Seed Of Speed

A life-time ago, Echo had not been the Avatar of Nyra'teni, a lesser Daemora, but a normal, flesh and blood boy. His tribe lived deep within the Bantoi Mountains that ringed nearly have of the Teoran Desert. It was a dangerous place where desolate and demon beasts alike claimed and only the strong survived.

Although his tribe had a few powerful members, they had only survived due to Nyra'teni's benevolence in allowing them to dwell on his mountain. For generations, they had worshipped Nyra'teni as a god, sacrificing half their bounty and even their children to appease him. Since Nyra'teni could not walk the mortal realm, he needed an Avatar to host his Will.

Echo had been one of the dozens of children to be sent into the Red Cave, along with his twin brother. No one knew what happened to those sent into the cave, but a new Avatar would always emerge while the others were never seen again.

Unfortunately, Nyra'teni was not a merciful god, but a Daemora who drew power from pain and suffering. While all Daemoras drew their power from the same the source, each would have their own, unique quirk that gave them even more power.

Some were 'Tenders', controlling kingdoms so that while the population of mortals would not be wiped out, but not thrive, trapped in a hopelessness. Others were drawn to 'War', the battle for supremacy where the weak become the food of the strong. Then there were those who reveled in Chaos, delighting in things that broke the natural order.

Nyra'teni was a lesser Daemora of Chaos, and his 'Sin of Choice' was the spilling of familial blood. The closer the relation, the more he would gain. All of children sent to the Red Cave shared some blood due to the smallness of their tribe, but when Nyra'teni saw the twin brothers, he knew that he must claim one.

Echo and his brother entered the glowing, red mists that gave the cave its name with the other children, but it grew thicker and thicker while the cave widen until the walls and roof were lost to the mist. That was when the first attacks came, not to kill, but to frightened and divide their numbers. No, Nyra'teni would not grant them an easy death, he needed more than just that. He needed the children to kill each other.

They were corralled deeper and deeper into the mists until even their feet could not be seen, then pushed back together. But now, they were afraid. There was no sound in the mists, only the pounding in their ears. Attacks always came from the dark figure in the mist, so they forgot that their kin were also trapped there with them.

As tradition, the twelve children were given ceremonial daggers which became the tool for each of their deaths. Nyra'teni was careful, ensuring that the twin brothers would not fall to another's hand or cross paths until they were the last ones remaining. He still remembered Echo stabbing his own twin brother threw the heart then removing the mist, so he could enjoy the pain of Echo as he realized what he had done while his brother died in his arms.

To further torment Echo, when Nyra'teni possessed his body, he kept Echo 's mind intact. Not only did Nyra'teni compel Echo 's every action, but when he forced Echo to do unspeakable acts, he released dopamine into his brain, slowly rewiring it to enjoy these sadistic deeds.

Well before Echo became his Avatar, he had made a blood pact with a one-armed man from the desert. For a trifling chi technique, the fool promised to have his heirs spill each other's blood for ten generations, and for six generations he had received his tribute on time, but it was over a year passed due now.

"I have come to meet with your Patriarch. A debt of blood is due to my master," Echo said.

Both of the men foamed at the mouth as their eyes rolled back into their head and they fell from their mounts, but neither was dead. Echo could smell his master's power in the boy's blood, so killing him was out of the question. He manifested a crimson chain that coiled around the boy, so that he could drag him along behind him.

It was not long before the warriors of the Telryn clan came charging at him, but smelling another of indebted, Echo just sighed. He threw out his hand and an invisible wave of pressure blasted through their ranks except for the second boy and those behind him. The boy did not even glance at those around him as he urged his beast forward and swung his hammer.

Echo raised a hand and grabbed the hammerhead. His arm did not even budge as his fingers dug into the metal, yet the boy was f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y ripped from the saddle, refusing to release his weapon. Echo slammed the boy into the ground by way of the hammer and another crimson chain formed to bind him.

The final two that tried to bar his path did not receive the same mercy as the others. Crimson blades formed above Echo 's head then shot forward, impaling both of them through the center of their c.h.e.s.ts. Echo stepped over their dying bodies and dragged the two unconscious boys behind him.

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"Moonwater, quick! There's trouble!" Firesand shouted from inside his study.

A powerful creature had just crossed the boundary of the oasis and he could sense young Jastrab and Penyi bound behind it. His fingers danced in the air as a fiery sparrow formed above his hand and he whispered to it before it took off, out the window. Moonwater rushed through the door a moment later and reached out to her husband.

Firesand took her hand with one hand while the other clasped the jeweled talisman around his neck. In the next second, they were engulfed in a teal light and vanished from the study.

They reappeared on top of the gate of the sandstone wall with Barru arriving a few minutes later. In the distance, all three could see a black-skinned stranger slowly walking towards the gate, dragging the bodies of Jastrab and Penyi by crimson chains. Behind, the collapsed bodies of a dozen Telryn warriors were scattered about and, while some might be alive, there two with a crimson sword skewering their c.h.e.s.ts.

Barru nearly charged forward at the sight of this, but FIresand held him back and said, "Patriarch, this man is at Seventh Stage of the Demi-Body, as well as being a Shaman. We can't engage him recklessly, or your death would be in vain!"

"He dares kill my people and drag my sons throw the dirt! I will kill him!" Barru yelled.

"YOU WILL DIE!!!" Firesand said, flaring with his full cultivation, Third Stage of the Demi-Body, and his five-point Magic Crest.

"I can't do nothing!" Barru said defiently, buthis body was shaking as if fought the suppression.

"We won't do nothing! Call the rest of our warriors! We need to stand together against this foe!" Firesand said seriously.

Barru gave him a hard look until Firesand retracted his aura and he pulled out a horn. He blew a long, high-pitched note and, within seconds, the strongest members of the clan started to arrive. Anoe, Hugo, and Oro were the first to appear and joined the three on the top of the gate.

"Jastrab!" (Hawk Lead) exclaimed.

"Penyi!" Anoe growled, pounding a fist into the stone.

The onyx-skinned man had reached thirty meters away from the gate and stopped. He looked up at everyone gathered and smiled. With a grasping motion in front of him, a beast skin with a contract written in blood appeared in his hand.

"I am Echo, Avatar of Nyra'teni. Six generations ago, the Patriarch of the Telryn Clan signed a contract with my master for the power to reclaim his seat. For ten generations, all male heirs above the age of twelve will compete for the seat of the Patriarch when the current Patriarch reaches the age of fifty. Since you have been faithful to your end of the contract so far, my master is willing to be merciful and forgive your ignorance in forgetting this matter for now, but I have been sent to collect. Either your heirs will fight to the death and your contract extended for another ten generations, or the Clan of Telryn shall be erased from the sands!"