The Ultima Paradox

      "I know you two did something to him, what did you do!?" Ouroboros yelled, throwing his fist into the wall, a surge of dark energy basically radiating from him, Shael's hair stood on end and he was ready to go on the defensive. "Seriously, I'm gone for fourteen hours and I come back to find Silus gone and an anti-Tit-uuugh. Nevermind, just tell me where Silus is." Ouroboros commanded. Shael's eyes widened and he looked around. How long were they inside that Etherium place or whatever the hell it was called!? Fourteen hours was a long friggin time to be trapped in another realm.

       "Dad, I left him in his room I swear!" Shael pleaded his innocence. Ouroboros' eyes turned from Shael to Michael. Ouroboros lifted his hand as if he were going to point at Michael. Shael stepped between them. Ouroboros' teeth began to grate and grind, but Shael just stood there, determined look in his eyes, showing no sign of fear. Ouroboros snarled as he turned and started walking away. Shael relaxed a little before shaking his head. "I hate it when he has that aura or whatever..." Shael said, referencing the faint traces of Dark Ethereal coming form within Ouroboros, as if at the center of the light was an all-consuming blackhole of malice and tyranny. He looked to Michael and took in a relaxing breath to calm his nerves. He had fought Ouroboros before...not something he wanted to repeat. Despite his rare ability...he still couldn't beat the Ethereal King. "Dude, if you or one of your little posy did this you gotta fix it!" Shael said as he started walking down the halls.
     ******

   Silus' eyes opened and he found that he was in the middle of nowhere. Close enough anyway, he was surrounded by sand, rocks and bones. He knew EXACTLY where he was. He had fallen right into Death's Embrace. Seeing as he was a "gene-hazard" and had no powers, he was easily considered dead, even to himself, he considered every second a blessing. He got up, licking his lips in the hot sun, looking all around. Where was his daddy? Where was Shael? Hell he'd take Michael or his Dad at this rate. All he knew was that he was in a bad situation. He looked up to the sky...it was early morning, a little later than he was used to waking up. He tried to stand in the sand, finding it surprisingly difficult to keep footing. He tried to remember what creatures he was supposed to avoid and be cautious of...

****

  "He hasn't left the Isle, I can still feel his presence. Zakaken search the City, Someone get word to the Ice Dragon. Lych I want you to scoured everywhere within the Veil." Ouroboros commanded his 'troops'. The Lych just looked at him and slowly began shaking his head.
   
    "I think we all know he won't be there." Lych said, and with that he turned and walked off for the doors. Zakaken left to search the city, and a few guards ran off to try and alert their Draconian friend in The Final Frost. Meanwhile Ouroboros paced, hands locked behind his back. Shael shook his head and sighed as the aura around Ouroboros grew stronger and stronger every second, almost saturating the air with an alien humidity. Soon the Aura would consume him entirely and that was not something Shael wanted to see.
   
    "We gotta find him." Shael said plainly.

The accusatory glance was like a knife tearing through his very well, and the glowing within his father’s eyes were doing no favors. Shael pleaded for his innocence, and Michael would have done the same, but all sound caught within his throat as the Ethereal King spoke out loud how long it had been. How could it have been fourteen hours, they were likely only within that strange realm for at the most ten minutes. If it weren’t for his brother, Michael would have perhaps dug himself into a deeper hole than the one that he was thrown into. Luckily Ouroboros turned away and the young ethereal could breathe a sigh of relief, that dark feeling now a little further away from them. That aura was far darker than his own, far more malicious and far more….intimidating.

”Wait, you think I had something to do with whatever is happening?” His voice was a mixture of shock from the dark ethereal, anger that he would be accused of something like that and something else. ”Fuck that shit, I’m not anywhere near stupid enough.” His aura grew darker for a moment before relaxing, one full of unbridled anger. Where was Silus however? If someone had taken the little runt, where would they take the child anyway? Michael found himself wondering over this, mind reeling at the possibilities. If he was still on the isles, then it was a place that he would not survive perhaps, or somewhere else entirely.

