The Wrath of Dark Alchemy
Incursion: The Storm Begins
There was no mistaking it now. He had hoped against hope that they would not find the place where, for all his power, he was most vulnerable. He had always known that he would soon have to come into conflict with them, and it was a day that he had feared for a very long time. It was not a fear of them that made the fated day so daunting to him, however, but a fear that the little he still held dear in this world would be torn asunder when the conflict began. He had stopped fearing for his own life a long time ago.
Far away, but loud and clear in his mind was a long mournful howl of a creature of this world that had desired nothing but peace and a successful pursuit of knowledge for all, only to have his dreams and aspirations burned away as well.
"I'm sorry, Maha."
Azure eyes opened from a deep and sorrowful meditation, and levitating rocks carried by a cool breeze fell to earth again as the wind disappeared, and nearby waters stopped churning in small waves, and the campfire that had been spiraling from its center of being died down to a normal blaze.
With a wave of a hand, the fire was extinguished, and a brown and very old traveler's pack was slung over one shoulder. A sheathed sword was fastened, and the sound of boots quickly striking earth echoed through a dark cave before a shadow graced the land of Weyard. The running would not stop until the destination had been reached.
There was so little time left.
All was dark.
The pyre was extinguished, and the last few embers of the blaze vanished as they were set upon by thousands of droplets of the blackest liquid. It was only a Psynergetic representation of the liquid of life, twisted by darkness, but the element which the spell represented still coursed through it and gave it the power to vanquish its ever-opposing element.
Nothing remained now but ash, smoke, and memories. Memories which ended with a vision of agony. A fitting introduction to the horror of what was to transpire on this night.
With a single word, the fates of many were sealed, tragically brought upon by a lost soul—or two, perhaps—both loved and scorned, returning home at last. But there would be no mercy for either on this night, when the shadows made their move to descend upon them once again, for the darkness suffers no opposition.
"Now."
The two enshrouded creators of this wicked gathering began to focus their minds as black rings of Psynergetic energy surrounded their forms. Both joined hands, a left and a right, and their combined strength kicked up a wind that swept the leaves of the trees around them for at least a mile. Their minds simultaneously envisioned the same image as they prepared to manifest their mental desires into the physical world.
At once, high above the sleeping Valean settlement, something began to appear against the night sky. A black mass was taking shape; small at first, it slowly grew larger and larger. It was as though clouds had joined together and began to spiral like a tornado. The dark cyclone in the sky seemed to let out a dull roar of wind as it completed its formation.
Purple flashes of Jupiter energy—yellow flashes of Venus energy—red flashes of Mars energy—blue flashes of Mercury energy—all were visible for seconds and then vanished into the blackest energy of Alchemy's eternal opposite. A sound like thunder seemingly made the ground shake and the cyclone began to spin even faster.
In the air, two voices intoned…
"Elemental Void…"
All was silent.
Sheba downed the warm tea before setting the cup down, letting out a sigh as it soothed her sore throat. She could only look down into the cup, trying not to look into the golden eyes of her Lemurian friend. The silence soon became unbearable, however, and she looked up, somewhat relieved that the blue-haired man was looking down, reading one of the many books he kept on the ship.
Sheba examined the book in his hands; the cover depicted a sailor proudly standing aboard his ship, battling a Kraken that stood between him and a stunning sunrise on the horizon, made clear by the parting blanket of grayness that had once obscured the golden light from leading the way.
She looked up to see him staring right back at her, golden eyes shining with a weathered maturity that betrayed the youthful face, a presence that only decades upon decades of experiences, good and ill, could give rise to. Sheba immediately broke the stare and gazed back at the cup in her hands.
"I do not understand why you are so afraid to look at me, Sheba." His voice was kind, with a hint of amusement.
Sheba felt her face grow a bit warm. "I just hate it when people see me cry."
"Crying is natural," he replied in such a tone that would probably lead some to suspect condescension, but Sheba knew better. It was a bait, an invitation to explain, and one she silently resolved not to take.
Piers sighed and looked back at his book. "Well, in any case, it is not something you should feel at all ashamed over. This is a trying time, to put it in the nicest terms possible."
"It's hard for all of us, but I don't see you weeping about it."
"You should not mistake a lack of tears for a sign of strength, Sheba. It is not that I do not cry, it is that I do not cry anymore. The one and only day you saw me cry is the day I lost that ability."
