PART 12 – Mother

            Jordan’s consciousness was slowly crawling back to him, barely able to move but able to see, hear, and talk.  He opened his eyes and made sure not to move, any movement might damage his body further.  He looked straight ahead, there were a large amount of EDGE soldiers walking by, the vast majority of them looked injured.  “Well, we captured all we could, the ones that resisted too heavily were killed.” Uzco said walking right by Jordan.  Luckily Jordan’s blood stained body made it appear as if he were dead, he blended in well with all of the other corpses he had littered the floor with.  “Well, we had almost a hundred elementalists in captivity, now we’re down to twenty.  I don’t like those numbers lieutenant.” Miles said walking by him as well.  The two of them stopped over Jackson’s body.  “I always thought Jackson was strong enough to survive, I guess I was wrong.” Uzco said kicking the body.  “Well according to reports, we lost a decent amount of artificial elementalists.  On top of that we lost half of our overall forces, and half of what remains is injured.  We’ll need to return to our main supplier soon.” Miles said.  “I agree, but luckily the doctors I evacuated managed to plant Deudalaphon before they left.  Unfortunately the subject escaped, I ask your permission to pursue the subject and recover it.  I know where they will be heading.”  Miles nodded.  Uzco took his leave jogging up the stairs exiting the base.  Miles addressed all of the remaining soldiers in the room.  “My fellow soldiers, carry the wounded, we march back to Zaidoulu to meet with King Mazar!”  He pointed to several well-conditioned soldiers.  “You five stay here and stop and stragglers from leaving.” Jordan sighed knowing he’d have to kill five more people in a weakened state.  As Miles and the EDGE soldiers moved out Jordan slowly began to feel unconsciousness creeping up on him once again.

            He woke up to shots being fired in the room, so decided that playing dead would be a wise decision.  If someone else was fighting EDGE, he’d let both sides fight it out first, then he’d clean up the survivors.  He did a test of his limbs, his left arm still hurt from being stabbed, but he had suffered worse wounds and fought on.  He felt rested, but bruised.  He kept his eyes closed and listened closely.  The EDGE soldiers were panicking, they were screaming for their lives.  Jordan opened his eyes.  The five soldiers were scattered around the room firing blindly at three black-cloaked figures examining the bodies throughout the room.  “Big Brother, do you think we can find a proper body to use as mothers vessel.” One of them asked.  “You know Big Brother does not speak much Sister.  But I can smell an elementalists blood, there is a perfect vessel here.” The other said.  Jordan looked closely at the EDGE soldiers, every orifice on their faces were leaking a dark blue fluid.  Their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths all oozed this substance, Jordan assumed none of them could see and were all having trouble breathing.  Someone did something to them.

            One of the soldiers finally made a well-directed shot but Brother just swatted the bullet out of the air like someone had thrown a ball at him that he didn’t want to catch.  “Sister, your disease is annoying me, it’s too slow acting, can I just kill them?” He asked.  “Yes.” Big Brother said in his dark menacing tone.  Brother chuckled and clapped his hands together in front of him.  “Call: Black Hole!” He shouted.  Directly in front of his hands a small black ball of void space began to form, it slowly began to open into a massive twirling vortex of black energy, he had spawned a black hole from his hands.  Everything that wasn’t bolted down in the room began flying towards the black hole.  Jordan instinctually grabbed his sword and drove it into the ground giving him something to hold onto, he would have lost his grip, but Brother closed up the hole.  The only thing left in the room was the blood stains on the ground and a nervous, confused, and shaken Jordan.  He clutched his sword panting until Sister grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up.  Jordan didn’t fight back he just angrily stared into the eyes of his new enemy.

            “Big Brother, this man is an elementalist, I can smell it.” Sister said.  The other two came over and closely examined Jordan.  “He is, but he isn’t the most powerful.” Brother said.  “Leave him alive, Mother will judge him.” Brother added.  Jordan was silent but had many questions he wanted answered.  He was too weak to use his crush or call and his sword was just out of his reach, he was helpless.  Big Brother fell to one knee and pressed his hand up against a bloodstain next to Jordan’s sword.  “This blood once belonged to a man named Fhal Rufflesia, a regenerating elementalist, his blood is calling to me.  He is the perfect vessel for Mother.” Big Brother said reaching into his coat.  Jordan’s mind raced, who were these people?  What was Big Brother hiding behind his mask?  It didn’t matter to him, he just wanted to survive.  Big Brother pulled a single vial out from under his coat with two or three drops of blood in it.  “Mother…” The three siblings all said as Big Brother revealed it.  “You’re all insane.” Jordan casually said.  Without getting a single look Sister threw Jordan across the room into the opposite wall, dazing him.  He searched for a weapon, but literally everything was sucked into Brother’s black hole, so he just watched.  Big Brother uncapped the vial and let a single drop fall from its edge.  After several heartbeats the drop collided with Fhal’s blood puddle.  Jordan expected nothing, he just thought the three of them were some insane elemental cultists, but what happened, is something Jordan wished he would never encounter again.

