"Yes?" The man asked softly. "We made you something! So you'll remember us!" They said in unision, holding out to him a stone with a picture of what seemed to be the two and Beatrice. Kokushin thumbed the gift, caressing the softness of the gray stone in his hands. "Liona. Merdock. Thank you. This is truly a wonderful gift. But, I will not need it to remember your hospitality." He said tying a string around the gift to wear around his neck. "Take care. You as well, Beatrice." He said with a small smile. The door closed softly when he walked out, leaving the children to giggle in glee.
The night was still in play, no soul wandered the village streets. Kokushin stopped walking and sensed something that grabbed his attention. Before he knew it, he saw a mist of something unworldly gather towards the castle. Kokushin knew perfectly what the source of the mist was. He had already began running towards the castle.
Meanwhile, the night went on and Lesser had already retired for the night. The silk sheets of his king sized bed wrapping around him while he slept in peace. A noise reached the conjuror's ears, waking him from his slumber.
His eyes opened to the sight of nothing before him. Before he went back to sleep, he felt a presence on the foot on his bed. "Mmmmm?" He sleepily asked rubbing his tired eyes. What he saw was a still umberling at the foot of his bed, still and quiet.
"Yes? Is there something I need to know?" Lesser asked the floating ball, which gave no sound of answer. "Are you insisting on playing games at this ungodly hour with me? If there is something to report, do so." Lesser said raising an eyebrow. The umberling continued it's silence but floated towards the door. "Just what ARE you up to?" Lesser said. The umberlings never acted like this. Getting up, he changed into one of his elaborate night gowns, then made his way to open the door.
"What the-" Lesser said, seeing an all too familiar mist clouding the hallways. "Repor-" Lesser then saw that the umberling was on the other side of the hall. The game of cat and mouse continued down the path that Lesser felt a strong sense of Déjà vu. "Enough!" Lesser demanded in a serious and strict tone to the umberling who once again did nor said nothing.
Lesser realized that the umberling had led him to the throne room doors. The mist, gathering and becoming thicker as the doors opened by themselves. "Well, that's one way of saying 'come in'." Lesser muttered to himself, walking into the room with the floating orb in front.
The room had gone through a complete reconstruction and interior design from what happened two weeks ago. No one had set foot in the throne room. Lesser saw the umberling speed towards a figure in the distance, one that the conjuror could instantly recognize.
"First, you wreck my throne room. Now, you you're controlling my umberlings. You don't ask first, do you Zalam?" Lesser asked the said entity. The white tiger revealed his presence from the shadows, standing in front of the raven haired man.
"Umberlings. Such a primitive term for referring to these creatures." Zalam said, twirling the umberling between his fitness before snatching it and crushing it in his hands. Zalam summoned a lighting spell of great power and hurdled it towards Lesser. Zalam was taken back when he saw his spell had been deflected. "You were able to deflect my spell. How?" Zalam asked, keeping his composure.
"Oh, you thought I was just a simple little conjuror did you? I just didn't really have a chance to shown and prove during your last visit." Lesser said in what would have sounded like a response of mockery but just as calm as the other man. "Which brings us at the subject at hand. One, why are you here? Two, why MUST you come here? And three, why so damn early?" Lesser asked stepping towards the sorcery god.
"I came to see if you are worthy. My visit was not one of destruction." Zalam said, giving the other man a disbelieving look on his face. "Why are you here then?" Lesser asked again, irritated and tired.
"Tell me, Lesser." Zalam said, getting Lesser's attention by hearing him call his name. "What is the meaning of magic?"
Zalam asked, setting his gaze on the conjuror. 'He has woken me up THIS early to ask me this?' Lesser thought to himself. "No, but it's clear you have the answer." Lesser replied.
"Long ago, all beings knew the purpose of magic. What the very gift was given for." Zalam continued as he saw the man look at him listening. "Before the world saw sorcery, it was a land of discord. The evils that which dwell in the hearts of man festered and grew, corrupting all which was walked upon. Mortals sinned without worry. The world had become a disgrace to the universe. The discord birthed by those before you put them on the very edge of extinction. Pitying them, I gave them what was needed to bring peace and prosperity. I gave to them magic." Zalm suddenly sat down in throne as he continued.
"There was a time in which all human were given the blessing of using magic. But humans... Those that are given a great power will always thirst to see what extents they can reach with it. Surely, even you, knows what had happened?" Zalam asked.
