The Massacre

The sun rose for what would be the last morning the Zlona-Sintar Village would see. The village was bustling with life. Young children were playing in the cobblestone streets, their older peers were off to their day spent at the Schola. Adults were preparing for a day of work. Blacksmiths were preparing their forges, shopkeepers opened their shops, the warriors of the village were awaiting for their orders while milling about the gray stone barracks. All except one. 

Deep in the woods, lying on the branch of an oak tree was a man who had seen twenty-three winters. Nothing about him really stood out. He had a round face with a square jaw and stood at 6ft 3 pale white skin, silver eyes with black hair that hung just past his small ears. For attire, he wore a hybrid of a vest and trench coat. His right arm was covered in a sleeve, his left arm exposed, his well-toned torso also exposed. The coat portion reached to the ground. He also wore a baggy white Gi bottom with black boots. He wore two silver earrings, one on each ear depicting a roaring dragon and a tied dark red headband.

He breathed in deep, enjoying the scent of pine and honey suckle while listening to the sounds of birds chirping. He enjoyed the stillness of the woods. It provided a sense of peace he rarely got to enjoy. He had lived in the Zlona-Sintar village his whole life. It was a tiny village nestled deep in the Sintar Woods, the most treacherous woodland in the land of Ocrad, ruled by the Ishtar Dynasty. Kronos had only experienced brief glimpses of the outside world when he was away on work assignments for his people, the pride and fierce descendants of the dragons that had once called Ocrad home, the Sintar Dragon Tribe.

 Kronos looked at the clouds lazily passing by, wishing he could be like them and leave. But were he to attempt to do so, he would be hunted down and killed by his own people, if Ocrad’s ruling Dynasty, the Ishtar didn’t enslave him first. He yawned, in no hurry to report for his duties for the day. He was a lowly village guard after all. The most exciting thing he could expect would be breaking up a drunken brawl or maybe have to participate in a skirmish. He yawned once more and closed his eyes for a nap.

He was rudely shaken awake a few hours later. Kronos's eyes shot open to see a village soldier standing over him, contempt in his eyes. He wore the dress uniform of the Sintar Dragon Tribe. A jet black and scarlet silk jacket with golden trim, white cotton long sleeved button dress shirt, jet black silk dress pants tucked over fine brown leather boots. His blue bandanna signified his superior ranking to Kronos. Flustered, Kronos scrambled to his feet and bowed at the waist to show respect.

 "There you are. The Village Justicar wants to see you,” the soldier snarled in the harsh sounding Sintar accent. Having grown up in the village, Kronos didn’t see anything different with how the Sintar Dragons sounded but he had heard from others it sounded like dragons ate heaping bowls of sand then washed it down with gin. I didn't think the Village Justicar knew who I was, he thought. From his aerial vantage point he could see the entirety of the village. 

The village has been constructed in the shape of the sun, in honor of Isin, the Sintar god of the sun. At the center of the village was the Village Justicar’s manor as well as the Schola where children were educated as well as the shrine to the gods. Eight vast expansions branches from the center of the village, small cobblestone houses and shops covered these sections. The village was surrounded by a well maintained stone wall with plenty of sentries posted on lookout duty. Kronos descended into the center of the village and began walking to the Village Justicar’s manor.

The manor was a three story sandstone building with marble depictions of mighty and noble dragons. The building had three by three rows of tall windows. Outside the manor were magnificent hedges expertly tended to by the servants.Vibrant roses, violets, blossoms and tulips covered the hedges with a marble fountain of a roasting dragon in the center. The grass on the lawn was a dark green. Water only priests were permitted to touch gently trickled from the dragon’s mouth. Not wanting to keep the village leader waiting, Kronos headed towards the manor, nearly knocking over an elderly man in the process. 

 "I'm sorry-" Kronos began, but the elderly man snarled at him.

