Cain's long black coat swept behind him as he navigated the intricate streets of Old Bucharest, Romania. The chatter of vendors weaved past the cold, focused gaze, until, outside a tall, luxurious building, he stopped.
He went in.
The beats of music ransacked the calmness. His nose turned to the pungent smells of liquor and cigars, his ears pricked by the deafening speakers. An orderly anarchy of entertainment trailed to one room.
He scanned. It was dimly lit with changing colours. A guy brushed past him, bumping shoulders, another pair kissed at one end, and the main stage was a symphony of drinking, dancing, and smoking. None of these things caught his attention.
His eyes landed on a brown-haired man, trimmed, slick back, some bangs hanging around his sky blue eyes, about six feet two and lean. The man paused the round of shots mid-air and locked eyes with Cain.
Lazily rising, he walked over to him.
"Upstairs," he said, leaning to his right ear. Cain followed.
A refreshing breeze of air swept as the two stepped onto the rooftop balcony. The view of the streets was visible like a painting, but still lacked the nighttime charm.
They stood a good distance from each other. Cain leaned on the rails, looking at old Bucharest, the narrow paths like cracks. The man too rested his back on the rails, arms loose, resting on the metal, and eyes fixed on Cain, a cold silence festering.
"You came," the man broke the silence.
"You knew I would, Jaxon," replied Cain.
"To crash the party, no doubt," added Jaxon, his fingers rubbing against each other.
"You know what I want, Jax, I'm not here to settle scores with you like a child."
"Is that so?" asked Jax with a laugh, "Seems someone finally grew a pair."
Cain's face hardened. He took a breath, then turned to Jaxon, whose smile lingered easily, his body loose and breathing lightly.
"So you won't tell me where Jericho is?" asked Cain.
"And if I don't?"
Cain chuckled, shaking his head.
"What? Jericho has you by the balls?"
Jaxon turned fully to Cain, the smile never once fading.
"Say what you want, we both know, between him and you, I'll always pick him, little brother."
"Is that why you helped him ruin my life?"
Cain squeezed the rails, slightly bending them. His eyes narrowed, and he straightened fully, facing Jaxon now.
"Ahh... So that's what this is about. He broke your toys."
Cain took a step forward and another. He stood close enough, staring into the aloof face of Jaxon.
"I'm not playing around, Jax."
Jaxon looked into the distance. He raised his hand and let the breeze pass. He closed his eyes, allowing the sensation marinate, and slowly opened them, now red and glowing.
"You really want to do this? All this because of some human slut you met."
He placed his hand on Cain's shoulder and leaned in to speak.
"Grow up, little brother, I hear you already found another toy. Forget about Jericho. Move on."
Cain gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. Jaxon watched him closely. A gust of the evening cold wind is blowing. A loud silence engulfed the duo. Eventually, Cain took a long, deep breath and relaxed.
"A slut?" asked Cain.
From his shoulder, he pushed away Jaxon's hand, eyes locked.
Cain was the first to move. Hand shot fast like a bullet and gripped Jaxon's shirt. Jaxon instantly slapped the hand away, his face darker. Glowing sigils covering their arms and neck.
"I warned you," said Jaxon.
As he said that, he took a step back and hovered a few inches from the ground. Both his hands rested in his pockets.
***
Boom!
Boom!
A shock wave. Another, and another, that it resembled the beating of a drum. From the noise of traffic, people listened to the sounds beneath. In a kitchen, a drop of water fell, ushering in the third shockwave, which was followed by violent tremors.
Cain's body was flung through the roof of a building, propelled up to the sky. A spear was stuck in his belly, and his limbs were swaying freely, surrendering to the velocity. He opened his eyes and looked down.
Jaxon looked up.
He jumped. Boom! The fourth sonic shock swept the street below. He raised his hand and, with the flick of a wrist, recalled the spear. Glowing with runes, it hovered beside him.
"The Longeinus spear," thought Cain, clutching his bloody stomach, "I hate that thing."
A black pair of wings tore free from Cain's back, steadying him in the sky. The muscles on his stomach slowly knit together, and a skin patch stretched, leaving no scars. He spat some blood and turned to Jaxon.
