Written by: Epicstu Wyyvernwriter

Fynrir waited as he kept his scope on Aleister. “Here she comes,” Magnus informed Fynrir as Reality shifted and something like a meteor hit the earth between Edward and Aleister, sending them flying back in opposite directions.
“Now!” Fynrir exclaimed as Magnus became massive and loaded Fynrir into his chamber. “Fire!”

* *
Aleister got up and shook his head, hoping it would get rid of the ringing in his ears. One of his ears twitched as it heard the click of a trigger just before the firing of a bullet. He hovered back quickly and Strife landed where he had been. The debris cleared revealing the Wyyvern Knight of Strife in the center of a massive crater. Aleister dropped down into the crater still floating a few inches off the ground, “Hold!” Aleister requested. “Before we fight, I have some questions.”
Magnus became a large revolver handgun and Fynrir aimed him at Aleister, “I have a question. Why shouldn’t I just shoot you and be done with it?”
“Because you know the reason why what I am doing must be done,” Aleister replied.
“Yeah, and what’s that?” Fynrir questioned.
“The Four Horsemen cannot defeat the Committer of 700 Deadly Sins,” Aleister answered. “You know this to be true or you would have ended him all those years ago. Instead, you trapped him within Hell and now he is going to come back. If I do not do this he will.”
Fynrir kept Magnus aimed at Aleister, “and what exactly is going to stop the Deceiver from just taking them from you?”
“I’m currently working that out,” Aleister replied. “First I need to know more about the Nekolich and the Deceiver. Who are they? Why is the Deceiver weak to the Nekolich?”
“Not much is known about the Deceiver, however, the Nekolich is exactly what he sounds like,” Fynrir began reluctantly, “a living dead who is able to resurrect the dead. In fact, anything he creates without Epic is undead as well. This is why he forges all Wyyvern weapons himself, separated from Epic. Why the Deceiver can never defeat him. Why he Wyyvern forged Edward Dimir the same way he forges Wyyvern weapons. Only the dead can harm the Committer of 700 Deadly Sins.”
“Interesting,” Aleister replied, “and how does this Nekolich forge these Wyyvern weapons?”

* *
Edward swung Zesrial to and fro, effortlessly cutting his way through the rainforest like oasis they had landed in. “Let me get this straight. This Empress Rex was forged the same way we were?”
“Yes,” Zesrial replied, “she is a Wyyvern weapon that can eat other Wyyvern weapons. She was supposed to be your personal mount, but Victor must have sent her here to kill you for having gone rogue and siding with Aleister.”
Edward stopped and leaned against the trunk of a large tree to think. This was all happening so fast and he needed a moment. “For a Fennec Fox of the Northlands to have a feral companion, tradition states that that Fennec must hunt down and win the loyalty of one in the wild. I have dreamed of this ever since I was a pup. I wished for little else but was too caught up in the war to go through with it.” Then he froze, eyes widened. “Zesrial, this tree is moving.” He could feel the tree he leaned on slowly lift up off the ground.
“This is not a tree,” Zesrial replied. Edward stumbled forward as the Empress Rex pushed him off. He turned to face her and the ground shook, pushing him back further, as she emerged from the brush and bellowed a mighty roar at him. “Wish granted, now run!”
Edward stared back at the Empress Rex and smiled. He wanted this. “You want me? Come get me,” he said before turning and running through the flourishing oasis.
* *
“A willing and dead individual’s soul trapped within its own tears and the blood of a Wyyvern,” Fynrir explained. “These are the two requirements for a Wyyvern weapon to be forged. Only a Lich Lord can perform the ritual and only the Nekolich knows the location of the only Wyyvern forge in existence. All Wyyvern weapons are his children and he will come for them.”
“I’m counting on it,” Aleister interrupted. He smiled, “ but first, I hear you’re the fastest draw in the multiverse. Is this true?”
“I am,” Fynrir replied. “Are you proposing a draw, Fennec?”
“I once traveled my homeworld, challenging the fastest draws in the Lands to claim the title for myself. I dreamed of little else at the time,” Aleister replied. “I’d consider it an honor just to challenge you, no matter the result .” He unsheathed his Wyyvern weapons and set them on the ground one at a time. Then he pulled out a seven shot revolver. “No wyverns this time. Just me and my father’s gun against the Wyyvern knight of Strife. Winner becomes the Wyyvern knight of the Apocalypse.”
“I accept your challenge,” Fynrir replied.
* *
The Empress Rex pursued Edward Dimir until she came to the edge of the forest. At the other end of a large dried out canyon, she could see Edward staring back at her. “Stay out of this,” he said to Zesrial as he gently balanced her on the tip of her blade and stepped forward. “I’ll handle her.”
Zesrial took her angelic form and summoned her mace and tower shield. “No way,” she replied. “She belongs to both of us, I’m helping.” Edward had forgotten how beautiful Zesrial was and became lost, staring at her. Suddenly she disappeared on a bolt of her lightning and came back down in front of him as the Empress Rex closed in. “Get your head in the fight,” she urged as she blocked the Empress’s charge with her tower shield.
Edward refocused. Zesrial was right, he could admire her later. “Right,” he said as Zesrial moved out of his way. He gave the Empress a headbutt, causing her to back up. The Empress swung her tail around and Edward ducked to avoid it. She came back around and chopped down where Edward stood only to have her jaw caught by six-inch retractable claws and held open. She growled in irritation. Zesrial rammed her shield into the Empress’s side, causing her to fall over. Edward clamped her mouth shut and spun her around a few times before throwing her. The Empress landed on her feet but was met with the business end of Zesrial’s mace and then Edward’s fist. She grabbed Zesrial’s shield in her mouth and through it, and Zesrial, at Edward. Edward jumped out of the way and readied his scarf as the Empress rushed towards him. As she bit down Edward jumped up, whipping his scarf around and into her mouth. She bit down hard but could not bite through it. Edward landed on her back and pulled both ends of his scarf, rearing the Empress back.
* *
Aleister and Fynrir faced away from each other. The art of the draw was something they had in common. All was silent to them but each other’s heartbeat and breathing. Their weapons holstered they both waited for the other to make the first move. Fynrir had Magnus to help him but Aleister believed he could beat him on his own. They turned and drew their firearms with lightning speed and both their bullets left their chambers at the same time. Aleister could almost see Fynrir’s bullet come towards his head. This is what Aleister wanted. With quick reflexes he dodged his head to the side, avoiding the bullet completely as his bullet impacted Strife’s chest. Fynrir dropped Magnus and fell to his knees as a mighty roar sounded in the distance. “Sounds like the Wyvern eater has eaten your brother,” Strife coughed, laughing.
“No,” Aleister replied. “That is the sound of my brother’s dream being realized as mine has.” He smiled, “he will gain the monster’s loyalty. Of this, I have no doubt.”
“The Nekolich will come for you both,” Fynrir said with his final breath.
Aleister held out his hands and the four Wyvern weapons of the Apocalypse came to him. “Good, that pussy owes my brother and I a fight.”