Sheba looked up at the mariner again, and instantly felt a surge of pity and affection towards him. She did remember. She remembered the tears that fell freely as he stood within the graveyard of Lemurians long gone.
"In many ways, I consider certain parts of myself to have died in that graveyard on that day, alongside… her. I made a promise that I would not shed tears again. That is not something I am proud of."
Silence followed, filling the cabin once again. The boat, resting on a river that fed the woods of the Valean settlement, creaked as it seemed to drift lazily from side to side. The waters could be heard splashing gently against the hull.
"You know I am always here when you need me."
"Thank you, Piers." Sheba smiled, more to herself than to her Lemurian friend. Indeed, he had been there for her longer than perhaps he even realized.
Before he had joined their group, all those years ago, Sheba had admired the close friendship Jenna and Felix had that complemented their familial bond, and had wanted something similar to that. She remembered latching on to the mariner immediately, jokingly calling him her new big brother.
In retrospect, she supposed she must have been quite the nuisance at times, yet he had always humored her silliness.
Sheba let out a giggle, and Piers looked up from his reading with a smile of his own. "Whatever it is you're thinking, hold onto it. If it is at all possible, I'd like to see you like this more often."
"I'll try. And Piers? I wanted to thank you…"
"You already did," Piers pointed out with mirth.
Sheba rolled her eyes with a laugh. "Hold on, let me finish. I wanted to thank you for staying with us. You mentioned once that Lemuria was facing trouble. You could have left to be with them long ago. You didn't."
Piers looked thoughtful for a second. "Perhaps… I will not deny that I have been tempted to return, but for the moment, it is far safer than almost anywhere else. All of you needed my help more than the Lemurians. Additionally, you are all just as important to me as they are."
"I'll take that as a wordy 'you're welcome'," Sheba quipped with a smirk.
"You would be correct."
"If you don't mind me asking, what is going on at Lemuria these days?"
Piers frowned as his eyes continued to scan the pages of the book he was only half-reading now. "Its troubles are occurring from the inside. King Hydros' rule has been failing. Under his leadership, Lemuria was to open our gates, so to speak, to the world again. Envoys were sent out and returned with fatalities and damaged boats. It was unusually cruel timing that the war began just weeks after the King was prepared to take the first necessary step into bringing Lemuria into a changing Weyard.
"Naturally, he was blamed by Conservato and the Senate for having a hand in this war by allowing our mission to be completed, and claimed that the blood of those we lost were on his hands. The people accepted their claims with open arms, and the Senate seized control of the throne. The King has since remained in isolation. Only Lunpa and my uncle have stood by Hydros, and uncle probably only did it for my sake."
"I'm sorry," Sheba said, looking down from Piers' saddened face. "I probably shouldn't have asked…"
"You had a right to know," Piers said, flipping a page. "It concerns all of us, after all. In the end, we did what we had to do. Sadly, there is just no reasoning with the likes of Conservato."
They sat in companionable silence again, and then Piers set the book down, fixing Sheba with a serious look. "You spoke to Felix tonight."
"You were watching us?" Sheba immediately regretted her accusatory tone, knowing she did not deserve to use it.
"No, I was watching Vale. I then happened to see the two of you speaking through my telescope. You know Jenna would not approve of this."
"I know, Piers. I didn't ask to be caught in the middle like this. The last thing I want is to betray either of their trust. One way or the other, it'll turn out to be a bad situation."
"So you intend to keep this a secret?"
"I don't have a choice."
"Yes, you do."
Sheba was prepared to retort, but then stopped when a violent chill suddenly ran through her body as she began to sense… something. Piers' own widened eyes told her that she was not alone in feeling this chill.
It was similar to the usual sensation of feeling the presence of Psynergy or some Psynergetic phenomenon, but somehow the two Adepts could tell… this was something entirely different.
Simultaneously, the two rose from their seats without a word and made their way towards the cabin door, Piers in the lead. Exiting the interior, their widened eyes were at once met with the sight of the Valean settlement in the distance, still quiet and undisturbed, and something taking shape in the sky above it.
Without fully realizing why, the two Adepts instantly broke into a run towards the settlement.