Jaxon grinned. He shot forward. A straight jab sliced the air. Cain raised his guard.
Slam! Crack.
The blow bent his arms, slicing his sleeves like a razor. Cain grits, swallowing hard. No time to recover another swing. Heavier than before.
Slam!
The weight settled on Cain's stomach, stealing his breath from his lungs, reeling him forward. Blood, an ashy taste and saliva flew from his mouth.
Crack!
An unnatural twist curved on his belly. A loud ringing disoriented his ears as he gasped for air. He was shot up. Jaxon flew past him, stopping his momentum.
Cain's eyes glowed, and a blade manifested on his palm. He swung. Jaxon caught it with his fingers, clamping the steel blade.
"Is that it?" asked Jaxon.
His other hand shot like a whip and clamped Cain's jaw like steel. Tearing through his skin with his fingers, Cain could feel the crushing weight of the grip. He heard it in his ear as his jaw twisted and snapped.
"See, little brother," Jaxon spoke, then, like a teacher, he leaned closer, his words slow and deliberate, "you can't even scratch me. How do you even hope to touch Jericho?"
He then flung Cain straight down like a doll. He grinned. Cain looked down, his eyes widened.
"A crowd."
Clapping his palms together, a magic circle carved itself in the air. He vanished. He reemerged behind Jaxon, tackling him and driving him through another circle.
Before either could react, it spat them out on top of a desert, nothing but the endless sky and the brown sand.
Fast tumbling. Mid-air, knuckles met flesh, trading blow after blow.
A short blade manifested on Cain's hand. He brought it down. Jaxon raised a guard, and the blade dug into his flesh and bone, lodging in his fore arm.
Jaxon snarled and drove a blow to Cain's temple, shoving him aside. Before either recovered—
Booom!
Sand erupted upward into a cloud of a mushroom, swallowing.
Jaxon jumped to his feet, quick as a flash guard raised.
"He's been teleporting mindlessly," he thought, "Does he think he has infinite magic reserves?"
"You should have let yourself fall into those humans," said Jaxon out loud, his eyes scanning in the cloud of dust and sand. "Instead, you choose to burn through your magic."
A shift in the cloud.
Swoosh!
The whistle of a blade reached Jaxon's ears. He jumped back on instinct.
Slice!
Jaxon grunted, a stinging, sharp pain burning on his shoulder. He jumped back further, pressing down the blood welled on his fingers.
"He's faster now," thought Jaxon, "The footing?— I mustn't be careless."
"With this kind of play," he shouted, "do you really think you will beat Jericho!"
Jaxon brought his palms together in a loud, deafening clap that echoed for miles. A fan of wind swept, dispelling the dust cloud.
Cain took in gulps of air in his mouth, his ears still ringing and jaw crooked from the scuffle. He looked up at Jaxon, who stood brazenly under the hot sun. A glint of light like a mirror hit his eye.
He squinted.
The sky shifted, darkening as shapes started to form. A subtle whistling—like steel scraping steel— rose from the air around Jaxon. Cain's eyes widened, a nervous laugh escaped his lips, and a cold sweat formed on his temple. Instinctively, he took a stance, gripping his sword tightly in a stance.
"What's the matter?" Jaxon asked, voice smooth as silk, "Don't like what you see?"
Behind Jaxon. Forming a shade. The vast, endless tips, not one, not two, but a thousand tips of spears hovered, covering the blue sky, aimed menacingly at Cain.
Jaxon flicked a finger. A spear flew fast past him. Cain swung wide, cutting it, pieces scattering in the sand.
Jaxon flicked his wrist. Cain sighed as he looked up at the darkening sky.
"Dammit,"
Gritting his teeth, he closed his eyes and swung his sword.
Schlop!
The first spear drove into his chest, crushing his sternum, bursting through his back—
Another and another.
One claimed his arm. Another tore his thigh. Another ripped through his stomach. One went through his face and stuck where the eye should be.
Gurgling sounds filled the air. The hot sand was soaked with thick blood faster than it could absorb. Jaxon etched close, his eyes fixed on the body that jerked restlessly before stopping. Still like calm waters.
Darkness.
Jaxon towered over Cain, now a grotesque lump of flesh. He rubbed his chin and sighed.
