blade sliced through the air, embedding itself into Sam’s chest, stabbed through his heart.
He let out an unearthly roar of pain as Scott, hundreds of feet above him in his fighter jet, began to dive. He struggled to maintain the controls, fighting Sam’s control over the plane, the defiance the jet itself against this new direction, and the very air itself. He willed the air to move out of the way, and without the wind to resist him, his jet dove even faster than what was feasible. At the last possible second, Scott pressed the eject button and burst out of the plane. The fighter jet crashed into the black dragon, dragging him down with it.
Earth and Scott both landed on the ground at the same time. They landed on both feet and used one hand for support. Behind them, Sam and the jet slammed into the ground, creating a massive, gigantesque explosion.
As they stood upright and turned around, Sam, now in his regular form, stumbled from the wreckage, the Light of Nc still stabbed through his chest. He pulled it out with a gasp, and let it drop from his bloodied fingers. He shuddered slightly.
“Enough,” he said, his voice unfazed, “Let’s face facts here. I’ve always been more powerful than you’ll ever be. Even if not, my endurance will far outlast yours.” Even as he spoke, his wounds healed before their eyes, and in a matter of seconds he was unscathed. He grinned wickedly in triumph, “I’m not just the most powerful Lycanthrope! I am the most powerful elf, in all the universe! I, Elemention Samuel Kartick Andersen Lycanthrope!”
“You forget one!” Scott shouted, “There is one Lycanthrope more powerful than you!”
“Who?” Sam demanded.
“I, Scott Elemental Lycanthrope! Be afraid, Mr. Five Names!” He ran forward, foolishly brave. Sam waited until Scott was close, and then spun around on the ball of his foot, kicking Scott square in the chest. Scott flew back, landing with a soft thud.
Sam cracked his neck, and then shouted, “What do you stand against me? I’ve proven multiple times already that I’m far superior, and I’ll do it a trillion times over if I have to! What could you possibly have that I don’t, that makes you think you could ever defeat me?”
Earth and Scott looked at each other. Scott frowned, “He’s right.”
Earth turned back to Sam, his eyes shining, “To hell he does. We’ve got authority.”
“What?” Sam screamed.
“It’s true that we can barely stall you with pure power. But we do have the one thing you’ve never been given, the one thing you crave above all. And it’s the one thing we’ll be able to defeat you with. I, Earth Sven of the Original Six, hereby propose to remove all rights Elemention Lycanthrope may or may not hold as an elf, on the grounds of inhumane acts against life itself. If a minimum of three support this notion, then it shall commence.”
“No!” Sam yelled in defiance.
9volt appeared behind Sam’s back, grabbing his arms and twisting them behind his back painfully. He grunted, “I, 9volt of the Nc Council, second this notion.”
Earth elbowed Scott and he spoke hesitantly, unsure of what he was doing, “I, Elemental Lycanthrope, finalize this notion.”
Earth nodded, and now, consensus from the subject.”
9volt jabbed two fingers into the small of Sam’s back. Electrified molecules flew off his arm and into Sam’s back, causing him agonizing pain. Wincing, Sam faltered for a brief second, but it was enough: “I...accept.”
Earth clapped his hands together, “It is done.”
9volt let go of him and took a step back, and Sam fell to the ground. His body quivered, a shudder running along his length. He shone with a white light, and then he transformed. He was now a white wolf, with a golden-red stripe of fur streaked across his left side. He collapsed, finally overcome.
Scott turned to Earth, “What the hell was all that?”
Earth shrugged, “We just banned Sam. He’s no longer an official elf.”
“How?”
Earth sighed, “Well, of course banning is an extreme measure, and I don’t think anyone’s ever used it to solve a quarrel. Nc is the only one who can ban elves, but just in case he’s not around, he made it so that those with authority,” he gestured to Scott, 9volt, and then himself, “can do it without him. Just in case it isn’t abused, like we’ve just demonstrated, it required consent from the one being banned. Obviously it doesn’t work.”
Scott stared at the wolf, “But...why...?”
“Why is he a wolf?” Earth interrupted. 9volt walked up to them, holding the Light of Nc. Earth snatched it away, sheathing it. He shrugged, “I don’t know. The banning doesn’t actually mean anything; an elf is still an elf. However, it does seem to affect those banned. Only two elves, including Sam, have been banned at this point, and I have yet to meet the other one. So yeah, we may never know why.