Lesser took a second to think then spoke, "The Arcane Wars." Zalam simply nodded. "Yes. The very gift which was intended to bring eternal prosperity to the world was squandered. The humans became the filthy beasts which they once were. The notion of my very essence being used for bloodshed and greed was unacceptable. I brought an end to the wars, but I knew then, that no wars would have to spur for darkness to live in the hearts of humankind. I left this world, only leaving a select few to keep what little I left of my dynasty."
Lesser rubbed his forehead. All he wanted to do was go back to his chambers and return to the land of slumber. But he knew that wouldn't happen any time soon. "So, history lesson aside. Why. Are. You. Here?" Lesser asked for the third time slowly. He watched zalam rise from the seat and walk towards Lesser. "I have come here bearing a gift." He said. "Ohh! Really a gift?" Lesser asked, suddenly not so bored. Suddenly, a book appeared, floating in the tiger god's hand. "Oh, a book." Lesser then said in a dull voice.
"What you see is before you is the Book of Yore. A sacred book of text holding unspeakable powers. One who would read it, would gain powers that could conquer nations and divide oceans." Zalam said as the book glided over to Lesser. Lesser slowly took the book, seeing the detailed carvings of gold across the large tome. "And WHY are you giving me such a relic?" Lesser asked in disbelief.
"The world has forgotten the ways of magic. All things in this world need the power of sorcery to maintain. The world will not continue to be as you see it. It will only grow to become a ball of filth and decay. However, I have seen the potential which you wield, Lesser. With this you could become a savior to the world's blight. No longer would you be a conjuror. You would be a Warlock. A virtuoso in the arts of old, a supreme summoner of spirits and demons, the four winds would heed to your call." Zalam narrowed his eyes before going on. "If not, remain the one conjuor of these lands and watch as the very world you know implodes upon itself." Zalam said nothing more as he waited for Lesser's answer. With the book still in his hands, a smile began to appear on the god's face as he thought he saw Lesser open the book. "Hmmm.. No, I'm fine thank you," he said simply, tossing the time down on the floor.
The silence of the room broke as the rage exerted from Zalam, as the room around him began to crack and crumble. "You will be the one to condemn this worlf , mortal!! I should have expected such impudence!" Zalam roared as his voice became filled with anger. "Grahhh!!" Zalam threw two balls of fire towards the raven haired man, who was able to counter the spell by freezing them, becoming two fireballs encased in ice. "You..." Zalam said gritting his teeth. "Who, me?" Lesser asked mockingly.
Before any actions were taken next, the doors of the throne rooms were shot down, blown off their hinges. "Really? You REALLY couldn't just knock?" Lesser asked, aggravated at yet another ruined part of his castle. Three shots fired through the smoke towards Zalam, barely missing him. "Bullets?" Lesser said in surprise.
An outline of a man came into view as the smoke dispersed, A black haired man with a gun aimed at Zalam. "You..." Zalam said in surprise as he charged off towards him, sending spells of ice pillars coming from the ground. "Stay back. This is my fight." The stranger told Lesser. The man leaped up into the air, meeting the tiger. The man moved and waved his gun into what became a glowing pentagram, then fired a bullet. "Kahoushoridan!" the gunner shouted as a phoenix like dragon emerged, scorching the pillars of ice. The dragon thrusted towards Zalam, which failed to inflict any pain. Suddenly a spire of earth came up from under the earth, impaling the man through the stomach.
"Is that all you could do, Kokshinboku?" Zalam asked with a smirk, seeing the man's severe bleeding wound. Another pentagram appeared with a shout of "Okami!" Suddenly the spire was torn away from his body when the bullet struck the gunner, healing and closing the wound. The smirk became a ghost of the past when it left the sorcery god's face as he jumped back towards the other side of the room.
"How are you doing this?" Lesser asked, intrigued. How could such magics be conjured with only bullets. "I'll explain after I'm done." Kokushin said readying another bullet. Zalam charged towards the man before he could stop the firing of the bullet. "Kouga Datou Dan!!" The gunner shouted as a massive sword-looking dragon emerged from the shot, rocketing straight toward's Zalam. The god wasn't able to withstand the size and intensity of the sword dragon as it impaled him. Suddenly with one more leap upwards, the man drew his blade which connected with Zalam's throat. The lion let out a bloodcurtling scream of pain as the last of his energy left his body, causing an explosion to trigger sending the now dead sorcery god's body to ashes. The man sheathed his black blade with the sound of the shrink was heard. His gun put back into a safety lock before putting it back into it's strap.
