Elemental Blitz

5

Rexx is up with the sun at Kotos’s insistence. He pulls on his simple but clean clothes and his boots. He has no weapons outside of a ten-inch hunting blade on his hip. She swung on his hooded cloak and slung his travel pack over his back before leaving his cabin for what is likely to be the last time. He starts the talk that will take him from the Red Forest to Redpole, which he could walk with his eyes closed. His strides are not hurried, and he stops to pet the animals that come out to greet him. His bearing of Kotos allows him to tap deeper into the world than nearly any other being can dream of. As such, he has always had a close bond with animals. He can calm the fiercest of beasts with a gesture. The only ones who don’t respond to him are those who have been corrupted.

Redpole sits at the southern edge of the Red Forest. It is a peaceful town surrounded by fields nearing readiness for harvesting and pastures filled with livestock. It lies in the domain of the governor of Redspire, but as long as their taxes are paid, there are rarely any Spire officials here to pay them a visit. The person of the highest standing in the town is the mayor who is a Second Seat. He takes the path up to the town’s edge, and he is greeted warmly by the young town guard, Tomas Nelson, who spots him first.

“Good morning, Mr. Gate,” says Tomas, making his way towards Rexx, “I have been meaning to come find you and thank you. My little brother Amos told me how you helped him a few weeks back when he and his fool friends ran afoul of a bear while hunting. He swears it was a grizzly and that all you had to do was glare at it. Nothing more than a little brown bear. Am I right?”

“No, it was a grizzly,” says Rexx as he passed the slack-jawed guard, “I did glare at it, but I also told it to scram. Tell your brother and his friends to avoid the North Rock for the next six months to a year. It was a female and she just gave birth. Good to see you, Tomas.”

Tomas and everyone else in Redpole know him simply as Gate the Woodsman. It is a testament to how secluded it is that they do not know the face of the most famous killer of the darkest regime in Imperial history. However, most renderings of him were done of him in his armor helm on. Few pieces of art without it are ever seen outside the Sapphire Palace. If they knew the truth, he doubts they would be as friendly. He makes his way first to the general store, where he buys supplies for his trip, which includes several bottles of whiskey, before walking over to the stables. There, he examines their stock before settling on a large black Merican stallion.

“Are you sure about this one, Mr. Gate,” asks Nathen, the stable owner, “He is not a friendly one.”

“He will do fine, Nathen,” says Rexx as he passes the man five gold coins, “I will take him and a saddle and bridle. Thank you.”

Kotos sends an aggravated vibration up his arm. He knows that it is annoyed that he is buying a horse and supplies for this trip instead of just using his control of air to fly. He could honestly be back in Sapphirespire before noon. He knows from the visions Kotos showed him that the spire currently being ass raped by Devils is Orleanspire. He could be there with a few more hours of flight. Rexx doesn’t much care for flying and he is honestly just not in a rush to get back to the Empire proper. The Devils are still going to be there, and if someone happens to handle the situation before he does, then he can leave without fresh stories of a flying man following him.

Kotos a warning vibration up his arm, and this time, it shows him exactly where the Devil energy is coming from. He sighs as he turns and sees the bloody red portal open in Redpole’s town square. From it, five figures in Devil masks on the back of armored horses with blood-red eyes. Rexx can see the red aura of Devil energy that surrounds them and the horses like heavy fog. The scent of brimstone and death flows from the portal in a wave that fills the air and gains the attention of everyone around. Kotos sends a powerful vibration that Rexx has not felt in a long time but which communicates an unmistakable feeling: bloodlust.

Few people can understand the relationship that a Ring and it’s Bearer have. Kotos was not the ring's name before it chose Rexx. Kotos is the name it chose after they were bonded. Its personality changed to match his own. It doesn’t serve him, and he doesn’t serve it. That being said, the hatred Kotos has for Devils is hotter than the sun and deeper than the ocean. It has never been in the presence of one did not want slaughtered. The same goes for those who serve them in secret. They call themselves the Faithful. They are mortals who crave power or truly believe that Devils are gods meant to reign over humanity. That is who these robed fools are. The Devil masks and robes are actually new. It would seem they are ready to come out of their holes. It is the red rings that catch his attention, the same ones from the vision last night. Seeing them now, he can see the fog of Devil energy pouring from them.