"Watch where you're going, you Digamma Half-Breed!" He growled. That insult stung as always. The Abnormal tribes had several ranks for their warriors that provided several differing jobs in Abnormal society. There was Gamma, reserved for those too young, too old or just unable to fight. They usually worked any non-combatant type jobs such as masters at the Schola, shop keepers, blacksmiths, tailors, and healthcare. They were identified by wearing white bandannas. 

 Then there was the Digamma, the rank given to those who were subpar on the battlefield. They served as the village guard, policing the populace, excluding the elite. They also fought in local skirmishes and in times of war, they were used as fodder squads. They wore red bandannas to identify their rank. The following rankings were Delta, who were the bulk of the Abnormal military forces and wore blue bandannas. Beta, who served as middle rank officers who served as the direct higher ups of the Digammas and wore yellow bandannas. 

Then there was Alpha, who were in charge of and the highest ranks of military forces. They were identified by their green bandannas. Sigma, who were assigned to guard the elites and high ranking officials and wore orange bandannas. Zeta, who were the ones who were used for special and black operations. They were the only ones without a set color of bandanna in order to hide their ranking. That left the highest rank of Omega. They served as the leaders of their people such as village leaders and higher ranking politicians. They were the only ones permitted to wear purple bandannas. 

 As for Half-Breed, that stung even more. A slur thrown at Kronos due to his heritage. Half human, half dragon. Taboo in the eyes of the Sintar Dragon Tribe. They were the untouchables of the Abnormal world. While the severity differed from tribe to tribe, disdain for Abnormals was universal. 

Kronos apologized again and hurried past the old man, trying to ignore the eyes of onlookers. Their stares of disgust and hatred burned his skin. He dared not look any of them in the eyes, lest he spark their anger. Before the situation could escalate he hurried away. Resentment burned in his gut, he would love nothing more than to smack the old man in the face. But all that would have done is get him thrown in the brig, Half-Breeds rarely if ever earned the respect of their tribe and that was unlikely to change. 

Kronos made it to the entrance of the manor and opened the door. After ascending a spiral staircase to the top floor, he pushed open a double self of oak wooden doors. He was greeted by torches on the pearl white walls along with beautiful landscape paintings. Plush red carpet covered the floor, with armed guards standing at both sides of the room. At the end of the room was a pearl white throne with a man sitting in it. He was six foot six, bald with a jagged pike black beard. His left eye was hidden by an black eyepatch, his green right eye lazily examined Kronos.

He had a long angular face with a round jaw. His ears were large and drooping. He wore a orange black and silver armored robe, black leather boots and a purple bandanna. On his left hand was a golden ring. In his right hand was a piece of rolled up brown parchment. 

 "About time you got here," he growled. "I shouldn't have to send my elite guards to find you, Half-breed." Again with that insult. Kronos did his best to shrug it off and approached the throne. He then dropped to one knee and bowed his head. 

 "Forgive me, Lord Justicar." The village leader handed him the parchment, a look of utter disgust on his face. Half-breeds. Nothing but abominations, the lot of them the look said. Kronos felt it pierce him, the hate behind it attacking his very being.

"I don't know why but we got this letter from High Queen Hera herself,” The Justicar said. “ Addressed to you.” Kronos’s eyes flew open at this. The Queen of the Sintar, addressed a letter to him?! Hurriedly, with slightly shaking hands, opened the parchment and read. It was a simple job request, nothing the queen would normally concern herself with. Kronos didn’t get it, why would the queen waste her time giving him such a simple and insignificant task?

"Why me?" Kronos asked.

"I don't know. It honestly confounds me. To think our queen would waste her time addressing anything to your kind,” The Justicar responded. “ What did our queen ask of you?”

“ To clear out a den of bandits.”

“ That’s it?” The Justicar asked, raising an eyebrow.

“ Yes sir.”