"Well, at least there won't be any blood or body parts to clean up after." Lesser said in a positive voice. The man's attention suddenly drew to the forgotten book. "That was offered to you by Zalam, wasn't it?" Kokushin asked. "Yes, he claimed it could grant me great power." He said about to pick it up until suddenly a black sword came down and pierced the time, sending screams from the magical relic until it rotted away into nothingness. "Not that I was interested, but that was a fine way to waste away a book.... Kokushinboku was it?" Lesser asked. "Kokushin will do." He said with a nod. "No doubt you have questions that need answering?" He asked. "Most certainly. Why don't you explain what you can." Lesser insisted making their way out of the room. Making their way into the corridors, the sight of Zack and Brutus came into view.
"MASTER!" the demon roared out with the blonde man right behind him. "Be at ease, I'm fine. Of course, thanks to our friend here." Lesser said to the two men now noticing the stranger. "Who are you?" Zack asked. "Why don't we make out way to my study? All of our questions will be answered there?" The raven haired man suggested as the made their way.
The three men had many questions, Kokushin knew, and decided to tell them anything and everything at once. "To begin, it all started long ago. When the gods were at war with each other. The deities of heaven and hell fought for the rule over all life in the universe. Heaven's forces became stronger and stronger over time, and as a car of desperation one of the evil deities created what was basically their ultimate weapon... That was me. I was created by the devil goddess, Yamatoshime from a black tree. My purpose for living was the end of the wars. However, I began to see that the gods paid no mind for the souls of humans who died as casualties from the god's battles. Their very abandonment enraged me to the point where I no longer considered myself a part of the dark deities. I became what was basically a cancer to all gods and goddesses. My path of slaughter brought many of them to their end. In the end, they managed to put aside their petty differences and worked together to once again seal me away back into the black tree. They blamed my creator, Yamatoshime, for not intervening when I began my killing. She knew what would happen and accepted the verdict placed upon her. When she died, the locks and seals on the tree which held me weakened and years later, humans discovered where I was and through mortal intervention I was awakened from my slumber. The gods haven't changed, what Zalam told you was only a small part of the truth. As the gods may rule the earth, humans dictate and populate it. Humans are no longer of any value to them. That is why I am on my quest to end the gods and what they stand for. Just as I did to Zalam. Lesser, Zalam was the creator and god of sorcery, the very avatar of magic. It would take a practitioner of the arts to stand against him and live, however like many things in this world, he couldn't be killed by what he was. That when the magic gunslingers first walked the earth. They once waged their own battle against the gods, armed with their swords and guns. Witch and Wizard gunslingers can take an everyday ordinary bullet and use it to cast a spell by doing what is known as a "bullet dance" which we enchant the bullets we fire. Such as healing spells, varying from healing and closing wounds of any level of vitality, to spells which can reconstruct and reform. There are bullets we can use to power ourselves to have a major increase in strength and durability. Then there are the summoning bullets, which as you saw call forth powerful entities, such as dragons. As strong as we are, we're not perfect. There are days where we lose interest in having our powers. How we would give everything to live and die as a normal person without healing spells involved. The blade and gun I carry were forged from the flames of the volcano Yamatoshime resided in. I'm not immune to harm. The tree still stand in the ruined temple where I was found, if the tree takes any form of injury then so do I. If it is burned or chopped down, will die without any hope of rescue. My travels brought me here and I stayed at an inn at the nearby village for the fortnight, then I sensed the magics and followed them to the castle. I would not have been able to kill Zalam with simple bullets. They are magic, but they also have the traces of demon presence as well. I could have very well injured him, my gun fires a normal shot with the strength equal to that of a cannon. It's been two years since my awakening, and Zalam has been my first to fall."
Lesser and the two servants had to take a few minutes to completely absorb all of the information they were being told at once. Brutus and Lesser came to a clear understanding perfectly, Zack however did so with a headache.
"Well, that was.... Quite the explanation. Thank you, Kokushin. Zack, would you be so kind as to show our friend to the guest chambers?" Lesser asked the blond man, who nodded "Yes sir."
"That won't be necessary. I have to be on my way." Kokushin stated, refusing the offer. "Oh, but surely after what had happened you would need to rest." Lesser insisted, knowing good and well that anybody would be drained after going through what he did. "I've already gotten the rest I need. But thank you." Kokushin said once again declining Lesser's offer. Lesser nodded, knowing that Kokushin's enemies were already hunting him down for him to even try to rest.
The castle doors came to a close and once again, Lesser returned once more to his chambers. "Well, I never thought i'd turn down a gift. A book more or less." Lesser thought to himself.
The End
Extra:
Kahoushoridan: A phoenix dragon bullet that burns the victim and does not let go.
Kouga Datou Dan: A swordfish like dragon bullet which can be augmented further and further.
Okami: Healing bullets which summon cherry blossom tree branches which heal the wounds.
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