Cleanse and Purify

The grass seemed of a sickening color, something between green and blue, difficult to distinct the actual shade as it swayed in the non-existent breeze. Countless little shinings and faint shimmers floated just above it emitting a strange pulse of energy.

Lucian was on his knees, gasping for air. The weapon of his formidable enemy was sharp enough to tear his leather boot and rip off his Achilles tendon. It was impossible for him to stand. Still, not for a single moment did he worry about his own situation. Not as long as she was still fighting a fight that they both knew was already over. Senna was standing tall, firmly holding her gun with both her hands. She was stronger than him. His hands were trembling.

"Accept it, you have already lost." an otherworldly voice echoed. Thresh was standing right across the field, not far from the two partners. Lucian could feel his dark aura, consisted only of death and sheer terror.

"As long as there is evil to be purified, I will never surrender!" answered Senna, a fire burning deep within her eyes. Where did she find the strength to shout? The air was so thick and stagnant he could barely breathe. The deep wound right beneath his diaphragm only made things worse. He struggled to pull himself together. Lucian was sure Senna was worried about him. He couldn't show any signs of weakness, or she would be distracted from their enemy. And distraction would mean death.

"Never surrender you say? You will surrender your soul!" the monster growled, releasing another attack towards the woman. She managed to avoid his scythe by leaping to the opposite direction, firing her gun at the same time. The gun unleashed a white light, overflowing with sheer power. Her shots have always been able to purify even the darkest of creatures.

But Thresh was not the case. He didn't even try to dodge. Her shots didn't affect him more than a mosquito bite would affect a human. Their damage were of minuscule significance.

"Your efforts are in vain. You can't hurt me in my territory. The Valley of Lost Souls... I am invincible here!" Thresh said, full of arrogance and pride. As he talked, the tiny lights that trembled around him seemed to approach his lantern a bit more, gathering around it, enhancing the light that shone within it. It seemed to be of the same nature.

"No darkness is invincible to the powers of the light!" she insisted and fired another shot at him. She still had the strength to look at him straight in his dead eyes, without even a hint of fear. It was admirable. Even though her efforts were futile she refused to end the fight.

"Unbreakable resolve. Ultimate devotion to a cause. Fearlessness... I can't wait to capture your soul for eternity!" ,Thresh whispered in awe, seconds before unleashing an even more powerful attack. She dodged it again, not avoiding an injury though. The sharpened scythe scarred her waist, tearing the flesh open. Senna had to apply pressure with her spare hand to stop the blood's flow. Drops of the scarlet liquid escaped her finger and dripped onto the grass, which seemed to absorb them right away.

Lucian couldn't stand watching his love getting hurt like that. His was in no condition to fight, with more injuries than just his severed tendon and the wound beneath his diaphragm. Deep cuts on both him arms made it difficult to even hold his gun straight. Yet, he managed to raise his gun and fire repeatedly against the corrupted soul collector. His fire did nothing but draw his attention.

"So you can still fight? Damn I should have sliced your throat and let your soul leak out of your body with every drop of your blood..." Thresh noticed, and started approaching the immobilized man. Senna kept shooting at him, hoping to draw his attention once more. Lucian couldn't defend himself, and she knew that.

"But I'll do that only after slicing hers..." the Warden whispered. His new attack caught Senna of guard, due to her concern for her partner. The fact that he kept facing Lucian, without hinting the direction of his attack also played an important role. Thresh approaching Lucian was a well played bluff, meant only for her to let her guard down. And it worked.

She didn't expect his scythe to grab her neck, paralyzing her for an instant as Thresh drew her closer. And she didn't expect the frozen touch of his skeleton hands as he held her still. Lucian didn't expect any of these either. He screamed silently, unable to breathe and produce any form of sound. He almost felt his heart ceasing to beat within his chest.

"No..." he managed to whisper after a while.

"No... I beg you. Take my soul, not hers... Senna!" his words were overflowed with true despair. He had never begged anyone for anything. And he would never beg for his own life. Her life though... The things he would do for her were a completed different case.

