The Art of Magic

'Ah...'

'I wonder when it was my fate was sealed.'

Heh... Never thought that my death would be this miserable.'

Can't complain I guess...'

She thought as she lay on the cold desert sands at night. She watched herself bleed out, smirking towards the enemies that surround her.

Away from any help, no rescue in sight. A lone shadow standing tall against the barrels with a metallic gleam of death. Her wounds that make death's grip even tighter. Her bloodied clothes and shivering body lay on the cold sands.

Although they have her at their mercy, they still didn't deal the finishing blow. They stood still as if waiting for something.

The Desert sands were slowly being dyed red, from the blood that flowed from the corpses that surrounded them, and her own blood of course.

The entire area was silent, her enemies stood still, observing her every movement, every muscle that twitched even for a fraction of a second, they would fire at a moment's notice.

Not because of the weapon she wields, but because of how many of their comrades she has killed with her bare hands. Not even for a second they would let their guard down.

"Nex, you don't have to die. Just tell us where it is, And I promise you...

I would convince him to give you a position  high enough to own even multiple planets."

The silence was finally broken by the man who was standing behind all the armed soldiers.

He wore a different kind of Armor. It looked highly advanced, even for this age. He was covered in alloy, and the edges of the armor glowed in yellow. It showed the difference between him and the others, the status he carried with him. His blonde hair swayed along with the cold desert winds.

He looked at Nex with an expression of pity, "C'mon. Surely you have something that you desire? Tell me. It could all be solved, Money? Power? Status?"

He approached her, as she lay covered in her own blood. He squatted a few inches away from her body and peered directly into her beautiful face. Even if she looked exhausted her beauty is still breath taking.

Her Raven colored hair that extended until her shoulders, Her purple colored eyes that reflected the abyss. Her well featured face was illuminated by the pale moonlight. Even as her entire being was dyed with both blood and dirt, she still flashed him a mirthless smile.

She closed her eyes, sighed, and opened it. She finally spoke, *Cough!* "Fine...I know where it is Alex..."

The expression of the man beamed with joy as he spoke with glee, "Finally! Do tell where it is, and I promise you, you won't go unrewarded!

But to be perfectly honest, None of this would have happened if you just cooperated with us. No one had to die..."

Nex moved her hand towards her pocket, the soldiers around them immediately primed their rifles. A whirring sound echoed throughout the dead night.

Their leader named Alex raised his hand to stop his men. He waited for Nex to rummage her pockets. His eyes followed the movements of her hand.

When Nex finally brought out her hand she just gave him the middle finger and chuckled, "You can go fuck yourself."

Alex's excited expression quickly morphed into one of anger. Then a resounding slap followed. His arms carried his anger and swatted away at her face.

"I'm fucking losing my patience with you, Bounty Hunter. Where is the goddamn weapon!?"

Nex just gave him a smile and spat out blood on his cheek. He sighed and brought out a handkerchief to wipe away the spit and blood.

He signalled two of his men to lift her up and carry her away. They held her by the hands, lifted her up at waist height.

Alex held her by the cheeks, "Why won't you cooperate? Who do you think you are? You're nothing more than a failure!"

He bellowed towards her as he pointed towards the logo on his shoulder that read 'Magitech', "Without us, you would be nothing!"

Her eyes were covered by her hair, but beneath the gaps of her bangs she was glaring at Alex.

"You are standing on the wrong side of this war! You of all people should know, what we could do with that weapon. This is the Era of Change, Nex! I beckon you to choose wisely on which side you're on."

Yet Nex didn't even answer him, she just glared at him.

"I've dealt with your kind before, I know what makes you tick. Eventually even the most principled man in your line of work would kneel in front of the things he wants the most, Because in the end desire comes out on top, no matter the consequences.

That's how you people work, to you... ideology is nothing but comfort food for the weak."

He let go of her face and walked away, "I'm sure back at base I could make you talk, after all we have plenty of means on how..."

He motioned his men to drag her across the desert. Nex on the other hand laughed, "For a man well decorated enough to wear that kind of super suit, you sure know how to treat a lady."

Alex chuckled but he didn't look behind him, "Well, I have my moments."

As they marched across the unforgiving sands, their shadows extended towards the horizon as the moon beamed it's light towards them. A gravely voice suddenly spoke to Nex.

[ Are your really going to let them talk to you like that? Do you really want to die in this shit hole of a planet? Do you really want them to take it all away?

Well, considering that the only thing left is your barely breathing soon to be corpse body anyway...]

She looked around but it seemed that no one but her could hear the sound. She thought to herself, 'Who are you? What do you want from me?'

The voice chuckled, [ Who am I? Well... let's just say I'm God; Your God... Least, the only God that's listening right now.

What do I want? Heh, same as any God; A little faith... And a soul, for without it I am nothing.

And without me... you're fucked.]

Suddenly an almost transparent looking eel covered in black scales, came out of her shadow. It had multiple glowing orange eyes that littered its head. Razor sharp teeth that extended outside its mouth. It's spine had spikes coming out of it. It twirled around her then, finally stopping in front of her face.

It whispered to her in it's gravely voice, [You don't have to die...

I can help you; I can heal your wounds. I can save you, and if you show me some faith, if you trust me, if you bind your soul to me...

I can give you unimaginable power!]

Nex stared straight at the creepy eel she smirked, 'Do I have a choice?'

The eel laughed, [No...]

She showed a manic smile towards it, 'What the fuck are you waiting for?'

[Hahahahahaha!!!]

It gave a hearty laugh then it shot straight towards her heart. Wrapping it, covering it in shadow. She howled in pain, which garnered the states of everyone. Countless black tendrils that turned into shadow like chains wrapped around her body. She felt searing pain all over. She could barely breathe, her eyes turned a shade darker. A terrifying shade of purple. The color of The Void itself.

The soldiers ignored her plight as they continued walking towards their ship. Her body constitution was slowly being changed to suit it's needs.

[Aw, quit whining. Did I say it was going to be fun? You're gonna have to learn to love the pain.

Because trust me, there's a lot more of it to come.]

After the throbbing pain disappeared a strange mark appeared on her right arm. Two overlapping circles That had tiny words inscribed inside them. Endlessly Rotating as it pulsated with unimaginable power.

Her wounds slowly healed, Her pale face slowly regained it's vigor.

[Oh! And here's a little bonus...]

Information was transferred into her brain. Countless images and loud chants ring beside her ears. flicker in and out of her mind. It seems that it, taught her some form of magic. Her palms glowed a deep shade of purple and a magic circle beneath her feet suddenly appeared.

She dug her foot into the sand to halt her captors movements and she slammed her palms on their chest. Exploding them from the waist up.

Alex turned around only to be greeted by a horrific sight.

"What the fuck?"

He stared at Nex who had her hands covered in a purple glow which looked like sharp claws. He laughed heartily, "Of course! It's on you all along!"

Nex smiled at him, "It's payback time..."

She dashed towards her opponents direction smiling in glee as she hacked them apart. She reveled in the bloodshed. Every drop was savored with a manic smile.

This was the power bestowed to her by one of the strongest weapons in all of creation. The Art of Magic.

Thus began, Her path towards Power. The Beginning of the End. Will she ignite the spark of hope, or will she stomp on it's embers for good?

But before she does this...we must first know, how she came here. We must delve and go back a few weeks into the past for us to truly understand her.

The Woman named Nex.