However, that aura around Ouroboros grew more ominous, something about it making the male want to run away and never look back, escape the dark energy that was permeating the place. ”Yeah…I know.” He said chewing on his lower lip, teeth biting painfully into the flesh but not breaking skin. Where the hell would Silus be? He looked to Shael and then back to the wall, unable to really think of where anyone would throw that little guy. That was when he heard the sound of someone running fast past him, a blur that he could barely catch sight of, but it was obvious who the person was; his father Sean and he was in a hurry.

He stopped on a dime, looking over everyone in the room with a slightly panicked expression, eyes darting about swiftly. ”So it’s true, he is missing.” Michael sighed deeply. Things would not be going easy from here, both his father’s get worked up, and if he knew anything, blame would be on him, so he did the smart thing and began his own search for his younger sibling.

”I know you didn‘t do it dumbass! You were with me, ya Duhrp!” Shael snapped, the confrontation with Ouroboros grating on him…more than he let on, obviously.

     ”Your friends, anyone you know?” Shael said, the question was more rhetorical, but it didn’t really matter. Shael looked down at their angered father. He was finally alone in the room. He walked over to the door, slammed his back up against it and he slid down to the ground, jaw clenched as he grabbed at his left arm, seemingly in pain. Shael swalloed audibly, shocked as he saw the Hydraskin flaking off into the air, only to fade away, as Ouroboros’ skin appeared. The skin was grey, ashen and large fissures of Ethereal energy flowing out of them. Shael wen to move when a woman in a red dress appeared. Shael immediately smirked when he saw Xarlessa appear on the scene, she appeared with a strange little device.

     Shael watched for a moment, just listening to Xarlessa’s concern in her voice was almost…uplifting to hear, though for what reason he had no idea why. The fact that Ouroboros was allowing her to get away with talking to him like that…like he was a…weak creature was…strange. Shael didn’t know why…but he could swear there was something between those two. Though Ouroboros looked at her…it was total contempt, total disgust in her. Soon after she jabbed Ouro’s grey splitting skin, it began to heal over, shrink slightly and peel away dark skin. Ouroboros growled. Shael was slightly distracted when Sean arrived.
   
      ”Yeah, we don’t know what happened.” Shael said. It wasn’t until he noticed Michael walking away that he left Sean to go to Ouro or do whatever the hell he wanted to do. He caught up with Michael and cleared his throat. ”Right, where do you want to look?” Shael asked his brother, intending himself to take the western half of Death’s Embrace.

Michael had been with Shael, but that did not lessen the tension that was coursing through him. Someone was foolish enough to actually sneak into Valhalla and kidnap Silus of all of them, something that no one with half a brain would willingly do. He didn’t really give his father much notice, though there was something close that caused his very skin to crawl and a shiver to make its way up his spine. If someone would want to torment his brother, the best place to throw the little male off would be Deaths embrace or The Final Frost, but the latter was guarded by Cyril, so Death’s Embrace made more sense. ”No one I know would do something like this…I think.” Michael noted still a little shaken, running fingers through his brunette hair.

Who would do something like this anyway? All of his ethereal pals wouldn’t, considering that Michael would have been the first that made them suffer. He took notice that Shael was watching their father, Ouroboros anyway, something strange going on with him and something that he did not want to be around. Xarlessa however soon jumped onto the problem and seemed to fix it, though how she spoke to him seemed to annoy Michael slightly. ”Is that so?” Sean said concerned after hearing what Shael said and walking into the room Ouroboros occupied.

”I was considering looking through Death’s Embrace.” Michael said simply walking onward, not really looking at Shael, but acknowledging him nonetheless. Whether Shael intended to follow him, or mount his own search did not matter, he would find his sibling, and then perhaps find the person that put him there in the first place.