            There was a brief flash of yellow light, so blinding it would appear to have been white.  Fhal’s blood had disappeared and in it’s place stood a woman.  She was tall and had pale skin just like the rest of the group.  Her hair was well groomed and long.  She wore the same coat as Fhal had been wearing and from behind she even looked like Fhal, except she had some noticeable female features like high heeled shoes and very feminine hips and shoulders.  “What the…  Who is that?” Jordan whispered to himself.  “My children.” She softly said in a welcoming and seductive voice.  The three siblings all collapsed into her arms, an awkward clash of black cloaks on a bright white coat.  She looked down at the twins Brother and Sister.  “Hale, Quella.  Has your older brother Gell been looking over you properly since your father and I went away.” She asked.  Jordan was scared for the first time in a long while, but he was still creepily attracted to this woman’s voice.  She hugged the man with the mask, Gell, separately.  “I’m very proud of you Gell.  You’ve done a great job taking care of everyone.” Gell didn’t respond, he just bowed his head as Mother kissed his forehead.  “Who is your friend?” She asked, finally turning to face Jordan.  She had a beautifully structured face, complimented with a flawless perfection.  However, her eyes were bright white, no pupils, and she had purple eye make up on that made it look like she hadn’t slept in years.  The only bright color on her was her red earrings.  Looking upon her face made Jordan sick, it felt like he had been punched in the heart.  He pulled himself to his feet in an attempt to escape the nauseous feeling he had taken on, but it soon went away.  “From your silence I take it that this man is not your friend.  Children, go find your mother some more elementalists, I’m hungry.”  The three siblings looked at her in surprise.  “But mother…”  Hale whimpered.  “We’ll have our family reunion later, I’m weak, I’ve been gone for a while and I haven’t played with anyone in a while, so please leave me be.” Mother’s voice was serious but still caring and seductive.  The siblings didn’t move, clinging to their mother like they would die if they let go.  “Leave us children, this man is very powerful, I want to see if I can still play like I used to.” Mother demanded.  The siblings exchanged looks before finally walking off, annoyed, into the EDGE complex.  This left just Jordan and Mother alone in the EDGE main room.

            Mother pulled on her coat and felt her curves, she smiled.  “It’s been so long since I’ve been able to touch myself.” She said.  Mother leaned down and picked up Jordan’s sword.  “This is yours, it reeks of your element.” Jordan raised an eyebrow seeing a woman pick up such a heavy sword, and she handled it as if it were as light as a knife.  “Who are you?” Jordan asked walking into the open.  Mother paced towards the exit and stopped.  “How rude of myself, I’m being so uncivil.  I apologize.” Mother looked at Jordan, he got that sick sensation again, he was forced to look away again.  “Allow me to state my title.  I have been called many things, Mother, Grand Sister, The White Lady, but I do have one title that is absolute and prominent.  I am Clara of Chains, High Cardinal of the void.” Now Jordan knew.  “You’re a demon…?” He asked feeling terror and horror lapsing through his body.  Every time she looked at him and he got sick it was because he was staring into concentrated evil.  “We don’t necessarily like to be called that, but yes, I am.”  She stuck her tongue out and it was a few inches longer than the normal human.  She dragged her tongue along a portion of Jordan’s sword.  “Get your filthy mouth off of my sword.” Jordan harshly said.  “You’ve killed quite a few people with this sword, a couple a elementalists, a few saraphs.  You’re a very good killer, perfect practice.  Arm yourself.” Clara threw Jordan’s sword at his feet.  Jordan slowly leaned down and picked it up, making sure never to take his eyes off of Clara fearing she’d attack.

“Mind you, I haven’t fought in decades nor am I in good health, so don’t expect my best efforts.” She said.  Jordan pointed his sword at her and forced a threatening smile.  “You talk an awful lot, and I have killed many people, but of them I haven’t killed a demon, and I’m hoping to change that right now.”