Two years had passed, and she looked just as sad as she had then, even in her sleep. Felix had little doubt that not even her dreams could offer her solace, and even worse, that he was probably the subject of some of those dreams. Or nightmares, rather.
Felix castigated himself for reminiscing at such a time, and steeled his resolve as he firmly, but gently took hold of her shoulder and shook her to end her sleep. Jenna stirred, a sigh of sleepiness escaping her as she slowly opened her eyes. At once, a gasp filled the silence of the room and Jenna shot upright and backed away from Felix.
Ignoring the pain she had unintentionally caused him—though he knew he certainly deserved it and more—he raised his hands in a sign of submission and spoke slowly. "Jenna… calm down. It's… it's me."
Long and tense seconds passed as Jenna looked upon the last remaining family she had, her face one of confusion, which changed to understanding, and finally an expression that existed somewhere between happiness and sadness. Silent as a ghost, she strode over to her brother and wrapped her arms around him, tears falling as she felt the reciprocation of the gesture.
"Is this… is this a dream? Am I dreaming?" Her voice was a whisper, almost fearful, as she waited for the imagery to melt away and to be left looking up at the barely visible ceiling, watching shadows dance from the candlelight and silently wishing one of them would miraculously take the form of the man who stood before her now.
"It's real, Jenna," Felix whispered back, barely able to reconcile the fact that this was the reunion he had imagined for years finally occurring. "I'm home."
He allowed himself to revel in the moment for only a few seconds longer before gently pushing her back. "Listen to me, Jenna. We don't have much time."
Jenna looked up at her brother's face, immediately worried to see a look of utmost fear and urgency. "What? What are you talking about?"
"Just listen to me and don't ask questions. An attack on Vale is about to happen, and we have to move quickly. The elders have to be warned so we can start moving everybody to the caverns before it happens. And we—the four of us—need to be ready to fight. I'm going to the elders now. Do you think you can fight? I know you're sick…"
"I… I can fight," Jenna replied, her head swimming with this new information before his last utterance made itself clear to her. "How… did you know I was sick?"
Felix did not answer, slowly expelling a breath, avoiding the look his sister was sending his way.
"How?" Jenna asked, more forceful this time. "No one even knows except…" Despite the painful haze in her head from her lingering fever, Jenna thought back to various times in months past that Sheba had disappeared for short or long whiles before returning, often explaining her sudden departures as needing time to think or taking a walk. "Look at me, Felix."
Felix did so, his eyes meeting hers. His head was full of excuses and lies to tell to spare her more pain, each less credible than the last. And even if he had been able to find a suitable lie that would convince her, he did not think he could bring himself to once again be dishonest; not when he was looking into the eyes of the person most important to him in this world.
"Jenna…"
"Felix, just answer me, and then I won't say anything more and we'll handle whatever's coming. Have you been meeting with Sheba these past months?"
"…Yes."
Jenna simply nodded before turning away. "Alright. Go."
"Jenna-"
"You said we had to hurry. Go and inform the elders. I need to get ready too. Just go."
Without another word, Felix turned and departed from the house. Quickly as he could, he ran through the village, the houses like blurs to him as he ran towards his destination, knowing exactly where to go and how to get there.
Many times he had surveyed the town, examining and memorizing every house and every turn in the main road of the village, if it could even be called a road. Always from a distance, and always with the feeling of being weighted down by such a terrible burden, he simply watched.
He had always felt like he was being pushed towards the town by something, but at the same time being pulled away by something else. To have the opportunity to walk forward and feel true happiness for the first time in years, and then be reminded that such an opportunity was completely out of his reach, no matter how close it seemed… such was an ordeal Felix would never wish upon anybody.
And now, today at last, he had finally truly been able to seize that opportunity, and the victory could only be described as feeling… hollow. The immeasurable joy caused by seeing and speaking to Jenna again had been an elating feeling, but it could not completely sweeten the bitterness that permeated his mind and body. The sickly feeling of being a traitor and a liar. And now here he stood, a liar and a traitor to two sides he had played for so long.
Indeed he was doomed to forever be on the outside, looking in and knowing that the joy that potentially waited for him would never be realized. Between good and bad, positive and negative, light and dark… there he stood… an ever-present, and yet barely existing entity.
But what he did not understand and had never understood was that his choices also were ever-present and yet barely existing. Even now, having forsaken one for the other, he could not have foreseen that his first true decision in so long would, in the end, be meaningless.