“ Well you best get to it Half-Breed. And you better do the job perfectly. If a single bandit manages to escape, don’t bother coming back. Now leave my sight before your repulsive scent causes me to become ill,” the Justicar growled. “ And the next time you dare approach me out of uniform I’ll have you lashed so many times your back will never stop bleeding.” Kronos got to his feet, bowed to the village leader then hurried out of the room. He exited the manor and headed towards the gate. 

“Kronos!" Kronos turned around to see a boy not even five winters old running up to him. He had a triangular face with a narrow jaw. He had green eyes and brown hair with a small nose and big ears. He wore a simple white robe and sandals, standard attire for children still in training.

 "Icarus," Kronos said, squatting down and catching the boy as he leaped in his arms. Kronos gave his first genuine smile that day as the young child hugged him. Icarus and his parents were the only ones in the village who didn't demean him. Kronos set the boy down who was chattering with excitement.

“ Are you going on a special mission?" Icarus asked. 

"I am,” Kronos said, handing the child the parchment. The eye of Icarus widened when he saw who wrote the letter.

“ LadyHera herself?!”

“ I can hardly believe it either,” Kronos said honestly.

“ You must have done something to get her attention! Maybe this is a mission only you can do!” Icarus said, his eyes growing even wider. "Can I come too?!" Kronos laughed. 

"I wish buddy, but you know the rules. You have to finish training before you can go on missions."

 "It's not fair!" Icarus shouted, stomping his foot, folding his arms, and pouting. Kronos laughed and ruffled the kid's hair.

" Sorrykid. But I promise I'll bring you back something." Icarus smiled.

 "Okay. You probably don't even need my help! Those bandits don't stand a chance against you!" The guard at the entrance gate to the village rudely snickered when he heard that.

 "More like they're too weak to pose any real threat. Her majesty is just sick of the Half-breed lazing around, disgracing our kind." Kronos's happiness evaporated like morning dew. Icarus opened his mouth to give an angry retort, but Kronos placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. Icarus just glared at the guard then smiled at Kronos.

” Before you go, could you help me with my studies?” He asked, his eyes wide. Wanting to get away from the guard and his verbal barbs, Kronos nodded. He followed the young boy back to a bench where a thick brown leather journal was bound by a strap. Icarus sat on the beach and removed the strap. The journal flew open, yellow pages turning on their own. Icarus handed Kronos the journal and frowned.

” I’m stuck on the different types of Genetic Makeups,” he said. Kronos flipped through a few pages of notes, a frown slowly spreading across his face.

“ Dust and cinders!” He swore. “ So much of this information is wrong! Who is your instructor?!”

” Master Midas,” Icarus answered. Kronos rolled his eyes and grumbled.

“ How that brainless lizard became a Schola Master will forever baffle me. You'll never graduate with him as your teacher.” He shook his head and flipped the journal to a blank page, sitting next to Icarus on the bench. He grabbed the quill that had been sitting next to the journal and dipped it in the jar of ink Icarus provided.

“ Alright first thing’s first. The three scientific types of Pure Blooded Abnormals are known as Etherbloods, Aetherbloods and Netherbloods. I see Midas got that right at least, but of course he didn’t tell you the proper term for Half-Breeds, Xetherbloods. Has he told you the story of the Primordial Siblings?” He asked.

” A little. They are the dragons that created everything from the sky to the sea and everything else. And then they birthed the gods,” Icarus answered.

” Of course he told you they were dragons. The fool probably believes that,” Kronos muttered. He began to write in his journal as he spoke. “ The Primordial siblings were not dragons. No one knows who they really are, other than the fact they were made of pure Mana and created everything by expending parts of themselves. Ether created the sky, bodies of water, and the ground we are standing upon.

Aether created plants, animals, and weather. And Nether created the sun and moon, thus giving us night and day. However all that creation had an unexpected consequence. The leftover Mana formed into another being, Xether.”

“ Xether?” Icarus asked tilting his head. “ I've never heard that name before.”

