"Witchers, cast your strongest spells! Today Igris falls!"
The blonde-haired man's voice cut through the air like a blade. His name was Liam, and he stood tall in his battle armor, one hand resting on the long sword at his side. The metal plates caught the dying sunlight, making him look like a golden warrior ready for war.
Behind him, twenty men in dark robes raised their hands toward the sky. Their voices joined together in a low chant, weaving magic that made the air itself tremble. Each spell was meant to destroy the enemy standing before them.
"Ryker, you're the chosen one. You're the only person who can kill that monster." Liam turned to the brown-haired man beside him.
Ryker nodded, but his dark eyes showed worry. He was handsome in a quiet way, the kind of person who thought before he spoke. "I know what I have to do. But look at his army." He pointed ahead. "All those cult followers, and don't forget - I'm not the only one with a God's blessing."
In front of them stood a sea of people dressed in black robes. Each one held a weapon - swords, daggers, staffs crackling with dark energy. They looked like shadows come to life, ready to swallow everything in their path.
At the very back of the black army stood one man who made the others look small. His white hair moved in the wind like silver flames. His red eyes burned as he stared across the battlefield at Ryker's group. This was Igris.
"Igris..." Ryker's voice was barely a whisper. His throat felt tight as memories flooded back. "How did we end up here? How did everything go so wrong?"
"He worships Hel, the goddess of death. That's reason enough to kill him." Liam's hand moved to his sword handle. His face twisted with old anger, old pain that had never healed.
"He's been trouble since day one at the academy. Always causing problems, always different from the rest of us." Liam's voice got louder, his face turning red. "He should never have been given a chance!"
Suddenly, Igris stepped forward. He walked slowly through his own army until he stood at the front. The cult members moved aside like water, never taking their eyes off their enemies.
"Hey there, guys." Igris raised one hand in a casual wave. While everyone else looked ready for war, he seemed relaxed, almost bored. A small smile played on his lips.
"You bastard!" Liam's voice cracked with rage. "How dare you act friendly with us! You're a murderer!"
Igris paused, then let out a low chuckle. Ryker shook his head and looked away.
"You're still angry about Marcy? Come on, that was back in third year." Igris shrugged as if they were talking about the weather. "Ancient history."
Liam's whole body shook with anger. Ryker's hands slowly closed into fists.
"Igris, you shouldn't talk about her like that." Ryker's voice was quiet but firm. "She meant something to all of us."
Igris looked at Ryker for a long moment, then turned away as if he hadn't heard anything.
"You know why I never liked you, Ryker?" Igris's voice got sharper. "You act like you're some perfect hero, but you're actually a lying bastard!"
Ryker said nothing. He just stared at the ground, his jaw tight.
"At least you know what you are." Igris's calm mask was slipping away. "I followed you because I thought you'd keep her safe. But what did you do? You killed her right in front of me!"
With each word, Ryker's fists got tighter. The memories came flooding back - Marcy's frightened face, the sound of steel cutting through flesh, the way she'd looked at him with her dying breath.
"And when I showed the world just a taste of how I felt, suddenly I'm the villain. The final boss. All because I accepted help from a 'demonic' being." Igris stressed the word 'demonic' like it was a joke.
"Igris, listen to me." Ryker finally looked up, his eyes full of pain and determination. "No matter what happened, you're still part of our team. You're still our friend. But you're not thinking clearly right now. I'm going to bring you back, even if I have to fight you to do it."
Igris stared at him for a long moment. Then he smiled and threw a small knife forward. It landed in the dirt between them.
In the next second, Igris vanished.
"Let's see if you can forgive me after this." His voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.
Ryker spun around and saw Igris holding a red-haired girl. She was young, maybe seventeen, with kind eyes that were now wide with terror.
"Laura!" Ryker's scream tore through the air.
Before anyone could move, before anyone could breathe, Igris drew his blade across the girl's throat. Blood sprayed across the ground like red rain. Laura's body fell with a soft thud.
"Laura!" Ryker ran forward, but Igris was already gone again. He appeared behind his army, a small bloody knife in his hand.
"Raijin step," someone from Ryker's group whispered in awe and fear. It was a technique only masters of lightning magic could use.
"Igris!" Ryker's voice was no longer human. It was the sound of a wounded animal, full of rage and heartbreak.
He gently placed Laura's body on the ground, his hands shaking. When he stood up, his eyes had changed. They burned with a light that made everyone step back.
Ryker drew his sword and charged forward. His army followed without a word. Steel crashed against steel as the two forces met in the middle of the battlefield.
The greatest battle in the history of Halo began that day. Magic flew through the air like deadly birds. Men fell on both sides, their blood mixing in the dirt. But in the end, as most people expected, light won over darkness.
Hours later, the battlefield was quiet except for the sound of heavy breathing.
"Ha... ha... ha..." Igris lay on the ground, a massive hole in his stomach. Blood covered his face, but he was still smiling. "Ryker, I told you that when I took back what was mine, you'd become a monster. Look at yourself now."
Ryker stood over him, swaying slightly. His own clothes were torn and bloody, but he was still alive. His eyes had turned completely white, like two moons in his skull.
"I guess I'll go see Laura now..." Igris whispered.
Ryker's sword came down in one quick motion, cutting across Igris's neck. The light in those red eyes slowly faded away, like a candle going out.
Silence.
Then, from somewhere far away, a voice called out.
"I...g...s"
"Ig...r...s"
"Igris!"
The voice was soft and feminine, full of worry.
Igris opened his eyes. Instead of the bloody battlefield, he saw a silver-haired girl staring down at him with large, concerned eyes. She was young and beautiful, with the kind of face that made people want to protect her.
"Maya?" Igris sat up, confusion replacing the pain. His sister was here, alive and safe. "Maya, is that really you?"