“Annihilation?” repeated Alek Izlandi slowly.

“Annihilation,” I said firmly.

Silence.

Nestled in this quiet corner of this ancient city on a bright, beautiful, sunny day, the wind whistled past my ear, bringing sweet floral scents past my nose. Yet, despite the picturesque scene, the pleasant atmosphere, the serenity; my mind was cold and unfeeling. I felt a strange feeling I nmy throat. Like a lump I couldn’t cough up.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, at last. “I don’t even know who you are. Why are you doing this? What is going on? You over there, can you help me? Wait, you’re a spirit. Please, come help! Oh, wait, is that you? Bain! Old man Bain, you have to help me. I don’t—”

“You know who I am,” I said. “I am the one who wiped out your army and forced you into exile. You think I’m dumb enough to think you wouldn’t have dug up everything you could from the fairies and spirits? You know I’m an elf, you know why I’m here, and you must know more about the things I wish to know more about than anyone else in this world. Sorry, did you not follow what I just said? I’m saying you have information that I need. If I don’t start hearing what I want to be hearing, your little demon head might suddenly…” I pressed my hand to the back of his head, applying a little bit of pressure with magic hands and motion magic. “…pop.”

The demon prince gasped. He somehow managed to choke on his gasp, and began coughing pathetically. I let go of his head but kept him tied up. I beckoned Taoc and Bain Rusta over, making sure to apply a little mind resistance magic on them just in case. I’d used it enough by now that my ‘wisdom’ had gone up considerably.

“Back to the question,” I said. “Tell me about annihilation.”

“You should tell him what you know, Alek,” chimed in Bain Rusta.

“Bain! You, your family. I helped them so much, and this is how you repay me? Great Elf, you should not trust this lying, treacherous tumor. This two-faced, corrupt old man!” said Alek.

“So I’m a great elf now, huh? Glad you aren’t pretending not to know me anymore. But I will not ask again. Annihilation. Explain,” I said.

“I am sorry, Great Elf,” said Alek with a stammer. “I don’t know. I truly do not know. If you give me some more context, it doesn’t have to be a complete explanation, just a few clues, if you give me that then perhaps I can be of greater assistance to you.”

“Many, many years ago,” I said, leaning close to the handsome prince’s face. He really did resemble Kol quite a bit. A more prominent chin, a light dusting of stubble. But still, remarkably, uncannily similar.

“Many years ago, in a land far to the South, I met an Immortal. Not the Immortal that you serve, you pathetic Ikon, but one of the other Immortals. The Immortal of Desire. I do not believe any of your gods correlate to this Immortal, so perhaps you do not know who they are, and they control neither the moon nor the red star, so you might think them insignificant. But they were my mentor, albeit for a brief moment. I will not go into the rest of the details. But on a visit to this mentor, I was followed by another Immortal, the Immortal of Madness. Or perhaps, this had been the Immortal’s plan all along. I am still not sure what happened that night. All I know is that the very world began to dance; the ground, the trees, the light, my body, the very air itself. Everything began to dance and swirl and swish about deliriously. A conversation with this Immortal propelled me into the future, far from the first family I had known in this world. And he left me with one clue, one word that was the key to something that I wish for quite dearly. That word was annihilation. In what language. With what meaning. I do not know. Which is why I am asking you.” I put my hand on the back of Alek’s head once again.

Alek’s bottom lip quivered. I could see the sweat pouring over his back. “I see. I, uh, see. Great Elf. How about we go inside? I live a modest life in this city, but I can still afford to host you for lunch. Then I can answer your questions and—”

“Stop trying to control my mind,” I said, nonchalantly. “It isn’t going to work.”

The red glow drifting stealthily from Alek’s feet froze in the air. It dissipated like smoke in the wind, and Alek gave me a nervous smile.

I smiled back at him. Then, I grabbed him by the neck and slammed his face into the ground. “Enough games, Ikon. I never thought you knew the answer in the first place.”

“Then why ask it,” squeezed out Alek from his mouth squished against the earth.

“Because I wasn’t asking you,” I said as I brought his face in front of mine. “Your master. Ask your master and tell me what he says.”

---

This time I was standing in front of the walls, with the gates wide open. There was no moat, and really, no major obstacles apart from a couple of ramparts and scout towers that had been made over the last few days. I did not get involved with the defenses at all. Instead, I stood patiently outside the city on this pleasant, overcast day, and awaited the return of one of my greatest enemies, who also happened to be my greatest friend.

A black speck appeared in the distance. Like last time, the figure was wrapped from head to toe in heavy robes, all fluttering in the wind. Last time, I had seen her from up top and used light magic to zoom in, trying to identify more features. She had seen me from afar and approached carefully. Now, from this level vantage point, I could watch her approaching slowly. Very slowly. Or perhaps that was just how it felt like to me.

She went past where the moat had been, far ahead of where I had first attacked her last time. By this point, we had locked our gazes, and I could almost feel her staring at me through the hood covering her face. I crossed my arms and waited.

Perhaps I should have been more nervous. More afraid. Ready to take the fight to her or to incapacitate her before she could pull out some bubbles or other strange magic. The Immortal of Madness had other powers. I did not forget how he had sent me into the future. If he had given Noel a power like that, I would be screwed. And yet, I wasn’t worried. In the corner of my eye, I saw movement. Kelser was standing behind me. The spirit Taoc must be hovering somewhere further back, just beyond my sight, with Bain Rusta and the human magic users standing far behind them. Among them would be Alek Izlandi, subdued and thoroughly tied up. Kelser kept a tight grip on him with magic hands, but after our little conversation, I had a feeling the Immortal of Evil would not be interfering in this battle anymore.

Noel came up close. This was the distance where I first started firing my magic magnetic railgun. I still had the bullet and rods in a little pouch to the side, although I wasn’t planning on using it.

Noel hesitated. Had she been expecting an attack by now? The people on top of the city walls were getting antsy. Everybody stood by with bated breath, on a battlefield I had experienced once before, but in a form that was less violent and less brutal. In front of the massive city gates, I faced off against the Ikon of Madness, my best friend in this world, Noel Rosta Jora.

I raised a hand. She froze. She assumed battle positions at last. The bubbles would be forming soon, or perhaps a burst of fire to start off. I raised my hand even further, far beyond her body, above her head. Her head followed the path of my hands. Her own spells were primed.

A gentle breeze blew past the battlefield.

Silver hair.

Silver eyes.

Pointy ears and a familiar face.

“Hey Noel,” I said with a tired smile, “how have you been?”