” I’m not surprised. Xether isn’t part of the accepted curriculum. Because he created the first Half-Breed. By the time he shows up the other three had just started to create sentient creatures. They weren’t really given a name so most scholars call them the Mordean, meaning The First People. Xether wasn’t really accepted by the other three, and because Xether wasn’t delegated any responsibilities, this led to resentment and bickering.”

Kronos dipped the quill in ink and turned to a fresh page to keep writing. After making sure Icarus was still paying attention he continued. “ Xether decided the only thing he could do is meddle in the plans the Siblings had for the Mordean. Xether wanted to create a superior race of beings. So Xether created the earliest ancestors of Half-Breeds, the Xikram. The very being and conscious of Xether was then infused into Xikram, thus they became the first to be able to wield Mana. A gift passed down to us.”

“ Xether was infused with them? How?” Icarus asked furrowing his brow. Kronos shrugged in response.

” You got me. This is all translated from the Ordinveir, The First Tongue. The translation isn't entirely accurate and tends to conflict with other versions of this story. All I can tell you for certain is Xether became part of their very genetic code. And over various centuries these creatures evolved into what would become The Fourth People, the first Abnormals. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Fearing the Xikram would kill their creation, the Primordial Siblings did the same as Xether. The descendants ones who Ether became one with, the Etherbloods are Abnormals who use fire, water, wind and earth. The descendants of those Aether became one with, the Aetherbloods wield lightning, wood, ice and snow. And the descendants of the ones Nether, the Netherbloods merged with wield shadow, light, poison and dust. Of course they did this resenting Xether, creating an inherent bias in Pure-Bloods against Half-Bloods that exists to this day as you very well know.

“ Wait!” Icarus exclaimed. “ If we are The Fourth People, who came before us?”

“ The Second People were the Kordean. They were an odd bunch from what I've read. Apparently they were a race of mutations, fully Xikram and fully Mordean, created by The Paragon, Absalon, yet they weren't considered to be of mixed blood. All I know for certain about them is they are the ancient ancestors of humans.

The Third People, the Lordean, are shrouded in mystery I'm afraid. All that is known is they mysteriously vanished after The Paragon was vanquished. A popular theory is that their life force was connected to The Paragon but I disagree. I happen to think they fell victim to a mass extinction event but I’ve been unable to find solid evidence to propose that.”

“ How do you know all this Kronos?” Icarus asked. Kronos grinned.

“ I sneak into the forbidden library often. I’ve been doing that ever since I was your age. I always liked to learn. Granted what I just told you is common knowledge, excluding everything I told you about Xether. That information I gathered from the scrolls I sneaked out of the forbidden library. The fact Midas got so much of that wrong is quite worrying. Maybe if he would put down his brandy bottle occasionally he wouldn’t be such a fool,” Kronos said while rolling his eyes.

“ You should be a Master at the Schola!” Icarus exclaimed.

“ I would love to,” Kronos said. “ After I graduated I applied to be one. But I was denied, after all, those with my heritage will never be granted any meaningful job. Instead I was given my current role, despite never wanting to be a warrior. I’m more of an academic than a fighter. Ah well, it's not bad. The frontlines are where I met your mother and father. How are they by the way?”

“ They’re okay,” Icarus said. “ Father and mother speak of you often. They want you to visit more.”

“ Perhaps I shall,” Kronos said, handing Icarus the notebook. “ Anyway, I should go on my mission. I'll seek you out once I get back,” he said. He ruffled the boy’s hair then started to walk away.

 "Good luck!" Icarus said before running off. Kronos smiled, nodded to the guard for him to open the gate, and then took off into the air.

Kronos didn't get back until that evening. He flew through the air, disappointed with how easy the mission had been. Considering it had come from the dragon queen, he has been expecting more. The bandits hadn’t even put up much of a fight. To combat his disappointment he had had a few drinks at a local tavern. He opened his left hand and stared at a small black statuette of a black timberwolf he had snagged for Icarus. That boy loves his figurines, and I know he doesn't have this for his collection. His fifth winter will be here in a few moon cycles, I’ll give it to him then.

