The Clash of Sun & Shadow: Part One

(Hiya guys Ducky here, this is one of the very long chapters. I have spent hours trimming but it felt as if cutting it down too much would dull what should be a momentous landmark in the story.

So I have split it into two halves.

Have no doubt, as always your patience shall be rewarded. Now buckle up, this is gonna be a skirmish like no other.

Your faithful author
Ducky)

The shadows were a comfort, if only for a time. You loved the shade, the warmth it nurtured within, the softness of fur cushions supporting your neck and of course… the soothing darkness where your thoughts could swim beside the corals of your imagination freely.

But if this mystical world had left any hard lesson on your shoulders, the heaviest amongst them was the fickle nature of tranquillity.

Twin knocks boomed hard on your cocoon, making your eyes slide open.

You sighed at first, considering ignoring the call to explore the ocean of your dreams once again. Until you heard a youthful tone “Granfer… it's important”

Your eyes flickered up to the latch, which slid free with a click at the command of your mind, as did the other six, lassoed by the night of your thoughts

The door opened only a crack, but a crack was all you needed…………. You regretted your own thoughts on occasion.

The hard fibres of your muscles gave away, the bones becoming immaterial shadow as your abyssal aura slid from the comforting darkness, out into the light.

In the heart of the vast, decorated chamber, did you rise from your shadowy cloud, reforming into a towering physique, with the familiar sight of your loyal vassals knelt at your feet.

Five figures blurred by your tired eyes slowly became clear.

Three gleaming knights, bearing armour of silver, gold and Iron respectively; stood in salute. Their helms were all unique as they gazed upon you with reverence.

But it was the three beauties rising from their respectful bows who instantaneously caught your eye.

The tallest of them, breathtaking in her beauty stepped forward, fixing you with her haunting emerald eyes “Your Majesty, apologies for waking you so soon.” She spoke in a serious tone.

You peered deeply into her eyes, before considering her sisters, the eldest and the youngest wore their gowns as per the tradition, though the middling child bore her Royal chain mail and hard studded boots.

“Could never keep that little shit in a dress”

They all boasted looks of serious anticipation, the intensity wrought a tightness in the air as they all looked up at their shadowed king-

“Haha, look at you!” You roared, making the chips slide off their shoulders as you shifted rapidly, snatching up all three of the red-haired beauties into your long arms; squeezing them tightly. “My granddaughters, how you have grown! You’re definitely my blood, only my handsome genes could produce such a staggering radiance!!!”

The girls collectively wheezed as you crushed them with your adoration.

“G-Granfer… y-you’re… C-Crushing us!” the youngest croaked as she watched her older sister go even whiter than she already was.

You blinked “Oh, pardon me” Releasing them, your Granddaughters collected themselves, all in their silly little ways.

Elizabeta stayed close to you, smiling and wrapping her arms around you. Valerica stepped back, brooding quietly to spite the small grin on her comely visage. Little Rosaria took your hand and huddled at your side shyly.

Oh but your girls weren’t so little anymore, Rosaria must have hit her late teens, the curse had done nothing to stunt her large azure eyes, and luscious locks of red hair.

“You’ve all grown up, I cannot believe how stunning you all are… how long have I been in slumber?” You asked, peering around at the chamber, still boasting scaffolds in certain parts, as godly rays shown through the stain glass windows. “…furthermore, why did you wake me during the day? Keeping your old grandsire on his toes eh?”

“1742 months and 58 days, Your Majesty…” the knight in Silver’s voice echoed from her avian helmet, as stepped forward and bowed deeply

“Captain Romanov.” you always liked how her title rolled off the tongue if only Maria liked anything as much - that being nothing at all.

“Your grace.” She replied cordially

“By the blood god, take that ridiculous Helmet off, Maria. 148 years deprived of your beauty is far too long”

Maria at once reached up with her stiff fingers, removing her helmet to reveal the pale cyan of her soulless eyes. A river of platinum silver hair fell down past her winged paldrons. “We have a situation, your Majesty,” she said in her detached sort of way.

“Do we now?
construction seems to be going well enough, the chamber was still bathed in sunlight when I took the Long-Slumber."

“The Palace is coming along swimmingly, Your Majesty.” The only manly tone in the room spoke out, followed by the knight in black armour approaching. You at once clapped him on the shoulder.

“Sir Pavel, it’s good to see you old friend. And you Antonietta.” The knight in Yellow and Gold, the slim learned governess of your resplendent granddaughters, curtsied gracefully.

