Chapter 349: Kael

Chapter 349: Kael

Vengeance of the Son

His arrival back to the Real Realm was thunderous. Kael didnt know where he was, but what he did know was that if he was still in the Settled Territories, his arrival would be heard. So he moved at top speed, putting as much distance between himself and the place where his teacher had ripped open the boundary between the Ethereal and the Real Realm.

A couple of days later, he encountered the first settlement, and found out where he was. And how long he had been gone.

He was in a small kingdom at the edge of the core in the far south, near the coast. He was lucky that he hadnt been thrown somewhere so far away from the Settled Territories that it would take him lifetimes to get back. The settlement was populated by low tiered people, and Kaels presence alone was enough for them to treat him like a king. It made him angry, but he told himself that they just didnt know better. But one day soon, he would have his vision come true. A world where everyone could find their own path. Where they would no longer be bound to follow in the footsteps of others, forced into roles that those who ruled believed were necessary.

He had done the first step, caused chaos that had ignited the world. Brought forth fires that would burn the old, making way for something new to flourish. Or at least he had thought that he had.

The people told him what they knew, of the wars and how they were finally calming down. How instead of people rising to the occasion and breaking free, they were still trapped in the same patterns of the past. And he learned that he had been gone for barely a decade. Such a short period of time, when he spent what felt like centuries in the Ethereal Realm. He couldnt exactly tell, it was a blur, the Ethereal Realm was not a place where people were meant to dwell. Not those who were alive or sane at least. Several years, and already all that he and his people had done was being washed away.

He was going to need to do more, perhaps one dome wasnt enough. He was the Speaker for the Blind. He led the Unchained. He was going to bring about a new order. A world that was truly free. Beyond the limits of the Framework, of the factions that forced people into orderly and small lives.

He knew that there was something behind this law that guided them allthe Framework. He was going to tear down all that it was attempting to do. Show whatever it was behind it, those in the heavens, or even beyondthe Dealmaker and the Threethat they did not need their rules. That they couldnothey would flourish on their own. To show everyone what they could achieve without oppressive elements keeping them down.

His first move was a failure. The spark didnt turn into a wildfire to take down the entire forest, but it burned enough. What was once healthy was now filled with embers. His next move would burn it all down, clear the way for new growth to come after. The leaders had to die, factions had to fracture, laws cease. Only when each person was free to live by their own rules, by only their own personal strength, would the world truly be free.

But before he could make any other moves, he had a promise to keep. His teacher wanted to reach this Realm, and Kael was going to help him. Raazel understood true freedom. Kael knew that the teacher wouldnt follow anyone, that he wouldnt help any cause. He was the true embodiment of what Kael wanted to bring about. Unchained from everything that the world tried to use to tie them down, to hinder them and give the power only to the few. Raazel could see, where most others were blind.

And as much as he wanted to do what he was instructed as quickly as possible; he knew that he couldnt do it alone. He needed his people, and he was already late for their rendezvous, late by a few years. He wasnt exactly close to their meeting spot, their old base, but he was a lot faster now. A few more weeks, and he would finally reunite with his people.

Six days of flying across territories, trying to avoid any signs of civilization as best as he could. His appearance was changed, but someone could still recognize him. Or at least mention that they saw a winged and feathered drake passing through, it would be enough. There were too few of his kind around.

He was anxious. He moved without rest, flying at his top speed, faster than some airships, and still something gnawed at him. Something made him push onward, without any stops or rest. And the feeling was getting worse.

Kael felt naked in a way. He had achieved great power, but he had no items on him, only his simple robes. Relic rarity, which boosted his stamina and was almost useless compared to his new perk which allowed him to fly without rest in the first place. Everything else he had lost either before the Ethereal Realm or in the dungeon. His teacher hadnt given him anything, saying that it was a waste of resources, and Kael was nowhere near as proficient as his teacher in order to make something by himself.

Suddenly he came to a complete stop. He beat his wings slowly, floating above a dark forest beneath him. The moonlight bathed the land in the shadows, making the ground look like a gradient of dark colors. His scales were itching, more than before. His instincts were screaming at him that something was wrong.

Before he could react, chains of light appeared around him and snapped into place. The moment they touched his body, they slipped away, and Kael used [Wraith Dash] to move to the side. A ball of fire manifested in the center of the chains, then it exploded outward the blast hitting Kael and sending him tumbling through the air.

Kael glanced back and saw Heor raised a hand, then

/Oath of the Sun God: Beloveds Call/

The world trembled, and then there was light. The moon shuddered and turned into a sun, and night was banished by day.

/Oath of the Sun God: Churning Nova/

Heor transformed, a blast of fire expanded outward, burning the forests and hills beneath them clean of everything. Kael changed forms, from Lapareu to Infraag in an instant. The fire washed over him, and even in the form of the Suns Flaming Fury, Kael felt his scales burn, but nowhere as near as they had during their last battle. He roared as the heat passed him over. And then Heor was there, his presence making the world shake.

Heor raised his hands and a ball of fire, like the sun, appeared above him. A moment later it was coming for Kael.

Reject

The fire sputtered out and disappeared. Heor laughed.

That didnt work that well for you last time, the man said as his burning form grinned at him.

Kael used his Ascended State and charged at Heor, pushing Qi into his fists to attack before the man had a chance to

Heor pulled out a cannon and blasted him straight in the face. Kael flew back and smashed into a hill, cracking it in half. Heor was there above him again, and then

Sun Fall

The world turned white; light fell from the sky. Terrible burning light that washed everything clean. Kael would die, there were no talismans to teleport him away now, no defensive items to take the brunt of the attack. There was only one thing, and he steeled his will and knowledge. He raised his hands and with the speed of his Ascended State he stabbed his claws into the fabric of reality itself and drew.

Three lines, and a half circle over them, then he whispered.

Vhrom,protection. The world stilled, Essence sputtered, and then it obeyed.