The Fourteenth Entry

 The five tilting towers folded inwards like a hand cradling what lie at its center. Just as outside the cradle, so too were there many gathered husks that brimmed in a blue glow. Glowing at the center, in the shadow of the towers above, was an egg like crystal. It shimmered in white and light blues that cascaded between the husks of bodies, shadows lingering behind their stone stances, and brightly pulsed in a heartbeat rhythm.

I walked among the corpses melded into crystal stone, the sound of my boots masked by the rhythmic pulses. I could see perhaps the start of a Newborn, its crystal egg tendrilled into the ground beneath it. As I approached, the egg began pulsing rapidly before the light pulled itself inwards and into darkness.

I stopped, having gone far enough into the inner circle of the cradle, and the light rapidly returned. The egg opened slowly, humming in what seemed a low chorus of voices, and what I had thought would be a Newborn was something else entirely. The humanoid that emerged from the egg was adorned with silver armor and layered in crystals around their joints. Atop their head was a helmet made of crystals and silver, entirely masked was their visage hidden. A singular horn set at the front of the helmet of almost transparent crystals.

“What are you?” I found myself asking over the humming of the egg.

“I am your challenger.” The voices responded. And the armored being descended from the egg. “We knew your master would command you to come to us. We did not ask for this form or fate but were cornered into it. We were a community of harmony and transparency. We understand our values, yet also our individuality. We promoted self being and community. Unity of thy neighbor. Yet, the scourge of the deathless Host brought us into literal meaning. Unity had become our only option. I am the Unified One.”

“That is how you resisted the Obelisk’s calls. You operated the shields, the fleet, the beam, everything.” I said.

“I resist the tormented screams of the Obelisk. No longer will I allow it to continue destroying. We have paid the ultimate price, and I will collect our unified wish: your destruction, Dark Lord.” The Unified One said in a chorus of voices.

The Unified One took a stance and the cradle illuminated itself in a light blue hue as the energies surged outwards. The Unified One drew out its Excess and produced a spear of crystals that hummed in energy. I responded by producing my own Excess in my right hand. The Unified One charged quickly, faster than I had anticipated – the spear scrapping the left side of my mask and unleashed a barrage of thrusts. I batted away strikes that grew too close to the weak points in my armor, the joints, and dodged the rest.

It felt like a child playing with toys, the Unified One was strong – yet it lacked true power or prowess. Suddenly, the barrages stopped and the Unified One backed off. It took no stance, as if lost in thought, and then seemed to concentrate its breaths. Something was changing.

I realized then – it had only been warming up.

The spear changed and parted at its center, morphing into two curved swords. It was capable of changing its Excess’s form. While not an impossibility, it was an extremely difficult feat to acquire – let alone for one who was recently formed. The Unified One then shimmered blue, the air around it becoming visible like a dense fog that fell from their being. The warmup was over.

I grasped the Excess sword with both hands and took a stance, placing it in front of myself. The air shimmered in dueling energies, and the ground shuttered beneath my feet. In less than a second we met at the middle of our glares, the Unified One struck from the sides and I struck from above. The moment our Excess met, a shockwave of energy burst across the entirety of the planet that erased every standing structure, road, and the corpses of a now unified singular people.

Reality warped and teared at the center of our clash, waves of ultraviolets destroyed matter itself. Before the energy could threaten to pull us both into a black hole, we parried each other’s blow, and I assumed my true speed. Every step became miles of travel across the face of the planet, jumping through space itself. The Unified One matched my every stride, our blows clashing across the now ashen mummified surface of the planet.

The Unified One’s strength had become power, true power – no longer a term or concept. With every clash I felt their strength grow rather than falter, each strike sending shivers through existence. I would not make the same mistake the Host did in orbit; I would not underestimate their growing power. After several deflected blows we came to a stand still in the ash, neither of us showing any sign of fatigue. I could not recall a time in which anything had ever shown this level of resistance - other than the disciples of The Reverent. It was almost enjoyable, but this fight could not last or it would go on forever.

“This fight is over Dark Lord, I have estimated your power. You are holding back, but it will not be enough to stop us. Our wish will be fulfilled.” The Unified One pushed their swords forward in a pincer like stance, and the crystal swords became a dense white light.

The air was sucked dry of all its color, the energy being drawn in for The Unified One’s attack.

Aberus’s words rang in my ears, and I felt a struggle surging forth. It had been some time since I had let loose.

I released my left hand’s grip on the Excess sword, and felt the air pulling into a torrent around The Unified One; my cloak pushing against me.

I felt The Unified One’s attack reach its peak and they dashed forward in a zig zag of confusion before reaching me. My sword vibrated into a deep red, red lighting torching the ground beneath it, and I raised it above my head. We met just as we had at the start of our clash, but instead of a clash of souls and energy – The Unified One was gone in a flash of red energy, and so too was the planet.

All that remained of The Unified One was a crystal blue soul that blinked in the darkness of space. I took hold of it and floated in quiet respite. The Harrower arrived sometime later. Inside the meditation chamber, I gave The Unified One’s soul to Aberus as we had agreed.

“You have done The Obelisk a great service, my Lord. I’m sure it will be most pleased with your results. I was personally honored and humbled by your display of power.” Aberus said kneeling.

“Go, Aberus, return to The Obelisk and give it its prize. Return to me when you have finished.” I said.

Aberus simply bowed and stood, then disappeared into the shadows of the chamber. The shuttle jolted slightly as it changed course, and I was again on my journey.