“The construction is 78% complete my liege, the runes you constructed are complex indeed, but we hope to reach our goal within the decade,” Antonietta explained in her strict but optimistic tone.

“Respectfully, Your Grace. This isn’t about the Palace.” Maria cut in.

Clearly not, you looked around again with more than just your eyes, your sight swept beyond the double doors outside, through the unfinished halls, among the partially finished courtyard walls… “Where is Nicolae, I cannot sense him anywhere within mountain ranges. I never sanctioned his departure?”

They once again grew silent, and with that, your smile slowly faded as you finally noticed it… a foreign presence shining like a dreaded beacon at the foot of your towering home-to-be.

Antoinetta's soft words made the truth like cotton, but truth nonetheless “The outsider came with the rising sun, My King, none of us heard his approach. It doesn’t smell undead, but neither does it walk like the living. We urged Nicolae to wait for us to awaken you-“

"You allowed him to go, alone?” You growled.

“I tried to stop him, Granfer, to make him see sense, the damned fool would not listen!” Valerica butted in.

It was strange, you were happy to see your granddaughter, but at the same time, a crushing wrath lit up within you at the sight of her.

“Do not go taking all of the blame, Ricca..."

Your eyes flickered at Elizabeta and Maria, both evading your gaze.

Always responsible, Elizabeta moved in to comfort her sister"...The student has no place commanding her master.” She placed a hand on Valerica's arm only to have it torn away and answered with scorn.

“I am the blood of the Dracul. Mentor or no he should have headed my orders.”

You reached out, taking the crimson-haired girl by her shoulders “If you are to be the Knight of Flesh yourself one day, then you must learn when to give orders and when to follow them. Understand?”

her eyes glowed with crimson. "Valerica..." You pushed.

She never was very good at controlling her emotions like the others, but you still adored her regardless.

“Yes Granfer, I understand.” She answered quietly.

“Good. Now then, I suppose I'll confront him myself” you said nonchalantly.

The room erupted with displeasure, the knights and the Princesses voicing their concerns in tandem.

You shook your head, massaging your temples for the sounds of their voices disturbed your overpowered hearing.

“You literally just said-“ Valerica started

“Enough!” You roared, silencing their protests, “…you’re giving me a headache. Now listen, do as I say, not as I do. Nicolae is my charge, my friend, and it is my responsibility to protect our kingdom. If my senses remain accurate then rushing this.. stranger, altogether will serve no purpose but to slow me down, we don’t even know what his intentions are.

You will all stay put while I fetch Sir Nicolae, is that clear?”

The knights immediately knelt before him, speaking together “Yes your Majesty”

Your eyes shot towards your granddaughters exactly, and one by one, in the order you expected, they too bowed “Yes Granfer.”

With a face rising once again in a bright grin, you gave them all reassuring pats and waves “Do not despair, I’m not quite ready to meet my fate just yet. We are the fury that will bring our ilk to heel, remember: We must never suffer fools and live life deliciously”

“like that ever does us any good…” Elizabeta mumbled under her breath.

“Any who trespasses here can only prey for the honour to perish as your hand, I wish you fortune in the battle to come..” Sir Pavel said gazing up at his king through his square helm “…King Dracula”

Your smile broadened

Dracula - ENVY

“Hold the fort for me, old friend. none are to follow me no matter what happens. Do as I order and I have no doubt your wish shall be granted.

Like the whisper of a long-lost ghost, you vanished. Your movements were unlike your kin, they often depended on misting to traverse the virgin halls of your Castle Dracul unseen. But you were the Original, and your endless research had gifted you to move beyond the scope of the material realm.

The Halls of the palace went in less than the blink of an eye, and in a single second, your feet stood atop the battlement scaffolds, never even leaving a footprint on the thick layer of snow which showered constantly on the snowy mountain.

The day was swathed in a duality rarely seen. The dense clouds were slashed apart, allowing beams of golden sunlight to transform the range into a beautiful vista, filled with slow-falling stars.

The majority of the unfinished Palace was still covered by the clouds, something you were thankful for.

You’d never even had to look for him, you knew where he was. This uninvited visitor was at the foot of the mountain, his aura shining like a beacon.

“What are you playing at, hmm?” You pondered.

A crack whipped at the air, so loud and strong that it travelled across the entire range, disturbing the great mounds of settled snow which fell in a thundering avalanche.

You felt it in your chest, something severed, something taken. “Nicolae!” You whispered in horror, eyes widening.