Suddenly the wind picked up. Thunder rumbled, and a lightning bolt struck in front of them, where it struck Rain Storm now stood. He growled, “At long last, Sven, it comes to this. Now no one else stands in my way, no one is left to hold me back.”
Earth raised an eyebrow, “You’ve been waiting for us to defeat Sam before you showed yourself again, haven’t you?”
Rain grinned slightly, raising his arms to the heavens. The air around him swirled violently, steadily growing faster and larger. Soon he stood at the epicenter of a dark tornado, shouting at the top of his lungs, “Stop pretending you don’t deserve to die, Sven! I’m just the first one to point it out!”
“First,” Earth said quietly, his eye twitching, “but not the only one.”
Scott took a step forward, unaffected by the strong winds that threatened to rip him off his feet. Very calmly, he spoke, “I would advise you not to manipulate what is not yours to control.”
He raised a hand, and the tornado turned on Rain, collapsing in on him. Rain began to choke, air filling his lungs and yet he was unable to breath. The wind ripped around and through him, tearing him apart from the inside and the outside. His eyes popped out and he began to lose his hold on his consciousness, slowly falling into a dark abyss...
“Stop!” Earth shouted. Immediately, the storm faded away, the clouds revealing the sun for the first time that day. Rain Storm gasped, clutching his chest.
“Why?” he asked breathlessly.
“Hold that thought,” Earth said, holding up a finger. He spun around to face a growling Sam, who had awakened and had attempted to ambush Earth. He leaped, his jaws coming within inches of Earth’s throat.
In one swift motion, Earth suddenly had a length of rope in his hand – it had presumably come from his infinite pocket – and he wrapped it around the wolf’s muzzle. Using the same length of rope, he tied all four of Sam’s paws together at the ankle.
He held up the rope, careful to hold it away from his body. Sam was painfully held upside-down by his legs. He gave a muffled growl once, and then was silent.
Earth turned back to Rain, paying little attention to the tethered wolf in his hand, “I just think that before you die, you should see something. Follow me.”
He turned and began to walk. Scott and 9volt looked at each other, uncertainty at this bizarre situation. Scott caught up to Earth and walked alongside him, “Wh-”
Earth held up a hand, cutting him off, “Make sure Rain follows us. He needs to see this.”
“See what?”
Earth turned, walking backwards. He raised an eyebrow, “Why, Sam’s secret weapon, of course.”

***

One billion, four hundred million years prior to 2025.
Saturn.
Sam sat on the floor of a small room, cross-legged. Saturn stood above him, a symbol of perfection to him. No one else was like her; no one could talk to him without being intimidated, let alone teach him. He had never met his mother, and his father had spent far more time with the now-Original Six and his twin: Elemental and Elementis. Literally everything other than what he had taught himself, he had learned from Saturn.
They had regular sessions like this one, where Saturn would teach him to perfect some elusive Saturnian skill. So far everything she had taught him were mind tricks; engaging, but not very useful. He wondered absentmindedly if Saturn had any fighting experience.
“Now, Sam,” Saturn began, and Sam routinely cocked his head at her, “I wish to review what I have taught you. Close your eyes.”
He did as she asked without hesitance. Even though his eyes were closed, he was aware of what was going on around him. Not quite seeing, just sensing. He followed a fly around the room, until it landed on the floor near him. He pulled a knife from its scabbard and stabbed it into one the fly’s wings, pinning it to the ground without killing it. He frowned, his aim the tiniest bit off.
He sensed Saturn nodding in approval, and he smiled slightly. She spoke quietly, “Now reach out with your mind. Find something out in space and focus on it.”
“I see Earth. The planet. It is what you wanted me to look at, isn’t it?”
Saturn slowly nodded, “Zoom in.”
“I see the Original Six building. Kristen and Scott are there. And so are Zach and Alex.”
“Where is my brother?”
There was a pause as Sam searched. Finally, he nodded triumphantly, “A few miles southeast. He’s meditating. Should I see what he’s thinking of?”
“No,” Saturn said sternly, “Earth has some experience with telepathy. I doubt you’ll be able to break his mental barriers.”
“He says hello.”
Saturn chuckled lightly. She shook her head, “Alright, now for today’s lesson. Focus on the area around him.”
Sam needed no telling, because not only had he read her mind, but he was capable of focusing on many things at once. He reached over and withdrew his knife from the fly’s wing. It unsteadily took off, flying lopsided for a few seconds before crashing to the ground. Sam turned his head towards Saturn, “Done.”