 He continued flying before the smell of smoke and blood stopped him. He stopped midair as he tried to pinpoint the source. He looked every which way sniffing the air before his eyes widened in horror. The smell is coming from the same direction as my village! Did someone attack?! No, no way! No one would dare attack the Sintar! He thought as he flew towards the village as fast as he could. When he reached his village, he stopped and looked on in horror. 

From his aerial viewpoint, he could tell his village had been completely destroyed. The cobblestone buildings were on fire, the defensive wall breached. He could see bodies lining the pathways. The smell of fresh blood flooded his sense of smell, causing Kronos to gag. What happened here? Oh no, Icarus! 

Kronos landed in his village and ran towards the child's house. Fresh blood covered the ground, telling Kronos this attack had happened recently. He reached Icarus' house and he stared at an unmoving, small shape. Icarus! He hurried to the body and scooped the little boy up in his arms. The child was covered in blood but was faintly breathing. 

"Icarus? Icarus, can you hear me?!" Kronos asked frantically. Icarus' eyelids fluttered open.

" Kronos?"

 "Yeah, yeah, it's me, buddy. What happened here?" 

"Imperial soldiers came..." Kronos's blood froze at this. The Imperials?! The ones in charge of eliminating Abnormals in the name of the Ishtar Dynasty?! 

“ But that doesn't make sense! Our tribe has been in an alliance with them for years, why would they attack us now?!" 

"Don't...know. They...killed mommy...in front of me", Icarus whispered. Kronos gritted his teeth as he listened to Icarus' breathing, and the flames hungrily devour his village. 

"Icarus listen, you're going to be alright. Just stay with me." 

“ Goodbye...Kronos. I'll see you...in Takira." Icarus said before his eyes went lifeless, and his chest stopped.

"Icarus? Icarus?!" Kronos shouted, tears forming in his silver eyes. No response came from the boy's body. Kronos's tears began to fall as he gently set the child down and closed Icarus' eyes. So...the Ishtar Dynasty has betrayed us, have they ? They'll rue this day. He looked down at the body and placed the small figurine in the boy's hand.

 " Rest in peace Icarus. I swear. I’ll avenge you." Kronos stood up as a new scent reached his nose, a smell he didn't know. Moments later, a patrol of four Imperial soldiers wearing black armor approached him. The armor had a pointed helm with two squared holes leaving the eyes minimally exposed. Attached to the top was a tiger head shaped ornament piece.The shoulders were rounded, very long and enormous. They were decorated with two curved animal horns on each side, placed on the front and backside.

The upper arms were protected by squared, fully covering rerebraces which sat loosely under the shoulderplates. The lower arms were covered by vambraces which had a row of hook-like barbs attached to each outer side. The breastplate was made from several layers of metal sheets, which perfectly sat just under the shoulderplates. It covered only the front, the back is where the attachment straps were and they offered no real protection. The upper legs were covered by pointed, fully covering cuisses. The lower legs were protected by greaves which have a skull shaped metal ornament piece on each outer side.

 "I wondered where that repulsive stench was coming from," Kronos said. 

"Hey guys, look, it seems like we missed one,” one of the Imperial soldiers said. The four took defensive stances, readying their weapons. Kronos gave them a cold glare.

" What is the meaning of this?!" One of the soldiers chuckled in response.

“ Come on pal, did you really think the truce would hold out? Everyone knows dragons can't be tamed. Sooner or later, you would have risen against us. But don't despair. Cause we're gonna be reuniting you with your village soon.”

