Legacy Of Altherion

“Sam! Let’s go!” Bradley said, grasping her arm.

Sam stared at Nathan's back with trembling eyes, then nodded and turned on her heels.

The two beasts recovered from the blows to their chests and returned to the group unscathed.

Nathan glanced at Logan. “Left or right?”

“I’ll take the two on the right.” Logan said.

Nathan nodded. “Hey...” he said. “No mercy.”

Logan nodded.

One of the beasts standing to the left of Nathan chuckled. “No mercy huh?”

“How arrogant.” the one beside him said.

“Altherians are all the same; they act cocky at first, but always end up begging for their lives.” A beast standing to the right of Logan said.

The beast beside him laughed. “Hahaha! True, true. Tell me, Altherian. Will you scream like the others when I tear your limbs from your body?”

Nathan’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Change of plans, I’ll go right.” Nathan said before disappearing from view.

He reappeared in front of the cackling beast and punched it in the abdomen, creating a shockwave as the impact sent the beast deep into the forest.

“You, come with me too.” Nathan said, grasping the remaining beast by the neck before it could react.

Nathan flexed all the muscles in his arm and threw the beast in the direction of its kin, destroying countless trees in its path.

“Remember what I told you.” Nathan said over his shoulder before disappearing into the forest.

“Should we go after him?” one of the remaining beast said.

“No, let them have some fun.” the other beast said. “Besides, this one’s scent is interesting.”

“You’re right, it smells…familiar, how strange. Is he not Altherian?”

“He is, but not entirely...He’s a mut-” one of the beasts attempted to say, however, he was stopped by an intense vice grip around its face.

Logan flew towards them at lightning speed, grasped both beasts by their faces, and slammed them deep into the ground.

He grabbed the beasts by their throats and dragged them across the ground, creating large trenches before taking off into the air.

The beasts could not move due to the excessive wind pressure acting against their bodies. Logan continued his ascension, spinning vigorously, leaving a pattern of spiralling wind trails below him.

On the other side of the woods.

“This Altherian is stronger than the others.” a beast said, rubbing its neck.

“Are you the perpetrators behind the attacks on our people?" Nathan said.

The other beast grinned. "Who knows."

Nathan rushed towards the smug beast, leaving an after image of himself lagging.

He appeared on its left side, with his arm flexed inwards. He swung his arm in a precise, yet vigorous motion, striking the side of its knee joint. The force shattered its knee and all the bones below it. The beast bellowed in agony and fell to his hands and knees.

The other beast rushed at him, attempting to pummel him into the ground. Nathan caught his blow effortlessly with his right hand, then used his left fist to punch the air, directing a shockwave that crushed its elbow and forearm. The second beast too bellowed, holding onto its shattered arm.

Nathan glared at them. "Now then, I shall ask you once more."

Their enormous bodies trembled reflexively due to the intensity of Nathan's stare. They acknowledged his strength, yet their eyes still reflected defiance.

"Your power truly is great, however…" the beast with the shattered arm said, correcting his posture.

"Indeed." the other said, getting back to feet, his leg showing signs of healing.

Nathan glanced at the other beast and confirmed that its shattered arm too appeared to be healing.

‘This again... Are they related to the creature that appeared in Soato?’

‘No, this is not regeneration, more like a recovery trait. It’s quite lacking in comparison.'

Nathan's expression did not waver, he continued staring them down.

"You do not frighten us Altherian, rather, not as much as..." the beast closest to him said, but stopped himself from continuing.

“None the less, you will have to try harder.”

"Is that so? Then I shall have to put greater effort into making you despair. Do not fret, I shall do my best to live up to your expectations." Nathan said as he increased the pressure around him.

‘This should be fine.’

Satisfied with the altitude and distance from the barn, Logan hurled the beasts towards the ground with outrageous force, breaking the sound barrier with each throw.

The beasts plummeted at an incredible velocity, like miniature meteors falling towards the ground. They crashed into the ground with an Earth-shattering impact, completely decimating the area for hundreds of meters in every direction.

Logan descended to the ground, landing quietly in the centre of the crater. He walked towards the beasts as one of them slowly got to its knees.

He glanced at the beast laying motionless in the ground, then turned his attention to the one swaying unsteadily.

With a swift kick to the chest, the beast collapsed to the ground.

Logan stood over the beast with a look of disdain. He clenched his fist.

“You...truly...are...” the beast said as it coughed up blood.