He was not too far from the Vale sanctum, a monument to the healers and elders of the town, before a horrible chill swept his body. Felix looked skyward to see a mass of blackness beginning to take shape, completely noticeable even against a black and cloudy sky.
Felix swore under his breath as his blood ran cold. They were making their move far more quickly than he had anticipated.
Suddenly, the doors of the sanctum were pushed open as two of Vale's healers made their way outside, their faces masks of confusion as they too looked to the heavens and sensed an energy unlike any other they had ever felt before, along with an anxiety unfelt before.
"What is this?!"
"This energy… it feels like Psynergy, but…"
"Listen!" At once, the two healers looked forward to see Felix, and their confusion seemed to increase ten-fold, if that were possible.
"Felix?"
"You… you're back! Where have you-"
"Quiet! Just listen. There is going to be an attack on Vale. We must get everyone to the caverns safely. Sound the alarm and begin gathering the healers and all able-bodied Adepts in the village. Now!"
"Y-yes… as you wish!"
"I'll get the elder!"
One of the healers turned and strode back into the sanctum, while the other raised his hand and focused on a recently built wooden bell tower that overlooked the town. The bell began to rapidly chime on its own, aided by the healer's Psynergy, signifying danger to the Valeans as it had done numerous times before. Every villager knew that when the bell chimed, the war had seeped through the natural barriers that kept them safe, and it was time to leave the town behind and make for the safe caverns beneath the mountains.
Felix had not remained to see the preparations, instead immediately running off after the healers had signified their understanding of his instructions, and making his way into the center of the town, directly below the black spiraling void where the howling winds were strongest. Flashes of elemental Psynergy were seen in the black shadow like lightning behind dark clouds before vanishing into the blackness once more, as if they had never existed.
Two cries of Felix's name were heard above the din of the winds, and he turned to see Piers and Sheba running towards him. The townspeople had begun to emerge from their houses, some breaking into a run north to the mountains immediately, some stopping to look above at the blackness, dumbstruck by this strange phenomenon. Scattered screams were heard as a thundering quake struck fear into the souls of everyone in Vale.
And then the void was silent.
It was impossible to know which of the dark elements had struck first.
All was chaos.
Screams rang out as black meteor-like blasts of Psynergetic fire rained down from the void, drowned out by the sound of many small explosions that occurred with each collision with the ground. The dark night was illuminated by a ghastly amethyst glow that followed each strike of black lightning. Black shards of ice and orbs of water rained down with blue flashes of energy, as if to signify the element of Mercury desperately escaping an icy prison before dissipating. Black Psynergetic constructs of swords rained down and pierced the earth, resulting in many dazzling blasts of yellow light.
Some were sent flying by the explosions, some were struck by the energy constructs directly, and some desperately constructed shields of energy to protect themselves to no avail. Some rose from the ground, wounded and frightened, and some remained until the day came when their bodies would be buried.
One minute of pure chaos and hell passed and then was over. Those who did not survive the barrage from the heavens filled the tormented thoughts of those who had loved them and lived to tell the tale of how they had perished. Those who survived fled from the terror of the blackness, moving north for the safety of walls of pure stone.
Lavender eyes widened in fear as a realization was made, brought on by a remembrance of a horrifying vision in the form of a dream. Calling upon the power of the wind, she raced towards the north gate of the Valean settlement and gave a mighty wave of her enchanted staff, sending a torrent of wind towards the second wave of terror about to descend upon the hapless townsfolk.
The cursed ones were either slowed or sent flying by the wind, and in that moment, fate itself was changed. With a scream of warning, the wind wielder instructed the townsfolk to move back into the town and find another route to their safety. Tripping and stumbling, they ran, knowing that the momentary distraction brought about by one of their great protectors would not last for too long.
Cackles and roars of delight filled the air, intermingling with the screams and cries of the frightened, and a light rain began to fall from the clouds above. The fearful void was gone, but its presence was still felt deep within the souls of those who had experienced its terrible power. Flashes of lightning brightened the sky, and so the war for Vale had begun.
Standing alone between the army of Lunpa and the fleeing Valeans, Sheba raised her staff into the air for a few moments, gathering the wind's power once again, before slamming it into the ground, sending a powerful driving current of air towards the attackers, which flipped many onto their backs. It was all she could do to buy time for the Valeans to escape, knowing she could not defeat every last one of the brigands. From the looks of their numbers surging out of the woods, they looked to be about a hundred strong, maybe more.
