Abner charged through the familiar training ground, his sword staff lion's fury in hand, a smile plastered on his face as his eyes darted to every direction.
The training ground was scarred and ripped out thanks to this exercise, trees shattered and stone fractured in the wake of their strikes.
He and his opponent had been fighting for so long, the sun had almost fully set.
The golden hour's light dying the thick forest in a golden light.
Knowing his opponent could strike at any moment and from anywhere.
And soon He came rocketing towards the prepared Abner, spear held aloft and the image of a mighty serpent blanketed over his form.
His crimson lenses shining in the sun's dying rays, His smile warm despite his mouth's contents.
'He has gotten even faster.'
The Herald of Justice thought to himself as he prepared his counter attack, Lions Fury slashed downwards right where his brother's form lay.
Spear and sword staff clashed, Abner retracted his weapon and then leaped towards his opponent.
Only for his brother to dodge, and to counter attack which was similarly rebuffed.
Glims of holy power were created and then classed, their weapons danced, and the serpents that surrounded them acted as the audience.
And then in an impromptu finale the two traded blows, which ended up causing a ground shaking eruption of holy power.
The two were left out winded, both powerlessly laying on the ground.
It was here that someone spoke during this battle, the first to speak was Abner.
"So you are going to get up and finally break this three year old tie, right brother?"
Only for Adder to laugh maniacally, him being unable to lift a finger let alone pick himself up and then grab his spear that laid a few feet away from him.
Abner only grew frustrated and started to complain to the world and the one who insisted on the two having yet another training duel.
"A tie!"
"Who in the realm could have seen this coming?"
The lion said with rarely heard snark, his serpentine brother laughing the whole while.
"What is this? The two hundredth time we've had a five hour long duel just for all of this to end in a tie?!"
Adder somehow found the strength to lift his arm to the sky, and spoke sternly with serenity.
"This is the two hundred and thirty first, day long duel that has ended with a tie."
He said before his arm crashed down powerlessly, his laughter returning but lacking the spirit of before.
Most likely due to the arrival of the grandfather of the two, who strode towards them in an aged yet staunch way.
Who with cane in hand, spoke without fear of his grandsons' retribution.
"Children are always quick to complain, have you not heard of Iron sharpens Iron?"
The indignant Lion, somehow found the strength to raise his head to face the oldest of their family.
"We've been sharpened enough in my opinion, like seriously do you feel any stronger?"
'No, both of you are not sharp enough.'
Erdush kept that thought to himself, after almost four years of training the two heralds had reached the limits of what could be achieved through regular training.
Erdush knew of what they had to face as heralds, and while they now stood head and shoulder above most, that was not going to be enough.
'Not against THEM.'
Erdush returned his attention to Abner as he started to pick up Lion's fury, whose divine power rolled within him like a mighty ocean.
Which perfectly fit his fighting style of powerful and wide attacks, his divine power seemingly bottomless like the mighty oceans.
Abner turned over to his brother, who had become quiet after their grandfather had walked in on their complaining.
As he did a violent rumble shook the land the three were standing on, Abner and Erdush having experienced many times before only sighed as the Hydra grew indignant at their exasperation.
"What!"
The Serpent King was very different to his leonine brother in many ways, just like they were before they both were human.
While Abner was a bottomless ocean, Adder was an endlessly branching river.
One could foolishly make the mistake that this meant that Adder was weaker than his brother.
This is wrong, while true Adder could never wield a similar amount of divine power like Abner, the serpent king had a much greater control of his divine power.
This was easily shown by how the two brothers used the glim vigil art.
While Adder could easily create hundreds of glims, allowing for him to pull off any number of vigils while masterfully using as little divine power as he could.
Abner could only create ten, which while still powerful was not the point of this holy art.
The ocean can shatter a ship of any size, but it can not pierce a mountain.
But a river could, though with an endless reputation, dig through the mountain's unshakable stone.
And of course this was ignoring Adder's and Abner's biggest difference, magic.
Adder having both magic and divine power, is in truth a rare gift that few in all of known history have truly existed.
This allowed him even more room and options when fighting, which would undoubtedly grow when Adder was able to seriously study magic.
For as great as the fury's were, they used their venomous mana as an auxiliary for their mighty weapon arts.
Erdush couldnt help but feel adoration for Adder's less obvious gift.
The first that came to mind that also held this great gift were the great twelve sages that helped Sardoll fend humanity from the seraphim and establish the holy Kingdom of Salem along with being the name sakes of the twelve months of the year.
But after that? Nothing, with many believing that there are already few children born with that great blessing of having both, are culled by those false angels.
'Even more of a reason for the two to continue training.'
Erdush thought, with his eyes burning with fear and obligation, Adder noticed his grandfather's gaze and took it as a slight.
"I'm sorry but we have been fighting for nine hours straight, I'm starving and I want lamb!"
"It's not my fault that neither of you two don't have a healthy appetite."
