The dismissive eyes that were looking at their caller are now filled with hope. Mikola had come face to face with something he was very familiar with. The blank eyes, the unconscious stiffness of the body, as if frozen in place, not quite dead but absent. Nothingness. The empty state in which only few callers can find themselves in. Their soul slips into what seems to be nothing, an empty void. The empty shell that is their body as a result of this, serves only one purpose.
Allow the caller's ghost to take control.
Mikola takes advantage of this situation. He enters Alexander's body. The weight of flesh and blood is something that felt odd, even if he died just minutes ago. Being inside a body other than your own is something that can be simply described as just... off. The length of the limbs, the size of the frame, the life force flowing inside your veins, they all feel different. Alien.
Free of the constraint of receiving orders to use his power, Mikola boils the blood inside Ianos' forearms. Ianos continues to point his chains to choke Alexander, his anger depriving him of the ability to assess his situation. The chains suddenly lose tension, revealing bruises around Mikola's neck and face as he starts falling back to the ground. Right in front of his eyes, both arms had been turned into an explosion of droplets of blood, undoing his signed commands.
"FORWARD, 1, 1, PULL!" Ianos quickly tries to regain his grasp on the target's neck.
In an instant, Ianos' blood had now been used to block the incoming attack, forming a tube of ice around Mikola's head. Not strong enough to withhold the chains in their entirety, the ice shatters, but it gives Mikola enough time to finally reach the ground.
"BACK, 1, 2, PULL AND HOLD!"
Ianos starts getting pulled backwards, fleeing from the immediate threat. He bumps into some of his soldiers, knocking them down. Mikola dashes towards the group of soldiers. As their imminent death approaches them, their heads start popping one after the other. Burning blood rains over Mikola, as he barely even gazes at his victims. "I have to get even closer to them than usual," he thinks to himself, "he had been a flame watcher for quite a long time unfortunately".
No longer having any regard for his safety, Ianos gets pulled even faster, making his way between some of the still burning houses. Mikola quickly follows him. He cuts a couple of corners, but Ianos is nowhere to be found. Mikola concentrates his efforts on his hearing. He listens for the slightest hint that would give away Ianos' position. He walks slowly among the burning buildings, in the meantime mending the bruises on his face and neck. He starts carefully controlling the blood that form the bruises, returning it to the nearby veins.
Mikola can't help but have his mind drift away for a brief moment. He knows this possession is temporary, for as long as Alexander allows it to be. Though not his own body, being able to feel the warmth of the air entering inside his lungs feels comforting. He thought he'd never get to feel these things again after being reduced to a ghost. He had no god to thank for this, but he was grateful.
"...push..." A barely audible whisper can be heard among the cracking of wood.
He wasn't able to pinpoint his exact location, but Mikola knew Ianos was nearby. He continues walking forward. From the rubble on top of a nearby house, Ianos jumps out. Burn marks cover parts of his body. A metal spear takes the place of his right forearm and is pointed straight at Mikola's head. The amount of bloodlust Ianos had been bottling up, had erupted in an explosion of thrill. He exhales loudly, full of anticipation. Little did he know, that'd be the last breath he ever took.
Mikola pulls blood from his own shoulder, making a hole the size of a needle. It takes the shape of a long ice stake that pierces Ianos through his neck. Now impaled and with his attack not even close to its target, Ianos starts struggling, hitting the stake with the spear, and flailing his legs. With the perspective changed, Mikola angrily looks at the pathetic sight of his opponent. He melts the ice, letting Ianos fall to the ground. Unable to gasp for air, Ianos forgets in his desperation that he no longer has arms to cover his pierced throat.
"You're a pathetic animal, driven by instinct. All you do is Eat, Sleep and Fuck! What will you be remembered by? What mark have you left on this world? If you weren't a caller, you'd be no better than the so-called 'pigs' you raise for your entertainment!"
In a fit of rage and and as a last ditch effort, Ianos sluggishly lunges towards Mikola, pointing his spear once more at him. Mikola easily dodges this futile attempt, finally getting close enough to pop what was left of his arm, removing the spear that was jolted inside. Without hesitation, Ianos continues the attack by using the momentum to sink his teeth inside Mikola's neck.
"You chose the wrong side of history..." Mikola utters as he mercilessly explodes the head of his opponent.
With the splashes of blood hitting the ground one by one, the silence that comes after a victory fills the village. Though Mikola would not call this a victory, as he had not achieved anything. He merely extended his survival. He hadn't fought his opponent. He had trampled him. He takes a breather, knowing the journey ahead would require all of the rest he could get. A voice breaks the silence. A survivor from the village! A woman was stuck under the rubble of one of the houses.
Mikola approaches the woman slowly, looking around for more survivors. He gets closer to her. He kneels down. Puts his hand on her head and closes his eyes.
Pop.
Alexander jolts outside from the void, regaining control of his body. The blood of this innocent woman is now covering his hands. Why? Did he kill her? His body killed her... He turns his head to the right, straight at Mikola, who is now hovering above him.
"I have some explaining to do," Alexander says perturbed