            “I was hoping you’d accept my challenge.  I plan on teasing and toying with you for a bit, so don’t get to upset.” Clara licked her lips and then ripped her coat open revealing the image of physical perfection underneath.  She was wearing white bell-bottom pants, a white gold choker, and a white bra that looked like it was lingerie, which was all she wore.  Jordan couldn’t help but stare, nor did he want to inflict any harm upon such a beautiful woman.  Clara began a slow walk towards Jordan; she walked as if she were strolling down a catwalk.  Jordan took a step back and then readied himself for a fight.  He ran forward and swung his sword down at Clara as hard as he could.  The next few seconds amazed Jordan, Clara had raised a single hand and caught Jordan’s sword, with the amount of force behind Jordan’s swing, it should have been impossible.  “How did you do that?…” Jordan murmured.  He tried to pull his sword free but her grip was too tight.  Jordan was now nervous and beginning to panic, this was what a demon was capable of.

            Jordan made an attempt to kick Clara, but she just hopped out of reach, this loosened her grip on Jordan’s sword so he pulled it free and swung horizontally.  Clara ducked and then jumped backwards to avoid any other attacks.  She laughed as Jordan sprinted forward, before he could swing again, she vanished into a cloud of white dust.  Jordan stopped and looked around for her.  “A teleporter?” He said adding another thing to the list that made Clara horrifying.  “Of course, that was the first ability I found out I had.” Clara rested her chin on Jordan’s shoulder and slid her gloved hands along his waist and tucked her fingers into the brim of his pants.  Jordan went to elbow her and hit just another cloud of white mist.  “Damn.” Jordan complained grasping his sword to keep his hands from shaking.  “Calm down, I thought you were strong, I got that impression.”  Clara was several yards in front of him.  Jordan swung his sword and released a red wave into the air; he wished he could have used his crush.  Clara swung her hand and the wave dissipated but it did leave a burn mark on her arm.  She looked at the burn and laughed.  “Ooooh, you got me.” She looked up and Jordan was in her face, he used the second she looked at her arm to attack.  Jordan hit her three times, each hit making a metallic clashing sound.  No blood was drawn; it was like hitting an iron wall with a wooden stick.  Seconds later she teleported several feet back.  “Your crafty, I didn’t expect you’d hit me, and not with those wounds.”  Jordan looked at his shoulder only to have Clara use his own technique against him, she dashed forward and punched his shoulder wound.  Jordan screamed and was silenced when Clara dug her teeth into his neck and tackled him to the ground.  “You taste…  Amazing!” She moaned.  Jordan grunted and kneed her in the stomach and used the momentum he made to throw her off of him.  She spun in the air and grabbed Jordan’s foot.  Once she mounted herself on the ground she threw him into the center of the room, knocking the wind out of him.  This was a fight Jordan had to escape.

            Jordan sat up and felt two holes in his neck, Clara had fangs, she kept getting scarier.  When he saw her again she had a sword in her hand, a katana, like it had just appeared there when he wasn’t looking.  The sheathe of it was hanging from her back just below her waist bouncing on her butt.  “A katana and daishō, interesting choice of weaponry.” Jordan complimented barely being able to stand up.  “I apologize warrior, but you’ve bored me quicker than I expected, before I kill you I would like to know your name.” Clara demanded taking a few steps forward pointing her katana at Jordan.  “My name is unimportant and forgotten, I was once called Jordan, I can’t even recall my last name nor does it matter.  The people who want me dead call me the red wave.” Jordan held his sword as if he were about to block a devastating attack.  “Well Jordan: The Red Wave, this is farewell.  Until next we meet.” Clara raised her sword, the blade leaving a yellow tail as it moved.  Without moving her feet she swung her katana and the half of the room Jordan was standing in exploded into a yellow ball of light.  Jordan was blown off of his feet instantly, but made sure he never let go of his sword.  It was vital to his plan.  He angled himself just right and placed his feet on the hilt of his sword before turning into a red comet and rocketed up the stairs out of the EDGE complex.  Clara walked to the bottom of the stairs and sheathed her katana while she looked up the stairs.  “You show much talent Jordan, I hope to cross blades with you again, when you’re healthy.  I want you when you’re at your best.”

            Jordan limped away from the entrance to the complex, dragging his word behind him like a dogs tail between its legs.  He was calm and relaxed, but angry and defeated at the same time.  “First Clarissa, then that Acriale Captain, and now Clara.”  Jordan clutched his shoulder wound.  “I need more practice.  Clarissa must still die first but Clara, I will face you again, and next time I plan to win.”  Jordan strapped his sword to his back so he didn’t need to drag it.  He looked into the forest, pitch black under the night sky.  “Vergil, I must speak with you.”