Without hesitation, Logan struck its skull with a thunderous impact.

A deafening thud echoed across the devastated area, following a brief pause, another thud resounded.

Nathan rushed towards the house, desperately calling out for Sam and Bradley. When no response came, he nearly broke the door trying to open it.

He searched the entire house, unfortunately, he could not find anyone.

Nathan cursed and rushed outside, trying to find a sense of direction. He expanded his perception to the limit, hoping to find any trace of them.

‘Where the hell are they?’

Nathan grit his teeth. Time was not on his side, he had to find them before something irreversible happened.

Desperation clouded his judgment, he decided to search the woods manually, despite it being completely impractical.

Before he left the driveway however, Logan whistled above his head.

“Where are you going?” Logan said.

“They’re not here.” Nathan said.

“What?”

“Search from the sky and shout if you see anything strange.”

“All right... Hey, a blue light just appeared over there.” Logan said pointing to his left.

Nathan nodded. “Let’s hurry.”

The pair arrived at a large clearing and found Sam and Bradley trapped inside blue spheres of energy, floating beside one another.

"Sam! Bradley!”

“Sam are you hurt? What happened to Bradley?” Nathan said, approaching her.

“I’m fine, but Bradley lost a lot of blood. He needs to get to a hospital.” Sam said.

“Bradley, can you hear me?” Logan said as he approached the sphere.

Midway through their approach, a slender man in a white trench coat with long pitch-black hair appeared, standing between them and the spheres.

Nathan and Bradley stopped reflexively, sensing something strange about the man blocking their path.

Nyelekai, Logan, I am pleased that you could make it." the man said.

"Let them go!" Nathan said.

Immediately, the blue spheres ascended higher into the sky, towering above them.

Sam shrieked.

The man grinned. "Poor choice of words.” he said.

"No wait, please." Nathan said.

"What do you want?" Logan said.

"I simply wish to talk." the man said.

"So, talk!" Logan said.

The man grinned. "I see you haven't lost that temper of yours, that is a relief.”

"What? What the hell are you talking about? Don't act like you know me."

"Oh, but I do, I know you better than anyone, my dear boy."

"Ignore him, he's just trying to get inside your head.” Nathan said.

"Trying to?" the man said, glancing at Nathan.

"Altherian brute, it appears that you quite enjoyed yourself, interrogating those weaklings." he said with a faint snicker. “Did they tell you anything interesting?”

Nathan clenched his fists.

“You sent them... You are the one responsible for the attacks on our people!"

"You are partially correct, I sent them after you, yes," the man said. "However, what wild animals do in their spare time is not my concern."

Nathan grit his teeth.

"So, what you are saying is, all of those people were attacked because you were looking for me?"

"Precisely, it is your fault. Because you are too weak."

"The giant that appeared in the Soato region, that was my fault as well?"

"Indeed, you truly are a disgrace to your people.”

"I see. You seem to know quite a bit about me, including my name and origin, yet you have neglected to provide me with yours." Nathan said after composing himself.

The man smiled. “Then, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Valtyre.”

"Is that so? And what exactly do you want from me, Valtyre?"

"I already told you, I wish to talk.”

"Is he always this hard of hearing?" Valtyre said, glancing at Logan.

"Enough with these games!" Nathan said.

"Games? I do not play games." Valtyre said as the blue spheres descended rapidly.

Nathan prepared himself to intercept, however, the instant he resolved himself to move into position, he felt it. A sharp stab of trepidation in his chest, he knew that if they moved recklessly, it would result in something terrible.

He placed his arm in front of Logan who was on the verge of taking off.

"All right, I apologise. Go ahead and talk." Nathan said in response to Sam's horrific screams.

The spheres’ descent ceased, they slowly moved back to their original height, towering above them.

"Now then, where was I? Ah yes Logan, I was in the middle of a conversation with you." Valtyre said. "I must say, I'm deeply saddened that you do not recognise me.”

"Why should I recognise you? We’ve never met before.” Logan said.

Valtyre grinned. “ Sure we have...It was quite a stormy night.”

Logan’s eyes widened. “It can’t be...”

“Yes, you should be grateful. Without me, you would still be inferior.” Valtyre said.

Logan’s eyes trembled. "What are you saying? You had something to do with the accident?"

Valtyre shrugged. “You had to die and be reborn to awaken your latent lineage.”

Logan grit his teeth.