"Spark Plasma!"
At least five were downed by the powerful spell, leaving far too many remaining. Like insects escaping from a discovered nest, the Lunpa men broke through the northern barrier of the town and began to swarm, intent on bringing destruction to every last corner. Unable to stem the tide any longer, Sheba turned and ran back through the town to gain a more defensive position.
As she entered the plaza, five men that had broken off from the horde surrounded her and charged. Sheba parried a strike, sent a blast of wind to her left, and ducked low to avoid a swing of a sword behind her. Driving her staff into the stomach of the offending thief behind her, and then a blow to the stomach of the one in front of her, she then thrust the staff upwards horizontally, violently smashing both ends into the chins of both men, knocking them both to the ground.
"Spark Plasma!"
All around her were flashes of white light as more bolts of Jupiter Psynergy struck the ground, sending the Lunpa men flying. Only a Lunpa soldier, more armored than the brigands, remained of the group rallying to kill her specifically.
Sheba parried more killing strikes from the soldier, struggling against his swordplay no doubt borne from more intense training than the thieves had received. She blocked a left strike, then parried a slice at her legs, and then held the staff up to block an overhead strike which was swiftly followed by a kick to her stomach, staggering her.
Desperately, she slammed her staff into the ground, a burst of wind sending mud and grass upwards and into the soldier's face and eyes. He yelled in irritation, falling back. Sheba was about to press her advantage when he reached into a small pack at his waist and pulled out a small, black spherical object and flung it at her.
The object exploded on impact with the ground, creating a thick, black cloud of smoke that enveloped Sheba. A smoke bomb. Coughing, the Jupiter Adept blindly waved her staff, dissipating the smog in seconds, but she was still disoriented. Blinking her burning eyes rapidly, Sheba finally managed to focus as she caught a glimpse of the soldier directly in front of her.
She let out a cry and ducked as he swung his blade at her head, missing by an inch. The Adept swiftly drove her staff into his left knee, causing him to lose his balance and scream in pain, dropping his sword. Sheba rose and performed a spinning move that struck him across the face, sending him to the ground.
Now sure of her advantage, Sheba rose and charged forward, but did not anticipate his next move, a spinning sweeping kick that took out her legs beneath her, sending her crashing to the ground. She lay there for a moment, dazed, and the man seized his opportunity, delivering a debilitating kick to her stomach. Pain radiated through her body, and Sheba gasped for air, desperately trying to regain her concentration through her pain as the man unsheathed a small knife and lunged.
"Haze…"
There was a flash of purple light as one of many elemental Djinn appeared out of thin air, glowing purple, and the Lunpa soldier's eyes widened in shock as she disappeared from view, his knife hitting nothing but the ground. It was then, in that moment, that Sheba was able to see his eyes up close. Images of her vision returned to her, but she pushed aside her shock as she materialized once more to rise up and deliver a powerful punch to his face, sending him staggering back.
"Bolt!"
Electrical bolts struck the screaming soldier before he fell to the ground again, unconscious at last. With time to rest at last, Sheba exhaled a held breath, trying to calm herself as she realized just how close to death she had come.
The agonized scream of a Valean stabbed by a brigand reminded her of where she was, and Sheba stood up immediately, summoning her staff to her hands as she prepared to leap into the fray once again.
"Douse."
Glowing orbs of water seemed to descend from the heavens themselves as they struck a flung torch that the light, cold rain could not extinguish. A harmless stick struck the roof of a Vale home, its intended purpose left unfulfilled.
With a curse, the thief responsible for the attempted burning turned to see Piers standing a few feet away from him, golden eyes famed for their perpetual calm and wisdom now shining with the fury of a tempest. The black-eyed Lunpan brandished his blade and ran forward with a grin of pure bloodlust. As he performed a slashing movement toward the man's neck, but Piers ducked and slashed him across the stomach with his own weapon, using the thief's momentum and a firm grip on the sword's hilt to cause the damage. In a quick and fluid movement, he slashed his leg as well. The thief let out a hiss of anger and pain before falling; he was badly wounded, but the cuts were not deep enough to kill.