Senna could see the pain in his eyes. It hurt her more than the sharp embrace of the steely scythe, slowly slicing through her neck. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Lucian..." she whispered his name as the scythe pressed tighter against her neck.

"Your soul? It's not even worth capturing it... It's so much weaker than hers. I can feel it tremble within you as I speak. Is it because you failed to protect your beloved? She's mine now... And for eternity." he finished his speech, growling satisfied. Quickly and unhesitatingly he sliced her tender neck with his steel-cold scythe. A tiny shine sparkled as her soul parted her body, while she fell lifeless on the ground.

"Senna!" Lucian screamed at the top of his lungs. A screamed fueled by his infinite despair and torment.

"You mean her?" Thresh asked mockingly, as he threw his lantern towards Lucian. For less than a blink of an eye the man saw the soul of his beloved within the lantern, and eternal prisoner of the Warden. Tears were still dripping off her delicate eyelashes. He knew that Senna would never rest in peace. Not after dying that way.

"No..." he whispered once more, failing to capture the vastness of the emotions that overflowed him. He tried to touch the lantern, break the glass that kept her imprisoned. He didn't make it. But even if he did, it wouldn't matter. Setting his love free wasn't that simple.

No longer paralyzed he dragged his wounded body, as if it was some sort of dead weight, reaching her side. He embraced her, already well-aware that life had completely drained away, with every drop of her blood that nourished the unforgiving ground of the Valley.

As he held her close her blood tainted his hands. He felt so guilty for her death that it seemed appropriate somehow. After all, the Warden had used her love for him to trick her into taking her soul... Tears overflowed his eyes, as they descended and dripped onto her cheeks, merging with hers, washing the blood away from her face, which remained beautiful even after been touched by death's cold embrace.

"What are you waiting for... Kill me too. Imprison my soul for eternity. It doesn't matter anymore." Lucian whispered bitterly. She was everything to him, but the Warden took her away. He was now but an empty shell.

"Your soul isn't even worth it. Maybe in some years, purged by pain and hatred, despair and lust for revenge it will be. She will keep me good company until then. Farewell." Thresh announced his final decision, refusing to give Lucian the finishing blow he so much desired.

"You evil bastard..." he whispered, among his tears. Hatred, the soul collector had said. Hatred and lust for revenge. He was right. For the first time in his life Lucian's priority was neither mercy nor justice. All he wanted was to rip this motherfucker's dead heart off his chest and crush it with his bare hands. And if that wasn't enough, slice him into tiny little pieces until whatever kept his dead body together was gone for good.

Lucian watched Thresh disappearing with the dense fog. As he lied there, still holding onto his wife's dead body, he knew it was not over. Along with Senna the best part of him, the part that acted on mercy, kindness and righteousness, was gone. Instead all he had left was a cold and unforgiving heart, dedicated only in seeking his revenge.

He lifted her weapon from the ground, holding it tightly onto his left hand, checking the grip. He wasn't used to wielding two guns, but he was sure he would quickly get accustomed to this new style of combat. If he wanted to get stronger and continue this fight for her sake, he would have to. Lucian promised his lost love that the Warden would perish by his hand.

"You have had your fair share of torment too, huh? Well, more than your fair share I would say." Vayne answered after listening to his story. She wasn't surprised at all. She could tell he had suffered the loss of a loved one from the first moment she laid her eyes on him. It felt like she was looking in the mirror.

"Do you know what's the last thing she said to me? The last thing she whispered before that abomination sliced her neck open? "I love you". Even her last breath was wasted on me. I was never worth it." Lucian said, the bitterness renewed in his voice. He had never opened his heart to anyone other than Senna, and he didn't really know how to handle his repressed emotions.

"Never say that again. The fact that you stand here, alive and strong, determined to set her soul free proves her right." Vayne answered to his comment about himself. He felt surprised by her compliment. It was not something he expected to hear from the Night Hunter. She always seemed too distant. Was she different towards the ones she considered allies?

"You know, that's what I used to say too. When Haley Manner, that corrupted witch, broke into our residence my mother hid me. I still don't know why, but that hag couldn't hurt me there. So she tried to lure me out."

