In the plains of the fourth sector stood the last hope of humanity.
Even under the immense presence, he didn't cower, not even once.
As a matter of fact, he even pushed back.
A man that fought against a beast at equal footing could no longer be called human.
He had gained all rights to be called a beast himself.
He charged straight at the sprout, swinging his axe at it.
Many swings got in, but it also escaped multiple times.
"Hoooo…this is getting annoying.
Stay close by and make this easy for me." Heimer frowned.
They had now both accumulated the same amount of damage.
But Heimer had fought a battle before this, so he clearly had the advantage in their clash.
This time the sprout vanished backwards three times.
"It can only disappear in one direction now.
That has been my greatest advantage" Heimer was now in a crouch stance.
"I told you, don't run away from me!" He charged straight at the beast, even faster than he had before.
He zoomed towards the beast.
[Shrieeeek!] It shrieked.
Heimer stopped at his tracks.
"Want to summon again?!" He screamed.
The shriek halted, it had vanished four more times gaining more distance from Heimer.
"It was a bluff?
[He clicked his tongue.]" He assumed the crouch posture once more and sprinted towards it.
He stopped in his tracks once more.
"What is that purple thing emanating from its body.
It feels strange, did it always do that?
Why can I tell what it is…" His facial expression turned to one of confusion.
The spikes on its furless back grew shorter, the tail with a spike at the tip grew longer.
The eyes on its hind limbs were assimilated into its body.
"What is it this time" He tensed up.
Eyes emerged from its face, they split into four, two at the centre and two along the sides of its face.
"There goes my only advantage" Heimer worried.
[Whip! whip!!] The beast whipped its tail around.
It couldn't speak, nor could its face make expressions of any kind, but Heimer could tell.
It was the same thing he had done to it earlier, it was mocking him of sorts.
"Paying me in kind I see." He couldn't help but have a faint smile.
The whipping stopped, it lowered its body now in a prowling stance.
Heimer slouched a little too.
Both creatures locked eyes.
They started walking side by side slowly, measuring each other up.
This movement continued for a while.
None wanting to approach the other, the first to attack would clearly be disadvantaged.
Heimer was the first to break out of this movement pattern; he simply stopped.
"Shall we?" Heimer crouched and sprinted forward.
The sprout leaped.
Heimer swinged forward.
"It'll vanish with this.
Then I'll swing behind." Heimer was predicting it's actions.
!
"What?!" It didn't, it clashed head on with his axe, using its fore limb to hit it away.
With one swift sting, its tail impaled Heimer stomach.
It suspended him in the air with its tail.
Looked him straight in the eye.
Heimer froze again at its gaze.
He closed his eyes to gain freedom.
As he opened them he was now on the ground; he could move but was now greatly incapacitated.
He laid there bleeding from his stomach.
His skin was becoming pale.
His vision was blurring.
He tried to regain his footing, but it was sloppy the most he could take was a step.
-
" 'Harness once more the blessings of aether.'
Since those words reverberated through our minds I haven't been alright.
I get short moments where I learn things, it's like a guide.
It doesn't give me information per say, it just leads.
Like now there's a phrase I've never heard but I feel I must say." Heimers pupils were dilating.
His internal activities were shutting down.
"One gift...seven paths [keuk!] Six rings and six thorns" Heimer said in a weightless voice.
His eyes closed shut, as he bled from his mouth and nose.
Laying on the ground nearly lifeless.
***
?!
He opened his eyes to see himself in an unknown space.
His body was healed up and he was putting on a white robe.
He could think yet could not hear his thoughts, neither could he speak.
In front of him was a bowl with a strange liquid, he picked it up and viewed the inscription on its body.
It read; The all seeing eye.
He drank it, gulping it down.
His eyeballs fell out, he fell to the floor and rolled in agony.
After a while he removed his hands from his eyes, he could see once more.
He was moved to another scape.
Seven doors stood before him, each with a different colour and a writing on top;
Gold - Path of omnipotence.
White - Path of transcendence.
Yellow - Path of luminescence.
Grey - Path of the null.
Green - Path of nature.
Red - Path of Fire.
Blue - Path of water.
Brown - Path of the soil.
All other doors were chained except that of gold.
He walked through the door and was drowned in molten gold.
His body was casted and he broke out from the mould, he looked younger and he emanated a faint golden aura.
His back of his palm stung, he looked at it and '1' was engraved on it.
***
Back on the battlefield, the sprout prowled towards Heimer's nearly lifeless body.
It now stood before him, raising it's claws to seal the deal.
It spronked backwards immediately.
Golden aura seeped out of his body, the holes in his gut closed up, his torn up hand healed.
His body arose and he stood.
A golden ring appeared on his head, and from it two thorns extended.
His eyes finally opened.
"So this is what aether is…" As Heimer flexed his new body his armour shattered, revealing his muscular figure.
"I guess it's too much for it to handle.
It had served me through two battles, It had served its purpose and more" he muttered to himself.
He waved his hand and was covered in shiny golden armour formed from aether.
He extended his hand and a golden axe was formed too, it was as large as the former.
He now looked the beast in the eye.
"It's time for round two" Heimer said.