"G-Get him! Get him, damn it!"
Piers turned in time to see a duo of thieves running toward him, now only inches away. He parried the slash of one, but he had been caught off guard by the sudden attack and was badly cut across the shoulder by the second. The first thief then leapt forward and landed a punch to Piers' jaw with his free hand. Staggering from the blow, Piers' body glowed blue as he verbally commanded the power of a simple spell to buy himself some time, "Ice!" Icicles rained down upon the two thieves, and their yells of pain and frustration followed.
Piers winced at the pain still present in his shoulder and placed a hand over the wound, whispering, "Ply." The cut closed and the bleeding was stopped, but the ache and mark of such a wound would remain for a short while after.
Piers raised his sword and cast his glare at the two that had arrived. "My turn… Deluge!"
At once, gigantic spheres of glowing water rained down and smashed themselves into the three Lunpa thieves, sending them flying backwards with the force of the many collisions. Two crashed into the unforgiving ground and lay there, unconscious. The third was not as lucky. His head collided with the ground in such a way that his neck was now broken. A trickle of blood ran down his mouth and his black eyes were wide open.
Without a thought, Piers rushed to the thief with the intention of healing the injury to the best of his ability, but it was too late. He could no longer sense life flowing from the dead man. Piers exhaled a held breath, feelings of guilt washing over him. This was not the first time he had taken another's life, let alone the life of a man willing to hurt those Piers held dear, but death was never something he could brush aside quickly.
He was about to turn away when he saw something happening to the dead man. It seemed like his wide open eyes were beginning to change color. Or rather, the blackness was beginning to fade away to reveal the man's natural brown eyes. Accusingly they seemed to glare up at Piers, who watched with a stoic expression on his face, trying not to show the slightest sign of fear which was slowly welling up inside of him at the sight of something that was so… unnatural.
It was then that Piers heard what sounded like a Psynergetic spell being cast, and as he whirled around with his sword raised, he was met with the sight of one of the downed thieves beginning to move.
The Lunpan seemed to sit up and then stand, but his movement was akin to that of a puppet, his limbs and head hanging down uselessly as his body seemed to rise of its own accord. Then he began to levitate several feet from the ground, clearly aided by Psynergy that Piers knew he did not possess, before opening his blank eyes and looking down upon his golden-eyed audience with no emotion on his face. His mouth opened and he began to speak in a voice Piers instantly knew was not his own.
"Listen well, Lemurian."
To a third party observer, Piers would seem to be unaffected by this alien sight. But Piers' thoughts were racing, particularly around the subject of the voice which was strangely… familiar.
"Listen, or face the untimely end of your beloved home…"
"W-what are you talking about?" Piers said in response, keeping his voice as composed as possible despite his growing fear.
"As you well know, Lemuria already stands on the brink of ruin, and unless you obey the commands I am about to give you, the blood of those you hold dear will cover every inch of the Lemurian city. Know that you too will look upon this sight before I kill you should you refuse to cooperate."
Piers did not answer as he continued to try and attach the voice to a familiar face. It seemed so long ago that he had heard it, but still it was as though hearing it had triggered some kind of a reaction in his head. He looked up and watched the levitating man for a second before the answer made itself known to him, brought about by the memory of a certain Adept he had only met a few times, one who Jenna had once told him was capable of a hovering ability much like this one through his usage of Psynergy.
Piers clenched his fists on the hilt of his sword and gave the man a smile that could only signify dislike, "As honored as I am that you decided to seek me out specifically, I must ask you to stop hiding behind this man… Alex."
"What… what did you call me?" There was an unmistakable quiver in the voice now, an unevenness in the speaker's tone so subtle many people would probably have missed it, but Piers heard it clearly.
"I called you Alex. Your voice is admittedly only vaguely familiar to me, but I know of your ability to use this hovering Psynergy. Putting them together, along with the air of someone trying to enact some kind of idiotic plan of dividing and conquering those who would stand against them, as well as an attack on the site where your dreams died does not leave very many other candidates besides you."
"You are mistaken. Never refer to me by that disgusting name again." The voice was that of a man clearly enraged, but desperately trying to remain composed.
Piers' smirked, pure distaste filling his eyes and voice. "Even if it was not you, the fact that you are so clearly incensed by it gives me ample reason to refer to you in such a way. Now how about you stop hiding yourself from me?"
