Godslayer's Rebirth

Chapter 4: Halo Clan

“Are we ever going to find this temple?” April complained, shielding her eyes from the sun. Her boots sank slightly into the hot sand as she moved forward beside four others. A bow bounced against her back, and two daggers rested by her hips.

“It’s been hours.”

“Then Lex shouldn’t have lost it,” Ryan growled, sweat dripping down his neck as his armor clanked with every step. The desert heat wasn’t kind to metal. He looked ready to stab something preferably Lex.

Lex moved away from Ryan and adjusted the edge of his cloak, trying to keep the dust out of his face. His voice was low, lazy and dry like the wind around them. “It... was stolen.”

“Enough with the blaming. Let’s keep moving,” a calm voice cut through the rising argument. It wasn’t loud, but it stopped everyone instantly. Something in that voice held weight. Command. Power.

Xavier walked a few steps ahead, his cloak barely fluttering in the hot desert wind. His presence alone settled them. There was no question — he was the leader. His calm was the kind that made people follow without hesitation. That came from strength.

They were members of the Halo Clan, a force known throughout the realm — and they were deep in the wastelands, chasing a myth.

Then—

BOOM.

BOOM. BOOM!

A string of distant explosions echoed across the dunes, sending a tremor under their feet. In one motion, everyone froze and reached for their weapons.

“What was that?” April asked, her hand already on a dagger.

No one answered. Even Ryan was quiet.

Xavier stepped forward and closed his eyes, lowering his stance slightly. His breathing slowed.

He pushed his senses outward — a rare technique only a few trained warriors could do well. Through the heated air, he let his energy spread like waves across the sand, feeling for the presence of life, movement, power.

Then his eyes snapped open.

His expression changed — just for a second — but it was enough to make everyone uneasy. He had felt something... wrong.

“There’s something there,” he said quietly. “A Mystic Beast. Its energy... it’s overwhelming. And there’s another presence. Much weaker. Human, I think.” His voice tensed. “We need to leave. Now.”

Without hesitation, he dropped to one knee, placing his palm flat on the sand again to confirm.

Lex reacted instantly. He clapped his hands together — a glowing spell circle appeared mid-air, then a floating book materialized in front of him.

The book opened itself immediately and it appeared glowing faintly in a bright light. With a short whispered chant, a magical dome was immediately created around the group, shining faintly as it cloaked their presence.

With this covering then they were hidden.

“Nice move,” Ryan muttered, patting Lex’s back.

Lex nodded, focused. He wasn’t just a powerful sorcerer; he had a talent for casting the right spell exactly when it mattered.

The moments dragged.

Then finally, Xavier stood up, tension easing from his shoulders. “It’s gone.”

Lex nodded and released the dome. The protective energy shimmered briefly, then vanished into the dry air.

They moved again.

But then—

From a nearby sand hill, a figure tumbled down, sliding uncontrollably down the steep slope. And behind him thousands of poisonous scorpions of different sizes. All racing at him to rip him apart and feed on him

April didn’t wait the moment noticed it, she couldn't let him get killed by those creatures.

“Someone’s in danger!” she shouted, already sprinting.

“Wait...” Lex began. “...And she’s gone.”

He sighed and took off after her knowing she always acted this way. Most of them were not surprised by her behaviour.

The others exchanged a look and followed. The desert wasn't done with them yet.

April reached behind her and pulled out her bow in one smooth motion. With quick precision, she drew three arrows, notching them and drawing the string tight. Her fingers flashed through a quick hand sign — and the arrows shimmered.

Three became six. Six became twelve. Then twenty-four. In seconds, the air filled with a storm of enchanted arrows — over a hundred, each glowing faintly before bursting into flames.

They struck the rushing scorpions dead-on.

Each hit was followed by a burst of fire and small explosions, lighting up the desert like a festival of war.

Despite all the attacks it wasn’t enough to take down all. The creatures weren’t strong individually, but they swarmed like a tide — endless, crawling over one another without fear only with one goal to feed on their target

Still, her assault carved a path through the chaos.