The Hydra hissed before catching the scent of freshly cooked boar and lamb, and with a new found strength got to his feet and with a speed rarely seen, burst forth towards the source of that heavenly scent.
Abner and Erdush were left behind, both feeling that if Adder used speed against Abner the battle would have ended very differently.
…
Erdush walked into the cabin with Abner not being far behind.
Adder was already gorging himself on the freshly cooked mutton, his glasses sitting near him with them being on the table right next to his quickly emptying plate.
Abner took the seat next to his serpentine brother, pulling his brother closer as they started to whisper amongst themselves.
Erdush seeing his two grandsons acting as they had when the two brothers first met, the old man couldn't help but think about how much has changed since then.
It had been about three and a half years since Adder's outburst, and as it always did with time there came many changes for two children.
The two brothers having grown into young men, them seemingly taking the forms of the legendary figures they were always meant to be more and more seemingly by the hour.
Both had grown taller than Erdush and Nira, with both of them standing at six foot six inches tall.
But that was where the similarities between the two ended, Abner had grown into the image of the holy king Saladar.
With a wide build packed with muscle, a chiseled face, topped with a wavy mane of golden hair.
Sapphire blue eyes that held endless depth, and a calm temperament to match.
Truly the form of the young man destined to be King of Salem, one who seemingly glowed with nobility.
Edush turned away from the lion, and instead took a glance at the snake.
For Adder, things were very different, sure he had the size and an incredibly well trained physique.
Yet when paired with the Serpent King's slimmer build led to Adder seeming weaker than his brother.
Paired with Adder's serpentine face and his sibilant way of speaking, made their title of serpent king match all too well.
But there was a pure honesty that radiated from the young man, how he spoke from the heart and when he looked at you eye to eye you innately wanted to be honest too.
Of course that was after you got to know him, for others the crimson lensed glasses and with a smile that can only described as cunning, served as nothing but a warning for most.
It was not the best first impression for anyone wishing to meet someone new, which would only become worse when they would notice Adder's fangs and the fact that behind his bright red glasses lay only more crimson.
But Adder was thankfully a natural when it came to understanding the feelings of others, the boy having a concerning acceptance of the fearful masses.
Erdush couldn't help but think about when the young man told him and his mother about his life before them, that was just over a year ago and Erdush still remembered how both he and the younger serpent king had to stop Nira from putting a torch to the entire country.
Speaking of the mother of Adder, who was speaking to Adder about not wanting her son to choke.
She had by her own words regained her past strength from when she was in her prime.
And having even surpassed it thanks to the new abilities she had gained from being the fury of the serpent king.
One was access to the Basilisk's Arsenal, which allowed Nira even greater control over her Venom's effect.
But the other ability was much more attention grabbing, a year after once again becoming a fury.
Nira discovered that she herself had the power of creation itself, divine power.
Of course Erdush was shocked by the idea that the power of the heavens could be given, something that even the great founder of the holy kingdom, King Sardoll himself, failed to find a reproducible way to grant divine power to those who don't have it.
Adder's laugh that followed when he saw his grandfather's astonished face, would undoubtedly stay with the old man for the rest of his days.
That thought reminded him about his own age.
Erdush tiredly looked down to his hands, which had wrinkled and shrunk with time.
The scars and callouses that he had gained in his youth, had faded, dulled, disappeared through the endless cruel march of time.
Erdush sighed as he couldn't help but think back to Adder's erratic prophecy.
He shook his head, now wasn't the time for regrets.
He returned his gaze back to Adder who was reaching for yet more food.
Erdush, as the kind and loving grandfather he was, grabbed his grandchild's wrist before speaking.
"Thats enough for you, you bottomless pit."
Erdush pointed to the door, before continuing.
"Cognition Training."
The old man said in an unmoving tone, leaving the Serpent King with no room for refusal.
Adder roared a histrionic sigh, before clawing himself out of his chair and made his way out of the cabin.
Erdush followed behind the Serpent King, as Abner sighed as he and Nira followed behind the old man.
…
Thanks to the mental instability that made Adder unable to properly make use of his greater abilities, he had been banned from using them until his mental fortitude improved.
And Erdush took charge in that endeavor, using every method he had any in depth knowledge in to try and help mend Adder's cognitive foundation.
And after three and a half years Adder's results started to shine.
The massive cavern that served as this training ground, bore marks of claws and weapons alike.
Adder kneeled in the center of the cave chamber that had been the location of his mental training since the beginning.
Serpents Ire laid on the Serpent King's lap, Adder's eyes shut tightly.
The dark cave was illuminated by the glims created by Erdush, who stood behind Adder..
The two witnesses were to remain silent because they had followed them without the oldman's permission..
They remained silent with Erdush being the only one allowed to speak during these rituals.
"In the Middle of humanity's age of darkness when the connection to the mortal and divine realms were cut, long before the appearance of Sardoll and the twelve sages."