Like a storming cyclone, you erupted into a vast cloud of winged creatures, roaring and screaming, their mass of bodies rode the waves of tumbling snow down the mountain.

The source of the foreign power was laid bare before you, at the roots of the mountain. Slowly you reformed, the bats colliding into one another, their flesh melding into one. Your feet stood on the fragrant grass, the last few winged bats oozing into your face restoring your vision.

There you arose, in an open glade shadowed beneath the colossal mound above. Tall trees bloomed by the subtle streams and rays of gold teased through their mane of leaves.

And there stood a mortal barely clothed, caked in dirt and sweat, his hair was a wild shag of long ringlets, all crude braids and gold rings. His complexion was fair and freckled but pink, filled with life.

His face twisted with joy at the sight of you.

His eyes had caught you the minute you stepped from the shade, just as you spotted the crimson-armoured figure at his feet.

This... man, was radiating with triumph as he hoisted up what was clearly once a beautifully decorated spear, spoiled and worn and stained with the blood of old foes.

“And here he is, Vlad Dracula. real, and in the flesh.” His tone was strange, his accent unfamiliar. You gazed at Nicolae, crumpled on the ground. His armour was dented and caved in at places, several grizzly stabs and slashes had torn at his tendons ripped from his limbs and splayed free like pale wires.

The man looked down, putting his hand on his waist to flex his heavy arms, displaying the whirling tattoos that spiralled his lean body.

“Worried about ya knight are ye? Don't, he’s not dead - op! Well the little fucker is dead but not finished. I just played with him a little to get your attention.”

“Congratulations, You have a portion of it, sir... lord...?” you prodded.

The man… if you could call him that - he couldn’t have been older than twenty - spun his spear skilfully, leaning on the polearm lazily “Oh aye, how silly of me. Ahem, they call me Lugh, King of the Sun and the Storm, haha.” He chuckled lightly, enjoying how the sound of his name echoed in this humble chasm.

“You’re a brave one, 'Lugh, king of the Sun and the Storm'. If you know who I am, then you know that you were doomed the minute you came to this mountain.”

He scoffed, pushing one of his deep red hairs from his face, scratching the stubble on his handsome face “I was concerned a tad, to be honest, but me mam was right about thee, you crawled out of your box all by yourself. Very vein, I wagered that you’d at least have that bastard son of yours with you?”

His arrogance was palpable. But you were if anything, slightly amused.

“I sent Alexander on a pilgrimage to explore the mortal realms. Recently, I have warmed up to the belief of investing in our future, after all, that 'bastard son' of mine will be the King of the Dead one day. The Palace I build above will be his welcome home.” You spoke cordially.

“How very fucking adorable and here I came searching for King Dracula, the first of the dead, the cruel overlord of the old world who drank the blood of his enemy's children, so who exactly are you eh?" He laughed

You shared, if only to be polite “I am monarch King of all the Dead. Please, children are far too sickly for my taste and they make terrible delegates, but be careful, give me time and I might surprise you.” You said grimly.

This ape had to boast an unimaginable cunning to find this mountain and cataclysmic strength to defeat a Knight of your court. Such a thing was possible only within the mortal imagination of those you'd laboured hard to desert the title of enemy… but you could sense the life inside of him, he was in fact living.

“You are no undead, you’re clearly not a Lycanthrope either, those mutts couldn’t lift a wheel of cheese if they put their minds to it. Nicolae would have certainly shattered you into a million pieces if you were Wiccan. Mmm, you said your mother knew me… just what are you exactly?”

Lugh reached up to his prideful face “I’ll give ye a hint shall I?” He took his index finger and pulled on the bags under his left eye, pronouncing the brilliant gold Iris.

A dark nostalgia ran like ice water through your veins… as you pictured the waxy, sullen face of a child long lost even to your memory.

“I see. You’re… one of my daughter's scions?” You questioned. The memory of her, brought you more sadness than you could bear, but you knew one day letting her loose would come back to bite you.

“More a descendant really, my mother's father's mother was the one you speak of, I think anyway?”

“Then we are kin of the blood.”

His face darkened “Oh no, you’re no kin of mine. You’re a bloodthirsty killer. You and your cronies might be hibernating on your little project now, but you and your ilk have been culling humans for generations, spreading your filth and turning people into monsters.”

“Are you really that impossibly naive? We choose our prey carefully, like them we must survive, some are turned but only by their own choice. This curse is not one that can be given by ****.” You explained.

“how very noble of you, strange then how I had to clean up your son's mess then?” Lugh scowled.