“Now imagine that area in the future.”
Sam was taken aback. “Imagine?” he exclaimed incredulously.
“I know it seems unusual, but just trust me.”
Sam took a deep breath. He did trust Saturn, so he sighed obediently, “How far into the future.”
“Let’s say about one billion, four hundred million years.”
Sam raised an eyebrow, but did not protest. It was indeed unusual that Saturn would choose such a date, but she must have had some reasoning behind it. He concentrated exceedingly more than usual, and then the scene with Earth changed...
Saturn must have sensed a change in him, because she urged him quietly, “What do you see?”
“I see a dark field. The sky is yellow, an eternal disgusting haze. And there’s a factory.”
“What is inside the factory?”
There was a pause as Sam zoomed in on the mental image. He still found it hard to believe that he was seeing the future, because this did seem like he was just making up the whole thing...
He gasped, “I see dragons. They’re working, most within an inch of death. And the ones that master them...”
“They are creatures called humans. Their resemblance to elves is completely coincidental,” Saturn said somberly.
Sam opened his eyes, breaking the vision, “That’s terrible. These humans, what did they evolve from?”
“The dragons themselves. And you mean to ask what they will evolve from.”
Sam’s mind raced, “This technique is legitimate?”
Saturn placed a hand on his shoulder gently, “Yes, Sam.”
Sam shrugged her hand off, “What about the humans and the dragons? Why did you show me this?”
“Sam, this is the trouble with what I have just shown you. You cannot change the future once you have seen it, and more times than not it will be a bad future. Most Saturnians won’t use the ability even if they have to.”
“But-”
“No.” Saturn said firmly.
In that moment, Sam faltered for the first time in his life. He had no doubt that Saturn had sound reasoning. Next to her, he was just a child. She had purposefully shown this for the specific example of no matter how powerful, no one could best time.
He bowed his head, thinking feverously. He realized something in that moment; that he loved Saturn, unlike anyone else in the universe; more than a sibling, and it was pure and unconditional. A thought came to him, that Saturn truly did think that it was terrible, the genocide caused by the humans upon the dragons. She had simply given up. She thought that it was unable to alter the future, and she wasn’t going to do anything about it.
Sam would.
He would find a way, a way to better himself into besting time itself, even if he killed himself in the process. He would kill his own brother if it came to that, and he would do it all for Saturn...
He noticed Saturn scrutinizing him, and he nodded, lying to her, “I understand, Saturn. I will not interfere.”
Saturn smiled, “Thank you, Sam.”
Suddenly Sam’s chest hurt. A lot. “What has caused this,” he thought, “What is going on? I feel pain, but nothing has caused it...unless it was a physical reaction to...”
Saturn had started to leave, and Sam cried out. She paused, her hand on the doorknob, and then turned around, “Yes, Sam?”
Sam swallowed. He debated with himself for a moment, and then decided to go with a neutral response, “Sorry, it’s nothing. Farewell, Saturn.”
She stared at him for a long time, standing very still. Sam was patient as she gazed at him searchingly. Finally, she said, “Well, okay, but just remember that I’m here for you if you need me.”
Sam felt a longing to tell her outright what he was planning then and there. It was a strong urge, but he fought it back, even though he hated himself for it, and it caused him more physical pain. He nodded hesitantly, and choked out, “Of course, Saturn. I understand.”
She smiled and left. As soon as the door closed, the fly landed on the wall behind him. Without looking, he threw his knife over his shoulder. It struck the fly, slicing it in equal halves.

***

May 9th, 2027.
Nebraska, the United States.
Scott and 9volt walked down an urban road, following Earth, who was still holding wolf-Sam like a piñata. Trailing behind them was Rain Storm. Scott caught up to Earth and whispered so that Rain wouldn’t hear him, “Earth, what are we doing back here? Why are we headed-”
“We aren’t going home, if that was what you were going to say, Scott,” Earth said coolly, staring straight ahead, “If you must know the truth, I’m not sure where we’re going. But if I had to guess, I would know exactly where to start looking. Many years ago, Sam contacted me via telepathy. Without bothering to break our mental connection, he foresaw a future in which dragons were enslaved on the very spot where I had been sitting. Unless I’m horribly off, I’d have to speculate that if Sam has a ‘secret weapon’, then it would be in that same spot. Am I right, Sam?”