"The seven Seraphim and their followers had broken our spirits and the lie that they were the true creators of the mortal realm had become all but accepted from the broken remnants of humanity."
Erdush said as he circled the kneeling serpent, his cane's tapping echoed off the cavern's walls distorting into pounds of thunder.
"Then one who rediscovered the tale of the four and the great father himself Omnicromn. After this great discovery even as a simple stone mason his very soul refused to sit on this earth shaking revelation."
Erdush spoke in reverence for the figure, one known as Mathew the stone mason. One who even though he died long before the age of the first herald.
But even then, Sardoll spoke and loved the man like a brother, the first herald being the reason that Mathew's story was remembered.
"He told anyone he could find, the truth that we came from loving and hopeful creators and not from the arrogant and foul Seraphim who had killed them wanting their throne."
Erdush then stopped in his tracks, and faced his grandson.
"After gathering everyone he could save from the Seraphim's lies, Mathew then turned his attention to his greatest endeavor.
"The Mortal made proxy for the world tree, the bridge that connected humanity to their creators. Mathew and his flock set out to build the Heavenly Spire, or as others named it the Tower of Babel."
Adder at that moment as if on cue burst into light, his Divine power illuminating the cave as if the sun's very rays somehow entered the deep cavern.
Within that cavern, glims separated from Adder's mighty form and were moved into place.
"Brick by brick and stone by stone, the sky piercing tower made its way towards the heavens.
Erdush spoke, trying hard not to be mesmerized by his grandson's beautiful display.
In a circular formation that surrounded the kneeling serpent, the glims were pieced together into the form of the Heavenly Spire.
Spanning from the cavern's floor to ceiling, the hollowed tower spanned over a hundred feet tall and seven feet in diameter.
The tower was adorned with serpent imagery, and elaborately designed with columns and archways that originated from lerna.
With its most eye-catching feature was the massive set of double doors, that were so immaculately detailed, that those who saw it would swear that it was truly there.
This was the Heavenly Spire exercise, one of the most well known and difficult mental exercises known to Salem, inspired by the tale of the Martyr Mathew and the ill-fated tower.
The exercise focused on training one's mental strength and control over divine power, the exercise was described as being stuck at the bottom of a mighty body of water and expected to create a bracelet out of the surrounding flora and fauna with one's eyes closed.
It was a momentous feat for an experienced paladin, to create a tower that spanned twenty feet tall, and Adder had Quintupled that while still having the power to actually sculpt out details.
The three watched mesmerized as in only a few breaths time, a mighty silver tower shining like the sun had been created in the middle of the cavern illuminating all in its hallowed presence.
Even the stoic and dour Erdush couldn't help but smile and feel amazed at his grandson's creation.
The mighty tower towered over everything that laid within the cavern, radiating the aura of a steadfast giant.
Soon sounds started to originate from the tower, but Erdush was not worried, for the tower still stood before clear as when it was first constructed.
And soon Adder opened the grand double doors, with a triumphant smile on his face. The Serpent King strolled victoriously, the spear of judgement laid on his shoulder as he walked to his grandfather.
His smile wide, and crimson eyes holding profound clarity.
The tower still stood undaunted, a testament to Adder's newfound focus as he then stood next to Erdush.
…
Adder put his arm around Erdush, as he gestured to the grand tower that stood before the two.
Erdush couldn't conceal his pride in Adder's work, he nodded as he patted his grandson on the back.
"You did good, best this old man's ever seen."
The old man spoke with a rarely heard tone of positivity, Adder couldn't help but bask in his tower's glory.
"Now don't mind me, I'm going to yell at Abner about sneaking around and defying clearly defined orders is the very antithesis of a king."
But before Erdush could walk away, Adder grabbed his grandfather by the shoulder.
Erdush turned back to Adder, his smile was still there but it seemed to be hiding something.
"I love you, grandfather."
Erdush nodded at the sudden affection and patted his grandchild's shoulder, before walking back up to yell at Abner.
Adder turned back to the tower, and slowly and carefully took the mighty tower apart brick by brick.
He focused on this, ignoring the words Abner and Erdush were exchanging.
The top of the tower disappeared stone by stone as those words between the lion and his guardian grew more heated.
Their words had bloomed into a full argument, half of the tower had disappeared at this point.
At the fever pitch of Abner's and Erdush's argument, only the doors and foundation of the tower remained.
And that's when things became uncomfortably silent, the mighty doors gone soon to be forgotten.
And as the light of the tower finally died and the divine power fully returned to Adder, that is when Abner's shouts of forgiveness reached the cavern that Adder resided in.
The Serpent King sighed, his grandfather's condition finally worsened. This was the start of Erdush's last months.
Adder ran through the cave back to where the rest of his family were fated to be, for brick by brick stone by stone.
Time comes for us all, and that truth would never slow the Serpent King.