You raised an eyebrow.

“You don’t know, the all-knowing, all-seeing son of Beelzebub doesn't know? how about I clue you in then, Your Majesty, your vain fool of a son unleashed a hoard of leeches to the west, they killed thousands, if not for my family, then all of my homeland would have been laid to waste.”

Alex… surely not, he knew full well the consequences of improper turning. The boy was at times troubled, but he’d never...

“If I haven’t heard about it, he’s the only one who could obscure such a thing from our Inquisition”

You frowned “If my son has done such a thing, he will be surely punished. I thank you for your help in this unfortunate turn of events, I mean that. But you hurt my friend, and came to my home with hostile intentions instead of in peace seeking recompense, I cannot simply let that go.”

He didn’t seem afraid, quite the opposite, instead, he stood tall “I’m glad, so I suppose you’ll accept my challenge then? A duel to the ****, just You and I.”

A booming laugh erupted from your lips “You cannot be serious”

“I’m dead serious, I am the strongest Descendant to ever live... besides my cunt brother, but He is of no consequence. I have dedicated my life to battle and have been crowned god-king by my people, it’s only right that we skirmish here, for the right to bear the crown.”

You rubbed your chin, nodding “Mmm I must admit this is an arousing thought, You are clearly powerful for a mortal and I haven’t met a match since my rebirth. Oh, but **** is such a fickle thing to us - you understand. What do you say we sweeten the deal a little?”

“I’m listening…” Lugh said, a little impatiently.

“I am the first of my blood, and certain conditions have banished me from a true final ****, so let me make a proposal. You and I fight as you say, but with different terms. If you win, I will lay down my arms and I will bequeath to you my soul, you will possess a power far beyond imagining and I will waste away into the void forever…”

“And if you are victorious?” He asked curiously.

Your eyes flash with a crimson hunger “I won’t kill you, but I will devour your soul. I’m sure you will be succulent indeed, that is if I win.”

Lugh seemed to become serious for a moment “I know what you are you know, We’ve carried a prophecy about you from father to son, mother to daughter. I know about the Looming and the catastrophe it will bring, I know about Cain.”

Your sinister grin cut deeply into your cheeks “I’m sure you think you know about that, but in reality, all you have is the fragile whisper of a scorned child who swallowed a half-truth as if it were whole.”

“If I don’t destroy you, then the world will come to an end” he muttered, lifting his gilded spear and readying himself for battle.

“Silly little king, everything has its end… I am the only exception.”

Lugh lifted his spear and stepped back, a brutal mania spark in his wild eyes "We'll see about that!" with that, Lugh's bare heels dug into the dirt and with a staggering whip of the air he shot up into the air, his arm drawing back the haft of his battle-worn spear the tip of gleaming steel aimed to plant itself between your eyes.

He soared closer and closer as the milliseconds passed, you watched in the interim of time and in a flash of steel his arm thrust the spearhead into your face.

A hissing scream filled the grotto as a wave of kinetic **** shaved the leaves off the trees. As Lugh's feet planted into the dirt in front of you, he peered on with stubborn displeasure at your single raised finger.

The tip of your onyx claw had met that of the spears, catching its point with ease as you stared down at the Descendant Warrior with a bemused frown "That was anti-climatic." You muttered.

Lugh roared and swivelled back, his body turned in an arc the foot of his weapon stirring up the muck bellow only to send it up in a showering cloud of dust. Like a swarm of starting snakes, the gleaming fang struck from every direction, slipping towards your ribs from the west, slicing at your ankle to the east and slashing up at your throat up north.

The snap of skin on bone put an end to the skilful barrage, and as the dust fell your white hand tightened on the Spear's head, its point only millimetres from your throat.

Lugh blinked in confusion as you stared down at him, the dark blood dripping from the wound on your Achilles heel pooled in the grass as your regal robes of black and gold wept tears of crimson which stained the gold of your belt buckle.

"So... the legendary king can bleed..." Lugh growled through clenched teeth, trying to push the blade of his weapon further int your throat. You merely looked upon him, shaking your head.

Your arms bulged and with a casual flick, the spear launched back, ripping Lugh away as he struggled to fight against the supernatural ****. Stumbling awkwardly, his free hand caught the other end only just preventing it from flying away into the horizon.

The wounds opened by his attack bubbled like tar, spiralling back together and closing tight as if they had never been made.