Kronos clenched his fists as his body shook, "I swear...before the dead bodies of my people... you're the ones who will joining the Zona-Sintar Village in death you bastards!" With a yell of pure fury, Kronos’s body became engulfed in a whirlwind of white lightning. Before the soldiers could react Kronos rushed them, punching one in the chest so hard his fist penetrated the body. The soldier gurgled and slumped, blood pouring from the body. The three remaining soldiers thrust and slashed their swords towards Kronos but being an Abnormal, he dodged them with ease.

The whirlwind of lightning then struck the soldiers in the blink of an eye, sending them flying backward. Kronos stiffened as he noticed more Imperial soldiers hurrying towards him, presumably having heard the commotion. 

 Kronos whirled on them and before they could draw their weapons Kronos was upon them. His mind was blank. The blood roaring in his ears as he fired lightning bolts into the bodies of those Kronos that attacked his home. Soon a pile of bodies were piling up at Kronos’s feet and steadily increasing. 

“ Enough!” came a loud and commanding feminine voice. The small gathering of the few remaining soldiers parted for a six-foot woman with twenty- three winters on her back. She had light blue hair and golden eyes full of contempt and disdain, She wore elegant black plate armor. The shoulders were pointy, wide, and quite large. They were decorated with two rows of bones on each side, one row is at the front and the other on the backside. Her upper arms are protected by squared, fully covering rerebraces which sit perfectly under the shoulder plates. Her lower arms were covered by vambraces which have a metal snake curling around them.

The breastplate was made from several separate pieces which are layered on top of each other. It covered almost everything from the neck down and ending at the groin, but the sides are only covered near the bottom. The upper legs were covered by a chainmail skirt reaching down to the knee. The lower legs were protected by greaves which had a dagger attached on the outer sides. She gave Kronos a cold, calculating look, studying the blood of her slain comrades that covered the Half-Breed.

“ So, you managed to cut through several scores of my soldiers. And not just any troops but my elite guard as well. Yet, if my memory serves, Kronos, you were ranked dead last in combat once you graduated from the Schola.” She gave Kronos a mocking smile. “ It’s been a long time.” 

“ Calypso,” Kronos said, the hair on the back of his neck standing up. Better known as Calypso the Eradicator, holding the rank of Alpha. It was often said she was the greatest warrior in the history of the Sintar Dragon tribe. Kronos had trained with her when they were children and had been her own personal punching bag.

“ Why do you always have to pick on me?” Kronos had grumbled after he had lost a sparring match when they were just kids. Calypso had just giggled and given him a sly glance.

“ Because it’s fun,” she had simply said before walking away. Calypso had grown up to become the apprentice and right hand to Queen Hera herself and was the Lord Commander of the Ishtar Dynasty’s armed forces.

“ Why in blazes are you attacking us?! Have you gone mad?!” Kronos demanded. “ You’re one of us damn it! Or have you forgotten?! You had kin living here!”

" Of course I haven't forgotten," Calypso said calmly. " But you see, Queen Hera is quite disappointed with the Sintar as of late. Too many weaklings among us, holding us back. So, her majesty has decreed all villages of the Sintar that she deems are holding us back must be destroyed. Sadly my poor childhood home is one," Calypso made a show of pretending to wipe a tear from her eye then continued.

“ I must say, I am surprised to see your anger over the destruction of this village,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “ After all, these are the same people that treated you so badly, I hid you in my family’s cellar just so you had a place to sleep where you’d be safe from the elements. That is until you were caught. I remember that day vividly. I thought my father had killed you due to the injuries you had. I was severely punished for that.”

“ I don’t give a damn about the rest of them,” Kronos said honestly. “ But because of your soldiers, Icarus is dead.” He clenched his fists. “ And that is something I cannot forgive,” he finished through gritted teeth.

“ Icarus? Oh, you mean the spawn of Perseus and Artemis?” Calypso asked, tilting her head to one side. “ Pity. The boy had promise. As I once thought you had.” She shook her head in dismay. “ But it would seem you're as weak as ever Kronos. To think so many of my elite warriors fell to you,” she continued, eyeing the bodies in disgust, kicking one away from her., “ I’ll have to make sure nothing like this happens again.” Her hate-filled gaze met Kronos. “ After I send you to join the others in Takira, if your kind are even permitted to go there in death, Half-Breed.”