"Be silent. You're so stubborn. I'm alive, I'm alive because of you. You killed me but you saved me. Listen to me...the longer you deny who and what you are the longer...the worse this is going to be for you. Let me go, Atterrius." Xarlessa said the arm sealed over, Ouroboros was in a total sweat, like he had just taken on the entire Ethereal nation alone. He looked from Xarlessa to Sean. Xarlessa looked to Sean and smiled, a partial tear formed in her eyes. "Take care of him...after all...you replaced me." She said, walking away. Her heels clicking on the tiles as she walked away. Ouro still trying to actually breathe, he suddenly smiled seeing Sean. The clicking of the heels stopped when Xarlessa turned around. "Zell...he knows." She said as she turned and walked away, fadigin into a crimson mist.
"Bitch.." Ouroboros said as he struggled to stand himself up. Failing he fell and slammed his head back intot he door, growling with anger.

[color:d635=ffcc66]"Good Idea, I'll take east, you take west?" Shael asked Michael as he set out for the exit, making his way towards the Platform of the Ethereal Arch.

Sean found himself walking in upon something, he was unsure what it was but whatever seemed like a dire thing indeed. He could tell that something about Ouroboros was off, something about him seemed tired beyond belief, and that worried him slightly. Even within his slowly weakening state, Sean found himself worrying about someone else. Xarlessa whispered something that caused Sean to pause for a moment, lip curling into an aggressive expression before settling down. ”Weird.” It couldn’t be her, considering that he did see the bitch die that night long ago. The ethereal male muttered something, attempting to get up before falling back down. The Titan took a few steps and extended his hand towards him, not adventuring for a witty quip but just offering his hand; his only hand.

”Yeah, we’ll cover more ground or whatever.” Michael agreed his mind on something else entirely. Both stepped onto the Ethereal Arch, something that would allow them to cover the ground much quicker than if they were to walk there, or if Michael were to run there in a swifter form.

Shael didn't know it was going to be his last time stepping on that platform. Nor did he know that it was going to be the last time he saw his brother. Before they were transported he placed an arm on his shoulder and wished him luck. In a flash they were gone, leaving Valhalla behind...in Shael's case...leaving life behind. It was finny, the sedond he looked out onto the sands...he swore that he already knew...he was gonna die.

----
He knows the words echoed through his mind like a fucking shot gun in a cave on Christmas. Sean knew...Sean knew it was over, it was all over. Ouroboros looked at the hand and smiled, trying to avoid any form of emotion from showing, he was getting rather callous at this point...soon he might as well become a husk, void of all emotion. He took the hand and tried to stand, barely able to stabilize himself. The Dark Ethereal in the air lingered...but it stopped growing from within him.

"Where did I go wrong?" He muttered, it was more for himself, though it wasn't like anything was stopping Sean from answering. He made it to the stairwell, where he clasped ontot he railing, like a pathetic cripple he dropped his weak ass onto the stairs and began panting, like he ran a marathon. "We need to find Silus...He... He needs us..." Ouro said. He leaned back on the stairs. Sean had seen Ouroboros close to Death before...but anyone could bet he'd never seen Ouro getting his ass kicked by anything this badly. The worst part is...it wasn't a foe that he could fight...

----
Shael appeared in the western part of Death's Embrace, and he began to wander aimlessly through the desert. There was a settlement named "Oasis" in ever cardinal direction. He would check the west, and then head tot he northwest until he saw water. He wasn't sure how well his brother was handling this, considering he had to worry about head and the like. Shael on the other hand soaked up the Thermal energy like there was nothing to it...probably because to him there was virtually nothing to it.

Suddenly he thought he felt the sand sift beneath him, and he though he could feel something...an odd and weak energy. It wasn't Silus was it, he didn't produce Ethereal energy...unless he finally got his powers in! No, it was too much to hope for, Shael would go to try and get information form the person, but he could only hope they had found Silus, or saw where he had been left at.