April sprinted forward, feet barely touching the ground, straight toward the collapsed figure at the center of it all.

Her eyes narrowed. A glowing liquid-like energy surrounded the boy, bluish and pulsing. It moved like water but crackled like lightning — reacting violently to every nearby threat. Each scorpion that got too close was struck by arcs of raw magic and reduced to ash.

She slowed as she approached. Charging in blind would’ve been suicide.

April extended her hand cautiously.

The energy shifted. Instead of attacking her, it opened up a narrow, safe path for her to pass.

She breathed out with relief and stepped through, dropping down to her knees beside the boy.

He was barely conscious, his skin scraped and bloodied. She turned him over gently and pressed her hand against his chest. Her palm glowed with white light — soft healing magic. Slowly, the cuts began to close, and his breathing steadied.

But the strain hit her hard.

April gritted her teeth. Her hands shook. She wasn’t strong enough to keep it up for long — not alone. Not yet.

---

Meanwhile, the others weren’t idle.

Larger scorpions burst up from underground, their black shells gleaming, mandibles snapping — but Xavier stood in their path.

Without a word, he opened his mouth — and breathed fire.

A searing wave of flames poured from his lips, incinerating everything it touched. Scorched bodies curled and collapsed into the sand. Still, more kept coming.

“I seriously have to waste my magic on this?” muttered, eyes flicking to April in the distance. “April, I won’t forgive you for this.”

But his hands were already weaving spells, fast and sharp.

A black void ripped open beneath a swarm of creatures, pulling them into the darkness with a horrible sucking sound. Behind him, a vortex spun violently, dragging scorpions backward into a swirling wall of oblivion.

Ryan, meanwhile, drew his blade — short, silver, deceptively simple.

He swung once.

The strike unleashed a wave of force that cut through dozens at once, sending pieces flying through the air. Each swing sent shockwaves through the sand, slicing through wave after wave until the field was littered with broken bodies and burning flesh.

At last, it was over.

The sand was stained dark with blood and scorched carcasses. The air smelled of sulfur and ash.

The three regrouped around April.

She finally pulled her hand back from the boy’s chest, breath ragged. Her knees buckled, and Ryan caught her just in time.

“You good?” he asked, steadying her.

She gave a weak nod, then looked down at the boy. His breathing had stabilized, but he was still unconscious and the strange blue energy around him was now completely gone.

Ryan glanced at the boy’s face.

“Do you know him?”

Xavier stood over the unconscious boy, arms crossed, his calm gaze steady. The others gathered behind him, equally puzzled.

“Do you know him?” he asked, voice quiet but firm.

“Nope,” April said casually, brushing sand off her arms.

Everyone froze. It almost felt like they’d misheard her.

“No?” Ryan repeated, louder. “As in—you don’t know the guy?”

He stepped forward, his tone rising. “And you let us risk our lives for someone you don’t even know?!”

April narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know him, but he was about to get torn apart. What, you think we should’ve just watched him die?” She stared Ryan down, unflinching.

Ryan looked ready to yell, but he got interrupted by Lex's action.

Pa! Lex facepalmed dramatically, his palm smacking his forehead as he sighed.

His expression was the definition of lazy disappointment.

“Relax, Ryan,” Lex said dryly. “The real tragedy here is that I wasted a huge chunk of magical energy. But hey on the bright side we saved a life.”

Xavier’s lips twitched. Just a little.

‘Isn’t the most important thing supposed to be that we saved a life?’ he thought, amused.

Still, his voice remained thoughtful as he looked back at the boy. “Let’s just hope we didn’t save someone we’ll have to kill later.”

He took a step closer. “But... why hasn’t he woken up yet?”

April moved beside him to check the boy again. She leaned in, brushing sand from his face, when suddenly

Huuuhaaa!

The boy inhaled sharply and sat up like lightning had jolted through him.

His eyes shot open.

[GOD'S EYE ACTIVATED]

A golden glow spread across his irises like a sun and a line divided it.

Everyone took a step back instinctively.

April froze. “His eyes...”