The wolf winced, confirming Earth’s suspicions. He laughed, “There, you see? I was right.” He stopped abruptly and turned into the driveway of an ordinary house, not at all distinguishable from the others on the same street. Deliberately avoiding the grass, Earth walked up to the door. He rang the doorbell.
A few seconds later a man of about twenty appeared at the door. He frowned, “Hello. Is that a wolf?”
9volt leaned over to mutter something to Scott, “At least he’s polite.”
Earth looked at Sam, and then laughed, “Oh, him? I almost forgot. Don’t worry; Sam isn’t hurt by this posture.”
The man’s eyes dilated slightly at this statement. Earth raised an eyebrow, “Oh, so you are familiar with Sam. I’ve noticed you are able to seal your mind to keep it from being read. Yes, Sam has taught you well, human. What is your name?”
“James Todd,” he said hesitantly.
Earth nodded, “Might we come in, Mister Todd?”
James glanced from Sam to Earth. Nervously, he said, “I don’t see why not.”
“Excellent!” Earth said, clapping his hands together and smiling cunningly. He held the door open, gesturing to his companions, “Yes, come in, Scott, 9volt, even you, Rain; you won’t want to miss this.”
They entered and followed James to a sitting room, where they sat upon extravagant chairs that seemed out of place; too expensive for this quaint house. Earth sat down last, addressing James, the only one who had chosen to remain standing, “Forgive me if this seems atypical, but you wouldn’t happen to have any smoothies?”
James looked slightly puzzled by this question, but nodded nevertheless, “Yes, I have some in the kitchen. I can go get-”
“Oh, that’s not a problem,” Earth said with a wave of the hand, “9volt, go find the smoothies.”
James quickly held up his hands, “No, you don’t have to, I’ll get the-”
Earth glared at him intensely, cutting off his train of thought. “No, I insist,” he said firmly, “9volt, go find the smoothies.” 9volt stood up and walked out of the room, brushing past James slightly as he did so. Earth gestured to the room, “Sit down, James.”
While he sat in the chair 9volt had been sitting in, Earth fingered the rope holding up the wolf, “Tell me, James, are you a member of IDEA?”
The human’s eyes widened. He hesitated, but nevertheless answered, “Yes.”
“Joined?”
“November of two thousand nine.”
Earth hummed thoughtfully, closing his eyes, “All this time...and so close to home...” He opened his eyes and spoke directly to James, “Are you aware that an army made up of IDEA members started a war earlier today?”
James choked. He wavered, “W-what?” He looked at Sam, who was avoiding his gaze purposefully.
Earth nodded, “Yes. Every one of them is now dead.”
James blinked in shock, “All of them?” Earth merely nodded again.
9volt returned, carrying a plate of smoothies. As he handed one to Earth, he said, “There’s no one else in the house.”
Earth took a sip from the straw, “Excellent.”
Scott shifted in his seat impatiently, “Earth, can we hurry this up? Oh, thank you 9volt. You know, it’s funny how everyone buys this brand of smoothie...”
“Patience, Scott,” Earth said, holding up a hand, “I just have one last question for Mr. Todd. What has Sam told you of your past?”
James glanced at Sam nervously, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Earth narrowed his eyes. He gestured to Rain, “Mr. Storm, as a member of IDEA yourself, would you try to get James to see reason?”
Rain stood, muttering under his breath, “I don’t see why you’re trying. I’ve never seen this guy before in my life.” He reached down to grab James’ arm. When he touched him, there was a spark of gray light and they reeled back from each other. Earth raised an eyebrow.
Earth stood up and walked towards them. He grinned, “I don’t think you two have properly met. James, this is Reynard Storm. Rain, this is Xavier Storm.”
9volt spat out the smoothie he had been drinking. Rain’s eyes widened. Earth raised the rope that held Sam so that he could look the wolf in the eye, “Ha! I figured it out, didn’t I? Yes, I can see it in your expression! I am correct!”
“But...how...?” Rain said, cocking his head and staring at James.
“How indeed?” Earth said, “Well, I figured that there were too many coincidences here, and, well, this works.”
“I don’t understand,” Scott said.
“Rightfully so,” Earth said, “Nothing fits, but at the same time everything does. You see, the reason Rain hates me, even after so many long years, is because he thinks I had something to do with Xavier’s disappearance. Xavier was the oldest of four in the second generation of humans. Tell me, Rain, do you have any descendants?”
“No,” Rain spat bitterly.