In a flash Michael was gone, and in a flash he was in the desert known as Death Embrace. The heat rained down upon him oppressively, but for now Michael did not mind it, in fact he ignored it entirely. He took a deep breath, silver pools darting around as if looking for something, for someone. One thing that would make looking for his brother difficult would be the fact he gave off no energy, nothing to sense. In the distance he could see them, dancing along the sand; Dune Maws. However, the threat of them was far off, too far for him to worry about and they were not beyond his power, not now. ”Dammit Silus, where are you?” The ethereal muttered angrily shuffling through the forbidding sands.
----
Dark Ethereal energy lingered within the air, aggravating the little amount of Nether within him, yet Sean did not let that bother him now. However, it seemed that even with this help he was too weak, but from what? Sean could feel the strange energy close by, one that only he could sense, and one that agitated him every day. Ouroboros muttered to himself before falling once again against the railing. Something was draining the ethereal king, something damaging him and that was what consumed his mind more than anything. Sean felt that he would have to do something, no matter what that something was.

"We need to find Silus...He... He needs us..." the way that it was said seemed pitiful to him, yet he knew that the male would not want pity, that would only disgrace him.

”Don’t worry about Silus, I’ll find him.” Part of it was him trying to reassure him, and the other half was Sean trying to convince himself that was true. If Ouroboros wasn’t physically up to the challenge, then Sean would do he, he would not let his son come to harm. Without even paying heed to a suggestion against it Sean was gone, moving at full speed, perhaps even faster than usual as he ran across the isles with more purpose than before.

. The energy was form Silus. Shael smiled and laughed as he charged over through the sand, tripping and losing his footing in excitement. He just found his brother! He actually had never been happier, which slightly shocked him. He knew he loved his brothers but to be this happy about them being alive. Who knows, you get crazy when you're stressed. Sheal ran up to find Silus who had used most of his excess robes to create a form of shade to keep at least a good twenty degrees cooler in the hot sun that floated against the crimson sky. Silus looked to Shael and shook his head, muttering that it was just an illusion.

 "I'm not an mirage you little munchkin." Shael said with a laugh, unable to believe that he found Silus. Silus smiled, jumped up and ran to his brother, shivering and shaking like a kid in a horror film. Shael latched onto his little sibling and reassured him that he was okay now. Shael started to thing about how to get the other's attentions...and so he moved back a little. In an instant his eyes glowed emerald like Ouroboros' and every source of energy he had ever stored was unleashed, sending a beacon to the location. Shael dropped to his knees, his skin sizzling and smoking as he coughed and panted. Within a few moments, dozens of Dune-maws were flooding in their direction from every angle. They were surrounded. Silus stepped bnack, only to se Shael throw a fist into the ground and lift up. In an instant he ripped out of the sand a one ton Dune-maw, his hand ripping through it's smooth bur durable plated flesh and gripping on it's cartilage. Shael threw the Dune-maw and threw it back into a dune maw who had jumped into the air, like a dolphin. Now with both of them above ground, it was twenty two he had to worry about.

Cyril was the closest, and he'd be there soon. But it was up to Shale to hold out with Silus until then...

The young ethereal male sighed audibly, hands clenching together tighter and tighter. He was getting nowhere fast, and that alone was starting to grate on him. That anger caused his own energy to change, warping and pulsing darkly, eyes narrowing as the heat still pounded down upon him. Something zoomed along the horizon, a blur almost, one that moved too fast for him to really make note of, someone that was perhaps also looking for Silus which meant he was not the only one looking for him. ”I might be too slow now.” Michael mused letting radiant Nether coalesce into his palm, and then pressing the mark that was forming on his own forearm, power surging through him. Within that instant he felt it, a beacon of energy that was a mixture of energies that none other than Shael would be able to conjure up. In the distance he took note of some dune maws rising to to stimuli that was the energy and then with a large amount of nether energy entering the atmosphere, two of them fell instantly. It seemed that his father was out here, and that meant Michael would have to join the frey; Silus was found.