With a smirk, Calypso yelled as her body became engulfed into a mighty whirlwind of pale green wind. Kronos had to step back, with one hand up to shield his face. Even though he was several feet away, he could feel the force of the wind. Has she always been able to channel this much Mana?! Mana was what flowed into all those who had Abnormal blood in their veins and was the source of their power.

Every Abnormal was born capable of wielding one element, through vigorous training as a child, Abnormals discovered which element they could wield. It usually took even a Pure-Blooded Abnormal a full decade to fully control and master their power but Calypso was a true prodigy. She had completed her training at only seven. Kronos had been left in the dust, having graduated far later than everyone else in his class, due to ineptitude in combat training. Kronos was ashamed to admit he held the record amongst his people for the longest time it took to graduate from the Schola. 

How am I supposed to win?! Kronos thought before gritting his teeth. Don’t think like that! I have to try, even if it's hopeless. He snarled and summoned every bit of Mana he could muster, summoning his own whirlwind of white lightning, causing Calypsoto raise an eyebrow.

“ Huh? Well, it’s not often I am surprised. You’ve never been able to channel this much Mana before Kronos. I must say, I’m impressed. It’s nothing compared to my own, but for a Half-Breed, it’s almost commendable,” she said with a sneer. Kronos let out a roar and before Calypso could blink, Kronos rushed her and connected with a punch to the jaw. Calypso staggered back, blinking in surprise. Knowing he didn’t have much time before she reacted. Kronos punched her in the face two more times and tried for an uppercut but Calypso grabbed his fist.

“It’s not often you’re so eager,” she said in a mocking tone before kicking Kronos in the stomach. Pain flooded into Kronis’s body, pain like he never felt before. He choked and doubled over breathing hard. He weakly tried to punch Calypso again but she caught his other fist. Instinct took over Kronos and she straightened up and headbutted Calypso, causing the smug smirk on her face to vanish in surprise. 

Calypso took a few steps back and put a hand over her left eye. When she withdrew it, Kronos noticed he had slightly cut her from his headbutt next to her left eyebrow. I have to take advantage! Kronos got some good distance away from Calypso and two balls of white lightning appeared in his palms. Jumping into the air and floating, Kronos began to fire a barrage of white lightning balls at Calypso rapidly which exploded upon impact with their target. 

After a few moments of his barrage, Kronos landed on the ground. A thick dust cloud had blocked his view from Calypso. Once the dust settled, Calypso was standing there, seemingly unfazed. It was as if she hadn’t noticed Kronios’s attack at all. She was just staring at her, looking at the blood, transfixed by it.

“ You cut me. You cut me,” she mumbled softly. She then looked up and fixed Kronos with a stare he could not identify. “ You cut me! Of all people!” She exclaimed. “ There was a time I had to let you hit me, but now…” she trailed off. Kronos let out a cry of frustration and rushed Calypso but was met with an uppercut from his opponent. Before Kronos could even register what had happened, Calypso sent him flying backward with a kick to the stomach.

Kronos gritted his teeth as he felt himself crash through a stone house, felt nails and jagged wood cut into his flesh as a result. He landed hard on the stone floor but before he had a chance to recover, Calypso was upon him again. This time her kick below his jaw sent him crashing through the roof of the house. Kronos felt himself flying upward before being violently sent back down to the ground by another kick by Calypso. However, Kronos was able to land on his feet and looked up to see Calypso flying towards him. Thinking fast Kronos extended his arms, palms together facing outward along with his fingers.

A burst of white lightning fired out of his palms right when Calypso was about to crash into him. Kronos was able to catch a glimpse of the surprised expression on her face before the attack engulfed her. The burst of lightning raced into the sky before dissipating, Calypso nowhere to be seen.There’s no way I won that easily, but perhaps I hurt her. He knew it was a slim hope but even she couldn’t be that close to that much Mana when it was fired without being affected. 