“Exactly,” Earth said victoriously, “Who do we know that tried to wipe out the human race while it was still developing, and failed?” Just in case there was any confusion, he pointed to the bound wolf.
“But why is Xavier here?” Rain asked, still staring at James.
Earth grinned, “You mean to ask, ‘Why is Xavier now?’ Do you forget Sam’s signature ability to time travel?”
They all looked at James. 9volt spoke, “I can’t help but notice you don’t seem surprised by any of this, James.”
James sighed, “Yes, it’s true. My real name is Xavier Storm. Sam told me he brought me here when I was two years old, but he never specified from where I was brought.”
“From when,” Earth corrected, “But if I remember correctly, yes, you were brought here from Africa.”
James/Xavier nodded, “I know you are my brother, Reynard, but before today I would not have recognized you.”
Earth appeared at Rain’s shoulder, “So, Rain, I have to ask you this: is there any tension between us now? I basically brought your brother back to life.”
Rain spun around, “Because of you, I have my brother back. I thank you. Indeed, I will not try to kill you anymore.”
Earth grinned slightly, “I appreciate that. I think we shall be leaving now. Come along, Scott, 9volt.”
The three elves exited the house. Scott gestured to the wolf Earth was still carrying, “What’re we going to do with him?”
Earth rubbed his chin thoughtfully, “Capitol punishment.”
“We’re going to kill him?” Scott said anxiously.
“Not that kind of capitol punishment!” Earth shouted, annoyed. He handed the rope to 9volt, who accepted it tenderly. Earth checked his watch, “Almost time. 9volt, could you take him to NSK Las Vegas Division? You’ll have to hurry.”
“No problem,” he said, waving a hand, “They’ll tell me what to do with him once I get there, correct?”
Earth nodded, “They’ll ask no more than two questions, trust me. Make haste!”
“A’ight, I’m gone,” 9volt said, shapeshifting into the form of a large hawk. Holding the rope in his beak, he took off to the sky.
Earth and Scott watched him go, until he was little more than a speck on the horizon. Scott frowned, “So what happens now?”
“Well,” Earth said, thinking, “In a couple of years, humans will discover the existence of dragons, hunt them down, and then enslave them.”
Scott’s eyes widened, “Wait, so, Sam-”
“I’m kidding,” Earth said quickly, “Sam had already taken care of that problem. He just went too far for some reason. His idea was good, in retrospect, and I probably would have agreed with him a few million years ago. But now dragons know better. They know that humans are horrible creatures and that they cannot be trusted.”
Scott nodded, “But not all are like that.”
Earth shrugged, “Maybe, but even today there are flaws in human society. The bad outnumber the good about ten thousand to one.”
“So you’re saying it might have been a good thing for Sam to exterminate the human race, or at least attempt it?”
“Yes and no,” Earth said, staring off into the distance, “The human race has its good side, and that makes up for everything else.”

***

65 million years prior to 2025.
Northeast Africa.
Sam stealthily walked through a rocky valley. The valley was ripe with life, one of the most abundant places on the planet. Here was the place where two deformed dragon twins had been born, in the likeness of an average elf. A mere twenty years later, the two deformed dragons – the first humans – had birthed four children of their own. Today Earth would be meeting with the mother to observe. Sam would be going, but in secret, and he would do more than just observe.
He peered around a large boulder, and he saw it; a small handmade hut. Outside stood Earth and the first of the humans, Reagan Storm. Sam released a small growl.
“...Xavier is eighteen years old now. The youngest, Reynard, will be twelve soon,” Reagan was saying.
Earth grunted from discontent, “Even you are still extremely young to a dragon, let alone an elf. Speaking of which, I see you’ve followed in elves’ footsteps. The older parent takes care of the children.”
Reagan nodded, “I don’t know what has made the difference, but now most of the dragons are accepting of our existence.”
Earth looked off to where the children were, Sam following his gaze. The oldest and the youngest – easily distinguished by their heights – ran back and forth, play-fighting. The other two stood some distance away, talking to each other. The older of the two and the only daughter was laughing with joy. Sam narrowed his eyes and for a spilt second he thought she had seen him. He hid behind the stone, his heart beating fast.
He was still able to eavesdrop on Earth’s and Reagan’s conversation; “I’m just concerned that if Fuege or myself are not around, there’s nothing protecting you from being killed. The universe is at war, this planet its battleground. Suppose Zack or Lance mistook you? They’ve already killed one of us...”
