Chapter 230: Within the Void(2)

But even as Qh'mros' attack flew at Xurha, a barrier of the blood colored light that seeped out of Xurha's eyes, flooded out and formed all around him, easily blocking the furry of wind blades that Qh'mros used.

Qh'mros realized that it needed to use more powerful attacks than the quick attacks it had thrown at Xurha so far, Xurha's true strength was beginning to dawn on Qh'mros.

Within the scarlet barrier, Xurha took his axe, and pressed it into the palm of the hand that he had removed the gauntlet from. 

As soon as the razor sharp blade of the axe touched his skin, it immediately split open, creating a long gash lengthwise across Xurha's palm. 

He raised the hand up, dripping his blood over the head of the axe, then replacing his gauntlet, and clutching the axe tightly before him, bowing his head toward it, as if he were praying.

Meanwhile, Qh'mros could feel a strange energy swirling around Xurha, and so decided that it too would enhance its own abilities, for fear of not being able to stand against Xurha after he completed the ability he was currently carrying out.

Qh'mros flapped its wings, and almost instantly powerful winds carrying the green light it's attacks had started to swirl around it, forming a ball shaped hurricane, with Qh'mros at the center.

Xurha's head was still bowed, clutching the axe tightly, his lips moving rapidly as he muttered a phrase, repeating it over and over again. The red light that had glowed within his eyes, and all around him had now started to glow in between the tiny gaps in his armor. 

It grew brighter and brighter, and then Xurha's armor began to creak, and the thick heavy plates that made it up began to shift, Xurha's body was growing within the armor.

Xurha's pale skin had to stretch, as new muscle and dense bone grew within it, pushing it out in every direction, and shifting the armor above, which had been designed with this transformation mind.

Xurha continued to grow larger and larger, the plates of his armor sliding apart to reveal that the ridiculously thick armor was not actually so thick, rather it was due to the fact that many of the components were stacked atop one another, a compressed version of a much larger set of armor.

Xurha's axe, which had previously dwarfed him, now sat comfortably in one enormous hand, resting gently on his shoulder, on his left arm, the armor had morphed to form an enormous square shaped shield, the front of which was covered in rough spikes that jutted out, presumably for smashing into one's enemies.

[Come, lizard. I shall gladly take your head!] Xurha roared, throwing his thoughts out wildly in the general direction that Qh'mros had been. 

But the Guardian of Eclat was silent, for it had taken the opportunity to initiate an ability of its own, enshrouding itself in a hurricane of green energy.

Deep within, Qh'mros was shifting and changing also, for in preparation of its long slumber, it had taken on a less burdensome form.

Most Ascendants didn't walk about in their most powerful or most dangerous forms, preferring to conserve their energy and their will by choosing less intensive day to day forms. 

And so Xurha had transformed into his war time form, which was fully able to express his tremendous physical prowess, one of the key features that he shared along with others Aemos, along with their devices, it had allowed for their empire to flourish.

Within the swirling hurricane, Qh'mros entire body was also changing, but this was more dramatic than Xurha's change. 

It's entire scaled body was far smaller than it had originally been, almost ten times smaller, the previous green glow that had come from it becoming far more intense.

The antler-like horns on its head had gone from a pale cream color to a shining black, with wicked curved points that looked as though they could pierce through even the hardest of substances.

It's orange eyes remained the same, but its jaw was now wider, and its mouth contained dark black fangs that poked out from its mouth, giving it a far more savage appearance.

As the swirling winds around it fell away, Xurha could see Qh'mros again, gone was the graceful and beautiful creature, in its place was a savage beast, that looked a though it would tear anything that crossed its pass limb from limb,.

Its tail swiped back and forty in the air, the black spines running all along its neck, down its back and along the back of its tail.

At the very end of its tail was a cluster of spikes that looked designed to cause as much injury as possible.

Its claws were also far longer, sharing the same dark color as its spines and antlers. All four of its limbs were far  more muscular, and at the joints long spines jutted out, every inch of Qh'mros now a weapon.

The green scales that covered it still remained, but they were now packed far more tightly together, and the long feather-like scales that had adorned its wings no longer had the soft appearance as earlier, instead they were like thousands of blades that lined its wings, the edges of the wings like a serrated blade.

[So you're finally decided to take this seriously, huh, lizard?] Xurha taunted, slamming his axe against his shield, as a warrior might taunt his opponents across the battlefield.

[I have simply acknowledged your power, invader. Though you have invaded my home and harmed my people, I shall still allow you the honor of being a meal for me.] Qh'mros' tail swished back and forth, and even before it finished its sentence, it went hurtling forward, on a collision course for Xurha as it flew through the void.

[Come! Hahahahaha!] Xurha laughed happily, slamming his axe against his shield once last time, and then taking a wide warrior's stance, ready for battle.