"I must confess, I was disappointed to discover that the Altherians removed my gift to you so soon.” Valtyre said. “None the less, it performed as planned.”

"How dare you speak of it so lightly!" Nathan said.

Valtyre glanced up at the spheres.

Nathan lowered his heart rate.

"Logan’s dreams and intent regarding me, that was your doing as well?"

Valtyre simply smiled

"Why?" Logan said. Blood dripped from his clenched fists as his finger nails pierced his palms.

"Why did my parents have to die?"

"Well, it is quite simple...they were inferior.”

“What did you say?”

“It was an experiment you see, one of many conducted that evening. The fact that your parents died in the process, well simply, that is their fault for being weak.” Valtyre said. “In fact, you could say that it was mostly your fault. If they were not at your side when I came for you, they may have survived the storm.”

"The storm was your doing as well.” Nathan said.

"Was that not obvious?”

Valtyre grinned. “It turned into quite the show did it not?"

"All of those people, Logan’s parents, they all died for your amusement!"

Valtyre shrugged "One hundred and fifty experiments were conducted in the city that evening, and every single one of them were failures, all except for you, Logan.” he said. “Do you realise how special you are?"

Logan lowered his head.

"If not for me, you would never have awakened to your potential, you really should thank me.”

The ground beneath Logan’s feet rumbled and the air around him distorted. Learning the truth behind his parents' death was too much for his mental state, he would explode at any moment.

Nathan too battled to contain the rage built up due to Valtyre's actions, both now, and leading up to that evening. Although he had greater control than Logan, the only thing restraining him was Sam and Bradley.

It was unclear what would happen if they attacked, both of them knew this, they also understood that Valtyre would not be an easy opponent.

"If only they were not trapped in those spheres, we could attack him and end this. That is what you are thinking, isn't that right Nyelekai?" Valtyre said after noticing Nathan clenching his fists while glancing up at the spheres.

"What if I said that those spheres were invulnerable to physical damage, that even if it dropped to the ground right now and cracked the Earth, Samantha and Bradley would be fine.”

He grinned. “Would you, attack me then?"

Nathan examined the spheres once again.

‘That is plausible, however, there is no guarantee.’

The next moment, a thunderous boom echoed as Logan flew towards Valtyre. A powerful gale force wind trailed behind him, turning any ill rooted tree or loose piece of wood into a dangerous projectile. Enraged with the images of his parents flashing in his mind, he charged towards him at supersonic speed.

"Logan wait!"

Nathan tried to urge Logan to take caution, however, he was beyond reason.

"You killed them!"

Logan flexed his elbow vigorously, channeling all of the strength and energy that he could muster.

"Die!"

He punched Valtyre with unimaginable force, generating a colossal shockwave.

Valtyre too flexed his elbow, pointing towards the ground. He loosly closed his fist with his thumb facing his upwards, then gently tapped the tip of his thumb onto Logan’s knuckle, blocking his super-charged punch with the minimalist amount of effort.

The shockwave from his blow devastated the area, shredding and uprooting trees for hundreds of meters beyond the boundary of the clearing. However, the area directly behind Valtyre was untouched, as though the shockwave was nullified by his presence. The destruction spanned for hundreds of meters behind Valtyre, but only at sixty degree angles on either side of him.

With his white trench coat still flapping in the wind, Valtyre opened his eyes. He smirked as he glanced at Logan's bewildered expression.

"Logan! Move!" Nathan tried to wake Logan from his stupor.

In a fraction of a second, Valtyre stood beside Logan and subtly tapped the side of his face with his left elbow.

Logan could not follow his movement at all, his body too, did not realise what happened until it was too late. The swift yet, subtle tap sent Logan flying, crashing through numerous large trees, leaving a trail of devastation spanning two kilometres.

"Dammit!" Nathan said and charged at Valtyre.

Nathan ran at maximum velocity from the onset, multiple booms resounded in the clearing as he sped up even further.

Midway through his movement, Valtyre appeared beside him, striking him with his right elbow. Nathan barely managed to follow his movements, allowing him just enough time to move his head out of the way. Valtyre's eyes widened; he leaned back and struck Nathan in the face with his left knee before he had the chance to react.

The impact to Nathan's face generated significantly force than the blow to Logan, as though punishing him for evading his initial strike.

"Nathan!" Sam yelled at the sight of him flying across the clearing, crashing through multiple trees with no signs of stopping.