Sam had heard enough. It was fortunate that both females were here; a mere two people to kill. However, it did not sound like Earth would be leaving anytime soon. That was going to be a problem.
Sam thought hard, and then remembered something he had taught himself recently. He concentrated, and the world around him faded to a dull gray. Disconnected voices were heard all around him, and once or twice he heard the roar of a dragon. Then he was in the same spot where he started.
Sam looked around wondrously at the scenery, which appeared unchanged. “Did it work?” he asked himself quietly. He peered around the boulder. There were no children playing, and Earth was nowhere in sight. Reagan still stood outside the hut, which now looked substantially newer. She was talking with another human, her husband.
Sam silently congratulated himself. “Well done,” he thought, “You’ve perfected time travel.” He was now approximately sixteen years in the past, in exactly the same place as where he was before. Sam looked at Reagan, who did seem to be much younger. He sighed, thinking.
He picked up a rock and threw it over their heads. It hit the ground with a noisy clatter. The two humans turned towards it and Sam scoffed at how easy this was. He ran into the hut, his bare feet barely making a sound.
It was dark inside, but he could make out two handmade cribs. He approached them, and growled in annoyance.
The infants were identical. He knew one was older and male while the other was younger and female, but he could not differentiate between them. Scowling, he chose one and picked it up. He narrowed his eyes at the moist human, daring it to do something, anything. When it didn’t, Sam exited the tent, flying away from the valley.
He flew halfway around the world, to the spot where he had foreseen the enslavement. He glanced around, making sure Earth wasn’t near. He set the infant on a rock and then pulled a knife from its scabbard. He held it up to the babe’s face, and then waited. The infant showed no sign of fear, even with death staring it in the face.
“Curious,” he said to himself, “Do humans not feel fear? Or are they just too stupid at this point to comprehend it?”
He stared at the baby for a time, and then screamed at it. It looked at him modestly. Sam frowned, cocking his head. He tossed the knife, and it stuck by the infants head, scratching it barely along the head. It began to cry.
Sam growled in annoyance. He retrieved his knife and felt the wound he had inflicted. It barely qualified as a scratch at all, not even bleeding. He suddenly noticed that the babe had stopped crying and was staring at him.
“Fickle, aren’t you?” Sam said. He grunted in annoyance. He couldn’t kill this thing. It was just too...innocent. He decided that he could train the child, in his image. That wouldn’t do anyone any harm. But now? No, he couldn’t raise a child now. But in the future, he would have his own child to raise...
“Wait,” he said out loud, “I won’t. Saturn will be the one to raise it.”
He did some quick math in his head, making a small mistake as he did so. He grabbed the infant and then traveled to the future, to the year 1994 A.D. It was night, but he could see clearly. On one side of him stood a wall of buildings, with such perfect architecture Sam had never seen before. He turned and gasped; a mirror image, more buildings.
Sam shook his head. There was time to admire the future in the future. Like a thief, he snuck up to the doorstep of one of the buildings, chosen at random. He set the child down gently and then rapped on the door. Not bothering to see what happened, Sam traveled back to the present.
He flew over the world, with intent to return to Saturn, when curiosity overcame him. He dove down to the valley to see the havoc he had wrought. Hiding behind his boulder, he listened to the continued conversation between Earth and Reagan.
After a time had passed, a small whimpering was heard. Sam peeked around the rock to see the youngest child (Sam had forgotten his name) had joined them. He was crying.
“What’s wrong?” Reagan asked.
The child sniffled, “I was playing with Xavier, and then I went over to talk to Antonio. When I turned around, Xavier was gone!”
Earth raised an eyebrow. He walked towards the other two children, but Sam was no longer paying attention to him. This child’s concern for his brother fascinated him. It was almost...elflike.
Sam ducked back behind the rock as Earth returned. “It’s impossible,” he said, “He’s just gone.”
“How can you be so sure?” the child asked. There was a hint of discontent in his voice.
Earth sighed, “I’m sorry, Reynard, but it’s rather simple to track someone, but it’s as if Xavier was never here. Most confusing.”
“Most perplexing indeed,” Sam agreed silently.
“I think it would be best if I stayed longer, so that I may watch over you all,” Earth said, looking back at the other children.
Sam swore lightly. This would make things infinitely more difficult. It might have been okay to go to the past once, but any more interference might change things a lot more drastically. He fumed, and for a moment all he could hear was the human child’s (Reynard, he remembered vaguely) soft crying. He sighed. This species knew empathy, even if only for themselves. They weren’t a complete waste. Killing them off wasn’t the answer.
