The Legend Of Black Eyes

'Fragment Bearers are powerful because they manipulate the energy that defines existence. Primordials, their benefactors, they're the ones that make our worlds what they are today. 

Time, for instance, affects everything around it. Fire, and even Wind, the most unstable element that ever existed, has to obey the laws of time and space. 

Fire cannot exist without emitting light, nor can it be recognized unless there was darkness around. You see, the Primordials exist all around us. Every second you breathe, it's because Aella had provided you with all the elements that make life possible. 

When you die, Qil'Al decides where your fragmented soul goes. Do these powers exist because we've allowed them to? Or did they exist before we even knew what life was? There are too many questions you could ask in order to understand all this mess. 

I'll tell you this though. No matter how much you think about it; No matter how many angles you look at things from; you will still have unanswered questions, dear pupil. Understand that the Primordial's powers go beyond anything you could imagine. Understand that, without a Fragment, you have to be alert at all times. 

During the Holi Wars, you will make many enemies. You will find yourself in desperate situations. You will be tested beyond your limits. You have no extraordinary powers to speak of. All you have is your mind, and the knowledge you've accumulated during your training. 

You have many resources to use, but can they match what a Champion can do? Probably. It will all depend on your intelligence, and later, your experience.' Omega's words resonated in my head as Mother Earth's energy soared through me.

With the new sight Mother Earth had bestowed upon me, the possibilities of what I could do were endless. Her energy ran through my conduits, soothing, empowering every part of my body and mind. 

I was a completely different person now. I looked at the approaching automata with renewed purpose. I previously had to anticipate their incoming blows and think of a counter attack. Now I could see many scenarios that would ultimately culminate in Rimbaldi's complete and utter defeat. 

Two machines landed before me then. Dust particles flew all around them. I raised my hands toward them and willed the dust particles to form around the metal plates that coated their gigantic legs. Then they got in between the gaps of each plate. 

It is difficult to explain what I felt at that moment, but I will do my best to convey it in words. It felt as though I had many eyes, scattered all around the warehouse and inside the machines' legs. They weren't eyes though. It felt as though thousands of images were conveyed to me at once. 

It wasn't dizzying, however. I knew what happened all around me, and I could see ways to deal with each situation that presented itself before me. It felt as though I existed in many places at once. 

I directed my energy toward the earth beneath the automata that surrounded the two champions. I made the earth crack, and the machine that was trying to pierce Sylens faltered. Sylens got away from the sword and ran for Friede. He created a time shield and urged her to retreat. 

That's when I left them to fend for themselves and came back to my own reality. All this happened as the machines made one step toward me. It wasn't like I could freeze time. I just could exist at different places at once, and affect the environment around me effortlessly. 

I felt powerful, more powerful than I'd ever been, even when I could control the Time Fragment. 

I willed the particles of dust to envelop the wires that powered Rimbaldi's machines. They coated them, creating a thick layer of dirt around each one. The machines were still functioning at that moment. I saw them, with my own eye, directing their crossbows at me. They held their swords high and prepared to finish me in one go. 

"What are you doing?" I heard Heda scream to me. It felt like a distant voice, calling to me from another world. 

I focused on the particles I placed around the automata's wires, then I willed them to scatter in an explosive manner. They shot out in all direction. I heard a faint explosion inside the machines' legs, then I saw them fall down. Smoke rose from the machines' joints, and streaks of lightning began buzzing all around them. 

I jumped back and pulled Heda away with me. We got to a safe distance right as the machines exploded, sending debris flying all around them. The other automata that were flying toward me got hit by the debris and fell backwards. Some of them didn't get back up, others buzzed then took to the air.

"A magic user, are we?" I heard Rimbaldi's shrill voice echo around us. "Let's see you deal with this!"  .

I saw a silver automata zoom toward me. This one wasn't using any steam power to fly. It didn't even have crude poles protruding from its back. Its torso was a giant slab of silver. Its head was sphere shaped. 

There were no cracks through which dust could settle. The machine didn't even have humanoid features, just the general shape of the body. Its head was a silver sphere, devoid of all human features, no cavity for a mouth, no orbs for eyes. It sensed our presence. I knew it the moment it landed before us. 

"This is something else…" Heda whispered. "I don't see a single weakness." 

"Look closer," I retorted. "Use your senses, you'll understand." 

Heda scoffed. "I know it has a sphere that powers it, but how will you reach it?" 

"I'll melt the damn thing if I have to," I replied through gritted teeth. "Rimbaldi's evaded us long enough. If this is the best he could do, then victory is closer than we thought." 

I shot my hands toward the machine and drew an eight pointed star in the air. Stars, depending on the heads one uses, give different effects. Add to each shape you draw a circle, and you can direct the effects to the limits of your own mind, or energy. 

However, I had Mother Earth's blessing now. I didn't need to worry about energy costs. I left the star as it was and pushed it toward the floor beneath the machine's feet. The ground immediately rumbled. Then the hard floor crumbled and slowly turned to fine particles, much like sand. 

I willed it to turn and churn. The machine tried to jump to avoid the quicksand I'd just created, but the energy Mother Earth provided me was far stronger than the automaton's. Despite the gigantic sphere of neutral energy Rimbaldi had embedded into the machine's torso, it still couldn't compare to the earth element. 

As the machine sank, it tried to shoot fireballs at us. Heda was able to predict each one and its trajectory, however. Dodging them was child play. The machine's lower body soon sank deep underground. I willed the energy manipulating the small particles to stop, and the door began hardening again. 

I ran toward the machine and, willing dust particles to form around my arm and coat it in hard clay, I proceeded to wrenching the automaton's arms from their joints. I threw each of them to one side then ripped the machine's head from its round shoulders. 

"What are you doing?" I heard Rimbaldi screaming. He sounded terrified, hysteric. 

My lips pursed into a victorious grin. "We never intended to destroy your lab Rimbaldi. You were the one who started all this." I began pounding at the silver machine's ċhėst. 

"Stop! Please…" I heard Rimbaldi whimper. "I'll give you the damned treasure. "Just stop hitting my beautiful baby!" 

I turned to look at Heda, and she shook her head.

"You're lying through your teeth, madman!" I hit the automaton's ċhėst once more, and its body bent backwards. It hit the floor then bounced back at me. I hit it once more, and it hit the ground. I heard a metallic pang, and recognized it as the sound of metal bending. 

"Okay! Okay! I'll come out to you now, please stop hitting my Cerberus!" Rimbaldi said in a shrill voice and a begging tone.

I willed more dust particles to coat my arms and body. Soon, I reverted to the golem form. I was twice the size of the automaton. I clutched my hands around it, completely covering the torso. Then I looked up. "No more dirty tricks, and order your machines to stop ȧssaulting my friends." 

"All right, just… please don't hurt him," Rimbaldi replied. 

"You come out with your hands above your head. If you as much think of trying anything, I'll destroy this lab of yours and make your life a living hell. Do I make myself clear, madman?" I said. 

Rimaldi's automata, those who hovered above Heda and me, and those that were ȧssaulting Friede and the newly recovered Sylens, stopped. They flew to a corner of the warehouse and stood in a perfect line, motionless. 

"I'm coming out now. Please don't hurt Cerberus!"