“People of Redpole,” says the one in the middle. He is not yelling, but his mask amplifies his voice to where the whole town can hear, “Listen well, the Devil Time has finally arrived. The true masters of this world have returned to take it to claim it back. You shell all have the honor of serving them. From now on, this town is under the control of the Faithful. If you comply, you will not be harmed. If you resist, you will be made an example. Bring forth your mayor. He will kneel and swear an oath of loyalty before me. It is an oath you will all follow until you die.”

The town is utterly silent after this pronouncement. No one speaks or moves. Even the animals are silent. Then, Tomas approaches with his hand on the hilt of his sword.

“Excuse me,” says Tomas, voice shaking, “I am going to have as you too-”

It happens so fast even Rexx is shocked. The Faithful nearest the young guard raises a hand, the one with the red ring. The ring glows, and then Tomas screams as his stomach opens up and his guts spill out. Rexx is not horrified by the death. Unlike those who are now screaming, he is more interested in how these bastards are using blood magic so casually. While it is able to be used by humans and members of other races, mastery of the caliber he just witnessed is the domain of Devils. They have upgraded, indeed.

He watches as some men rush to Tomas, who is gurgling up blood as he fights for breath. The same Faithful goes to raise his hand again, but Rexx has seen enough. He calls on his power and feels the earth around him. A coin-sized stone rises from the ground at his feet. And with a twitch of his finger, it flies like a bolt at the one about to attack again. It hits them in the forehead of their mask, punches through it and their head, and explodes out the back in a shower of blood and gore. They freeze in shock before falling backward from their red-eyed horse. The others all look over at the corpse not understanding what just happened.

“That was a mistake,” says Rexx, and every eye snaps onto him as he walks forward; his walk turns into a glide as he uses his air to rise from the ground, “Now, how about you try that on me.”

His hood is blown back, and his face is revealed. Is pearl-white eyes glow with power, and the clear morning sky begins to darken as storm clouds roll in above him. Rexx holds out his right and a bolt of lightning strikes from the sky into it. With a thought, he converts the lightning into a spear of energy before throwing it into the chest of another Faithful, blasting them back off their horse. The body falls burnt to a crisp to the ground.

“It is the Bearer,” yells the same one who spoke earlier, “It is Bloody Rexx, kill him!”

All three raise their rings and fire red bolts of Devil energy at him. Rexx raises his arm and creates a shield of hard air around himself that blocks all their bolts. Below him, dozens of rocks float up from the street. He fires all of them at the Faithful, watching as the barrage shreds them and all five of the horses. Rexx lands softly, and the sky clears as he releases his powers. He walks over to the corpses and finds the talker is still alive. His mask is broken, and his body is shredded. He pukes up blood as his red eye looks on Rexx’s face.

“You, you, you,” stutters the man as he pukes blood, “You will die. The Devil…Devil God…decrees it.”

Rexx bends down, picks up the man’s severed arm, and looks at the ring, which is still on his hand. He brings it to his not and smells the unmistakable odor of rot.

“Devil blood,” says Rexx as he drops it, “That explains it.”

He turns and looks at Tomas, who is still surrounded by those who tried to help him. Rexx turns from the scene and heads back toward the stables. He stops when a woman steps out in front of him. He can see the slap coming before it lands across his face. He could have stopped it but doesn’t. The sound echoes in the now-silent town.

“You f*****g monster, you killed my cousin and his whole family,” says the woman with tears in her eyes, “You are no better than a Devil.”

Rex moves past her and says, “You have no idea.”

He walks back to the stable and finds the horse there saddled and ready to go. His supplies have even been tied on. Nathen is nowhere to be found. Rexx pats the horse on the head before he climbs on. With a click of his tongue, he rides out of Redpole for what will definitely be the last time.