Spoiler:

Silus tried to help. He was not strong enough. Shael shoved his fist into the ground, grabbing a wiggling tail and pulling the maw up form the ground, using it as a flail and smashing one that had lept form the sand to dry and dive Shael and Silus. With two more down he was at twenty. With a firm tug he pulled the maw in his hand back, reache din and broke off two sharp durable teeth form the recently deceased. With a twirl he flourished the blade, almost brandishing them as katana. He managed to stab another, and another. Until Michael arrived, Cyril just before him. The second Michael appeared Shael turned to him and motioned ofr him to jump on the damn dragon so they could get out. Silus hopped on just after Michael, giving him something to hold onto and Shale would keep him form falling. A Maw shifted and bit onto Cyril's foot.

The Dragon roared and spreyed frost breath everywhere, and his wings began to beat. Shael heard it and jumped for the tail. He grabbed onto the tail, but with the moving of the tail as Cyril went into the air, he wasn't going to hang on very long. Silus reached out a hand, Shael reached up to take it. In one instant, a single spark of ultima energy left Silus' finger tip, arching, jumping onto Shaels...and Shael...began to whisp away as if he were dust. Silus was shocked...he didn't speak, he couldn't process what had just happened....Cyril flew out and returned Sius to the Ethereal Palace of Valhalla. Ouroboros weakly greeted them on the palace gate...but he did not see Shael.

"Where is Shael, is he with Sean?" Ouroboros asked with a bit of an exhausted stammer.

Michael was a blur of movement, reaching the location of the fight as everything already seemed to be going into full swing. Sean was easily dealing with a large amount of the Dune Maws, something about him different than before, and….an arm of pure energy radiating from where his stump once was, occasionally shifting into a more useful weapon within the combat. Shael used his inhuman strength to swing them around as if they were nothing, and Michael would chip in as well, using the power of his dark ethereal energy to kill a few of them with well placed blasts of ethereal, all until Cyril made himself known. He would allow them to take Silus back to the palace, back to where he was safe, and then whoever did this could be found.

Stepping onto the dragon after his brother, they would take off, Michael choosing to sit on the most comfortable section of the dragon, holding on as tight as possible. A good idea considering that the dragon would begin to flailil and unleash its terrible ice breath. However everything went smooth from there, and soon enough they were at the Ethereal Palace, Sean staying behind to deal with any straggling Dune Maws. That was until they reached the palace where Ouroboros was waiting, and he realized that Shael was not with them. Michael looked to Silus and back to their father, confused. ”I thought he had gotten on the dragon with us, but I guess he is.”
---
The sands were coated with dark fluid, as well as the bodies of many of the dune Maw, only one of them wriggling through the sand. It rose and attempted to strike at the Titan who was breathing heavily, in an instant he moved out of the way and was running along its tubular body. The nether limb formed into a blade that plunged into its head and extended until it went through, Sean then sliding down until the creature was bisected, blood spurting hotly against him as well as the sands. Sean gagged lightly, as his energy cleared away most of the ichor from his body. All twenty two of them were now dead, and that was when he felt it, his power waning, consciousness going along with it.

”Fuck.” Sean cursed as the energy limb began to fade, leaving him with only a stump, his markings peeling away like black paper, burning away midair, and all strength was leaving him as well. Using the last of his power, Sean tore open a hole in the air, and the next thing he knew, he was on the steps of the palace. ”Am I late?” He asked breathlessly. ”Hey…where’s Shael?” He asked as the remnants of his markings faded away.

Silus couldn't speak...but Ouroboros' eyes widened, Xarlessa appeared, eyes full of tears as she looked upon the boys. Ouroboros eyes watered as he stood up, he practically fell over again, he stood up ad began to walk back into the castle. Xarlessa shook her head, in obvious denial of what happened. She closed her eyes, tears streaming, not sobbing by crying as if she wanted to. Ouroboros made his way to the palace throne room. He sat on the throne, and instantly Dark Ethereal saturate the entire Isle, dark twisting skies of malice as heavy rain poured down near instantly. The Lych walked the hundred stairs or so to reach the palace gate his skeletal look upon Silus and then to Xarlessa.

"...and so we bury another..." He said, something within him sounded almost....sad. There was a loud roar from within the walls, children in the streets hid, their parents trying to rope them in, so they could lock their doors..and at least feel safer.