Sam sat there, thinking for several hours. Finally, he came to a dark conclusion; there would be no way for the dragons to be enslaved if there were none left. But he wouldn’t be the one to kill them off; he couldn’t bear the thought of it.
He purred with delight. No matter, he would find a way. This new plan would take effect; he would make sure of it. After all, he had several million years to burn waiting.

***

October 9th, 1769.
Saturn.
Sam meditated quietly. He was alone, in a dark room. His sense of being was clear, and at the moment he had no regrets. In a few hundred years, his child would be born, and no matter how Saturn felt, he did not look back at himself in discontent. Even if Nc himself walked through the door, he would not hesitate to kill him, no matter how difficult it might be.
Ironically, as he thought about it, the door burst open. He leaped to his feet, but it was only Saturn. He breathed out slowly, “You surprised me.”
Saturn was taken aback at this unusual statement. Just to make sure he wasn’t joking, she asked, “Really?”
Sam decided to ignore this question, “What’s the matter?”
Saturn shook her head, “Right. Earth is here. He says he just knocked Pluto’s planet out of its orbit.”
Sam nodded, “Then my brother must have failed to kill him.” He laughed unexpectedly, “Why so many people want to kill Earth is a mystery. He’s practically untouchable.”
Saturn nodded, “Let us make haste.”
Sam followed her, exiting the room, swiftly walking through the maze of hallways before finally coming to the docking bay. Earth nodded when he saw Sam, saying, “I must say, Elementis is a formidable opponent. He might just be as powerful as you, Sam.”
The assassin grunted, “Not likely.”
“Oh, and there’s something else,” Earth said, “Pluto launched his assassination attempt while I was demonstrating to him my time machine, so now he and Elementis will be one hundred years older the next time I see them. Did I fail to mention that I invented time travel?”
Sam instinctively grew pale, but Saturn didn’t notice, “Yes, you did mention it, and we Saturnians have you beat by a couple billion years. I’d only be impressed if you said you were able to travel through time without the use of a machine.”
Earth muttered under his breath, “Yeah, but my machine’s portable...”
“So what brings you to Saturn?” Sam asked, “Do you need a ride home?”
“Nah,” Earth said, waving a hand, “I called Scott. He’s on his way. Hey, Sam, I think you’d like to know I talked to Fuege the other day.”
Sam frowned, “Fuege? The dragon?”
Earth nodded, “I didn’t want to tell you, but I remember how upset you were when I told you dragons were extinct, which was a lie.”
“A lie?” Sam repeated breathlessly.
Earth looked to the floor, “The truth is that what few dragons that were left went into hiding, and I swore never to let anyone know. There are fourteen dragons left in existence, soon to be fifteen.”
Sam gasped, clutching his chest. He shook his head, “That is...great news. Excuse me, if you would.”
He ran back through the halls to a secret room that no one knew about but himself. He entered, and was greeted by the scent of bubbling potions. He carefully shut the door behind himself and hummed from sudden in sudden inspiration. He picked up a few bottles and mixed their contents into a vat.
He opened a locked bookshelf and pulled a book down from the top shelf. He flipped to a page he had bookmarked, and then nodded.
He stood over the vat and drew a knife, speaking softly to himself, “I didn’t want to resort to this, but I have no choice now. If they’ve eluded me all this time, then I’ll need help finding those remaining dragons. And this potion shall make sure no one crosses me.”
After a brief moment of vacillation, he began to carve the knife through the skin of his forehead, drawing a single flame tattoo. As he did this, he spoke, “I, Elemention Samuel Lycanthrope am hereby the leader of IDEA, on October ninth of the year one thousand seven hundred sixty-nine until my death and departing day. All who say this oath, drink this potion, and obey me shall join my movement, until the day when blood is again shed from this wound.”
Blood from his self-inflicted scar dripped into the vat. The potion inside, which had been a sickly green, now turned a light blue. He grabbed a vial and dipped it into the vat, drawing a small amount of the liquid. He stared at the vial for a single moment, and then Sam downed it, sealing his fate.

***
End of Part One
***

Continued in Part Two: https://blogs.neoseeker.com/ShadowNc/6252-cracker-chronicle-11-we-fight-war-part-two-virgil-ruler-of-light/

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