“ Ah damn!” Kronos yelled, falling to one knee. His body was battered and torn as if he had been caught in a tornado. But how, he hadn’t taken that much damage! Unless...Of course! She was using wind to reinforce her blows! Damn it, I should’ve noticed!

Suddenly Kronos bolted upright as he felt blades made of wind cut into his back. He choked and fell on his chest, feeling blood rush out of his body. He heard footsteps walking towards him from behind and stopped when they were in front of his face. Calypso knelt in front of him and grabbed him by the chin, forcing him to look at her. Kronos felt his body shake in horror when he saw his attack had done her minimal damage.

“ Not bad Kronos,” she said with a sneer. “ You almost had me. You may have actually done some damage... if your Mana control wasn’t flawed.” Kronos gritted his teeth at that. His Mana had never gained coloration, the symbol one had mastered their Mana. Try as he might, Kronos had never managed to achieve that. Kronos had never lived down the fact his Mana control was incomplete, flawed, unable to gain color.

Calypso grabbed Kronos by the neck and lifted him up. With a sinister smile, she began to choke him. Kronos grabbed her arm with both hands, trying to pry her hand off his neck to no avail. He choked, his vision darkening. Out of pure desperation, Kronos fired whatever lightning he could fire out of his mouth, hitting Calypso square in the face. It had no effect but the smile on her face grew. With a chuckle, she slammed Kronos on his back, hand still squeezing his neck. With her other hand, she conjured a ball of wind that she slammed into his torso.

Kronos yelled in utter agony as the wind tore into his flesh, driving him further into the earth. Calypso had a look of joy on her face as her attack persisted, driving Kronos deeper and deeper into the earth, creating a small crater. Only when Kronos’s eyes had closed and he had ceased yelling did she stop. She stood and looked over his motionless body. 

“ Worthless,” she sneered before hopping out of the small crater. She regrouped with what little soldiers Kronos hadn’t killed earlier. “ Alright, finish burning down this village and then we’ll-” Calypso trailed off when she sensed movement behind her. Looking over her back, her eyes widened in shock. Kronos was climbing out of the crater, onto his feet, his breathing ragged. His right arm dangled uselessly, his left eye swollen shut, covered in cuts, bruises and blood. His clothing was mostly torn. With his good eye, he glared at her. 

“ Damn… you,” he growled, opening his left hand, palm facing upward, and conjured an orb of white lightning. White lighting that cracked and grew, the color seeming to darken. Calypso backed up, eyes widened in shock as Kronos’s white lightning changed to silver. She could feel the power emitting from it, power she never would have dreamed Kronos of all people would have. How? With a roar, Kronos extended his hand, firing a large burst of silver lightning, engulfing the nearby area, causing a massive explosion.

Once the dust had settled, Calypso stood with a groan after shoving two dead bodies off of her. She had landed in a pile of debris and slowly stood up. Lying face down in a now deeper crater was Kronos. Besides the two Abnormals, everyone else was dead. Calypso stared in disbelief at the motionless body of Kronos. His last attack had actually hurt her, damaged her. She would have to buy new armor once she got home. 

After this set cost me so bloody much! Dust and cinders, a new set will cost me a moon cycle’s worth of crowns! She shook her head and focused her thoughts. What was that? Calypso slowly walked towards the crater till she reached Kronos, knelt down, and felt his pulse. Still alive, but his body is ice cold. He must have depleted all his Mana reserves. She stood and looked at the darkening sky as evening gave way to nightfall.

“ I should kill him. But…” She looked back down at Kronos, a smile slowly spreading over her face. But, from what I saw of him, perhaps I could use him for my plan. Of course, he will need lots of training, but if I play my cards right, I will be the ruler of this land!