"Come out little girl.. Come out or your mom dies. Don't you love your mother? Do you want her dead? You are an awful child, girl, to make your mummy die this way..." Vayne whispered, repeating the words she discovered deep within her darkest memories. Lucian felt a chill down his spine. That sort of experience would certainly scar anyone's past.

"She almost got me to leave the safety of my hiding place. But all my mom would scream, among her screams of pain of course, was that she loved me, and that she knew I loved her too. She pleaded me to stay put, to stay safe. For her. She wasted every single drop of strength within her dying body to protect me. She didn't beg for her life, or try to escape. She only made sure I stayed alive." her voice cracked in the last words. She tried to hide it, but it wasn't that easy. Lucian pretended he didn't notice. After all wasn't that what she had done earlier, when he reached the most tragic part of his own story?

Vayne had already narrated parts of her past to him, never revealing so many details. Maybe because it was just her way of breaking the ice between them, her way to convince him to open his heart to her. It had worked. Lucian felt glad that she wasn't ungrateful enough to hold secrets from him at least after he told her everything.

"For years I blamed myself. I believed that her death was my fault. But I came over it, because I knew that it held me back. And once I did, once I forgave myself, I managed to get my revenge." Vayne finished her speech, having already regained full control over her emotions. It wasn't like her to let them free.

Deep inside him, Lucian knew she was right. But he didn't feel ready to let his remorse go. He simply couldn't. Maybe he could do that only after setting her soul free. Or maybe not even then. Unlike Vayne he had fought by Senna's side when she died. And he had lost. What if he hadn't? What if it was him on her place? What if his soul was the one the Warden desired? All those questions plagued him since that day. But at least after the conversation with Vayne, they didn't seem to be demanding an answer that urgently.

"Thank you." he whispered simply. Opening his heart offered momentarily relief to his constant pain, nearly as much as slaying Thresh in the Fields of Justice did.

"There's nothing to thank me for." even though it was obvious that their conversation had relieved him, Vayne could now see the doubts and regret in his eyes. She didn't mean to force him to remember anymore. So after a moment of silence she changed the subject:

"One of the reasons I told you all these is because I have an offer to make."

Lucian remained silent, wondering what it might be.

"After you have taken your revenge on Thresh, mind joining the Night Hunters. As their leader it would be an honor having you fight by our side." she continued before adding:

"There is some darkness silver can't purify. But the ancient relic guns you wield can. They are admirable weapons. And you are an admirable warrior..."

"Your words honor me, Vayne. But I am more of a loner..." he admitted, trying to politely refuse her offer. It was only the truth though. He was never a team player. Senna was not a "team mate". They were more like two entwined halves of the same person. She was a part of him and he was a part of hers. After her death he couldn't imagine fighting the darkness alongside anyone else.

"I am a loner too. What do you think the Night Hunters are? We are all loners united to the same cause. Do you want to purify the world from all the abominations that endanger the innocents? One man can't do this alone, can't be arrogant enough to believe that." Vayne said, trying to reason with him. These were her last arguments. She now expected her answer.

"I will consider your offer, Vayne. I promise." Lucian answered. Her words partly annoyed him. He wasn't used to people doubting him. But still he knew she was right. One person was not enough to fight the darkness, to pull it up from the roots. He knew that much, even though he didn't really want to admit it.

"I can take your word. You seem to be an honest man." she answered simply, well aware that her words had touched him.

"I am honest when I am talking to a friend." Lucian said simply. He didn't really know what drove him into admitting the feelings of amity he felt for his fellow champion in the League. It was most probably the conversation they just had. How much alike they were.

"Rather quick to assume we are friends, huh? Still, the feelings are mutual." she commented, offering his one of her rare smiles. She raised her cup, finishing her wine and then rose from her sit and started walking away, towards the door of the Inn. He lived there, so she didn't expect him to do the same. Still he got up and escorted her to the door.

"Till we meet again, Purifier."

"Till we meet again, Night Hunter."

Lucian knew he had made himself a strong alliance. He felt that he was getting closer to getting his revenge, closer to fulfilling his destiny. Maybe it was time for him to abandon his lonely path. That was what Senna would have wanted for him. He knew it.