Your cheeks grew pale, as your hand drew back its afterimage following like a phantom shadow "My turn." The cracking blow came down upon him like the crash of a falling lightning bolt, the hard knuckles on your fingers embedded into the soft flesh of Lugh's face as his body lifted from the ground, flying back like a whistling javelin into the woods behind him.

Shattered bark and branches erupted up into the air on the mile-long trail you'd sent him on.

Standing tall, you cracked your fingers and chuckled "Disappointing, surely you aren't done already?” You waited for a minute, watching the torn leaves fall from the sky.

After a few minutes you sighed, ready to call it quits when the air began to shimmer.

Lifting your arm and pulling back the sleeve of your midnight robe, you watched the hairs stand on end. A well of strength began to pool amidst the sea of trees, the cloudy skies flooded with grey as static grew thick in the air.

"OVERDRIVE!" The roaring yowl echoed, shaking the entire grove with an eldritch hum.

Emerging from the long road of desolation you'd sent the Descendant in a bound, came the waltzing form of the heavily marked warrior. His muscles vibrated with overwhelming strength, barely able to stay still he skipped almost rhythmically on the soil beneath his feet, scarlet bolts of electricity danced across his arms and chest.

The excitement in your belly became swollen, too difficult to contain as the swaying spearman took to his stance, grinning widely at you as he whirled his weapon above his shaggy head.

Raising one of your pale hands in a halting gesture, you asked "Before we continue, will you humour one of my inclinations?"

"I'm not keen on wasting any more time listening to your shitty banter." Lugh's tone had become dark as a power you thought all but extinct enriched his shimmering form, drowning him in a tsunami of adrenaline.

"Then I will keep it short and sweet. The thread of Oversight, how did you access it?"

Lugh stepped forward on his rolling heels "The power of Cain has shone within me since the day of my birth, destiny has led us here, monster, I will stop at nothing to see you burn in hell."

A monsterous shadow was cast over your eyes as a deep glow began to emanate from your chest "Very poor choice of last words."

The King of the Sun and the Storm flew at you like a javelin cast down by the hands of the gods themselves, but even with the ungodly power of Overdrive, your towering form wrapped in shadow... erupted.

A great flower made of black flame bloomed in the grove that day, the earth-shattering boom, the cloud of ash reaching up into the sky and caressing the mountainside.

And in the immense fallout of the abyssal blast sounded the clang of steel and claw.

Lugh's flesh was blackened and singed, yet his frame fought on, each stab and slash an endless nebula of blows surpassing the scope of human perception. Time and time again his pace promised to finally usher the dreaded undead kind unto destruction, but each time the Storm King struck nothing but the ghostly mist and phantom after image of the towering black Monarch.

The boy was of passing skill, for a mortal... but not once did he even graze your skin, burning with the wrathful black fires of the sun.

"Why did you do it, my son.... what purpose does bringing torment to humanity bring?"

You contemplated, stepping aside as Lugh threw his spear with such strength that it wounded the mountain itself.

"You know full well what the beckoning of the accursed leech can bring; an end to the only thing that tethers us to this world. It will not bring your mother back, it will not avenge the spirit of your wife. Why must you feel the need to choose between a life of solitude or rampancy, why not simply exist for the wonders that life and **** have to offer?"

"Fight back you craven, fight back!!!!" Lugh roared, coughing and sputtering as he nearly keeled in on his savage burns. "OVERDRIVE!!!!!!!!" He screamed forcing his power to double and then triple, the weight of which nearly **** him to his knees.

Once again he launched forward, resorting to throwing his fists at your sharp nose and lean stomach, all of which whisked through your intangible physic.

"When I chose this path, I never once questioned your eagerness to stand by my side... I should have known that you'd never be able to forgive humanity.... Oh Rosaria, my beloved, I failed to nurture our boy into the man he was always supposed to be, I pray that you can forgive me when I too walk the halls of the afterlife."

The image of your late wife floated momentarily in your mind, a moment far too long. A Warhammer blow whipped back your head, cracking your neck and lifting you from your feet.

You barely felt the flight backwards, only the sudden fracturing of your back as you were consumed by rock and dirt. Jagged stone collapsed on top of you, battering every part of your anatomy before submerging you in a pitch-black tomb of rubble.

Lugh fell to his knees, wheezing as the price of his abilities constricted on his lungs, the bulging muscles pulsing with painful spasms. As blood trickled from between his lips, He felt the broken bones in his arms, the cracks in his ribs, the charcoal black of his flesh and pondered if the inevitable **** from his mortal wounds was worth it...