"Checkmate, brother, you lost," said Jaxon.
He then looked at Cain's eye that stared past him. A glimmer of life that sparkled with the sun.
"Let's make it official, shall we?" asked Jaxon.
Stepping on the body, he pulled the spear lodged in the chest and hovered it over the remaining eye.
"I bet you are flicking me from beyond, brother," he said.
Staring down, he stole one last look at the body. Something made him pause. Brows furrowed, he looked closer.
"A smile?" he thought.
His muscles froze, and his spine went rigid.
A whistle sound caught his ear. Eyes darted instinctively. He turned—
Schlop!
Jaxon exhaled sharply. He slowly looked down at his chest. A long spear went through him, drips of blood staining the blade and sand.
His feet went cold, fast, shallow breaths escaped his mouth, and his heart drummed, threatening to burst free. He could feel something seeping from his body, something valuable. And as his muscles waned, the thought to cry, should he lose more of the vital stuff, lingered in his mind. Still, there were no tears.
He fell on his side.
A long, dragging sound reached his ear. He struggled to look around; he felt his senses sharp and alert unnaturally so. Seeking the danger.
His mind had all the will in the world. But his body, no matter how hard he tried, could not move.
"Stay away!" his lips moved, words slurred and useless.
The moving object kept approaching. Slowly edging closer until it stopped in front of him. His eyes widened as the figure looked down at him.
"H—How?" he asked.
The torn body of Cain stared down at him.
He looked at the emptiness on the side of his head. Blood wept from his eye socket, and skin dangled like a leaf. The jaw snapped in place, twisting like a puppet, slowly snapping in place. The last spear on his body fell off his leg.
"Surprised?" Cain asked, his voice raspy and rough, "Don't be."
Cain then stood. His limbs snapped back to place. Crackling noises filled the air as the missing arm took shape.
Jaxon watched as his blood ran cold, and a gripping sensation took hold of his stomach.
The side of his head formed. A white brain filled the void. An eye dangled shortly after, and a skull followed. Muscles knit together forming a skin, and hair sprouted.
"You did want to kill me, brother," said Cain
Cain seized the spear on Jaxon's chest and pulled it. Jaxon screamed out his breath, turning faster as a stream of bloody saliva drenched the hot sand.
"C—Cain wait," said Jaxon, his voice broken and tilted.
"Shhh!" Cain spoke, kneeling.
Eyes scanning Jaxon's impaled chest and back to Jaxon, who looked at him with shaky eyes.
"Don't worry, Jax, I'm not you. I won't let you die," Cain spoke voice smooth as silk.
He brought down the spear and twisted it. It bit Jaxon's thigh. He grit his teeth as he screamed. His body shook, and tears welled in his eyes.
"Rejoice for your pain, brother, it shows you are alive," said Cain, still holding the spear.
He looked at it once, as the runes glowed.
"The longeinus Spear." Cain continued, "One of the most powerful artefacts to ever be crafted, capable of killing gods."
Cain the Knelt, looking down at him.
"I bet you thought you could kill me with it," continued Cain, "But I'm sorry, Jax, holy weapons cannot kill me."
"How..." Jax could only mutter.
The sharp edges of the blade whistled as Cain moved closer. Jaxon's face turned pale as a ghost as he struggled to crawl on his back.
Something caught Cain's eyes. Underneath Jaxon's body, a circle of light with rune marks curved. Cain paused, his guard raised.
It took a split second before Cain noted the grin on Jaxon's lips. A weak laugh soon followed. Cain's eyes widened, and he leapt forward, barely grabbing Jaxon's coat before...
"Voop!"
Jaxon vanished.
"Damn it!" cursed Cain.
His fist crushed the hot sand under his feet, all the while his teeth grit so hard they could break.
About to bring his fist down once again, when a similar marking formed around him. He looked calmer.
"Jessicah," he commented as his body was swallowed by the light.
Clear blue skies stretched vast before them. A salty fragrance caught his nose as seagulls flew up above them. He stared down at the rocking waves of the sea beneath their feet and looked up once again to the company.
Jaxon lay on a young lady's arms, with two more gentlemen behind her.
"Hey, Cain," the young lady said.