The voice spoke again, still clearly angered, but far less unstable. "Your arrogance is not unexpected, being part of the thoughtless, yet unfortunately self-sustaining populace of glorified primates that walk upon the impartial land of Weyard."
"Charming. I once believed time changes everyone, Alex, but it would seem years in hiding after a most deserved failure to live out a foolish dream, and what was no doubt a good beating have done nothing to shape your humility. You should have stayed where the Wise One left you, hidden among the dirt and the worms, right where you belong."
"Impressively verbose, Lemurian. Were I that fool, I believe I would be quite incensed. As things stand, however, I am quite content to hear you insult him. Had we the time, I would listen to more, but time is a precious thing, and not something I will waste on you."
"Go on, then," Piers answered, holding his stance as if expecting some kind of sudden violent maneuver. "Time is precious to us all."
"I will tell you this only once.. In time, an old friend of yours will return to you, and he will be carrying an artifact which you will personally present to me. You will know what I want when you see it. Bring it to me by any means necessary, and I will spare you. If you do not, then the blood of your people is entirely on your hands."
"Your threats do not frighten me. Someone who chooses to hide behind another and attempts to scare his enemies into compliance with a bit of Psynergy is not someone who can do all that you claim and is certainly not someone who can intimidate me. If you wish for me to be frightened, then I repeat, show yourself, and give me a reason to be."
"Your bravery speaks well of you, Lemurian. However, if you think this meager display of power is somehow unconnected to the destruction all around you, within the borders of this town and across all of Weyard, then it would appear that your intelligence unfortunately can not also be a quality worth praising. Allow me to make this simple and clear. I have plunged this village into a disaster in mere minutes with but a fraction of my power, and I will unleash my power tenfold upon Lemuria if you do not cooperate with my demands. You have been warned. Do not test my patience."
The voice finally stopped, and the man seemed to awaken from the control place upon him before throwing his head back to scream in agony without warning as what appeared to be black Psynergetic fire with a reddish glow began to envelop his body. Piers' eyes widened in shock as he watched the torturous display for at least thirty seconds before the body was released and fell to the ground, utterly lifeless.
Felix sliced a bandit in the process of attacking an old couple in his back, yelling to the villagers to start running north once again as the wounded Lunpan fell, screaming in pain. The Venus Adept clashed swords with another attacker and held the position, pressing forward with his left foot before shifting his weight to his right, allowing the thief to stumble forward. Felix drove his knee into the man's stomach before spinning and driving the hilt of his sword into the back of the Lunpan's head.
As he looked back to the couple watching in fear, he yelled out to them again. "What are you waiting for? Hurry and go!"
"B-But, they're coming from that direction," the woman called back fearfully, holding up her husband who had suffered a kick to his stomach.
"Don't worry, I can sense them. They are all moving to the south to attack the rest of the village. Nothing will stop you from getting into the caves now. Please, you must hurry while you still can! Go!" Needing no other command, the two Valeans at last made for the safety that the north promised.
Hearing multiple screams behind him, Felix turned to see another villager, a man in a group of four, three of them children, trip and fall to the ground as a Lunpa soldier charged him. The man screamed for his children to run before the sword of his killer brought his screams to an end with a slice through his neck. A simultaneous mix of rage and guilt blurred Felix's mind as he raised a palm and uttered, low and focused, "Clay Spire…"
Stone-like formations crashed upon the soldier and brought him to his knees with a pained grunt. Felix charged the downed soldier this time, resisting the urge to deal the same fate he had granted the innocent man, and once again brought his hilt smashing into the back of the man's head. The Venus Adept looked down at the unconscious man for a moment before turning away to leave.
"What are you doing?!" Felix turned in surprise to see a teenaged Valean boy no older than sixteen come out of hiding from inside a besieged house alongside his younger sister and brother, pointing and screaming at the soldier. "Kill him! Why aren't you killing him? Like he did to my dad!"
Felix did not answer, inwardly feeling shaken at the hatred in the boy's voice and eyes. The boy's face was familiar and had not changed too much from when Felix had last seen him, when he was ten years old and had been happily playing with his friends, chasing the little dogs that went running through the town which had still been undergoing reconstruction at the time, just months before the war had begun. Jarring was too light a word to describe the difference between the smiling boy and the rage-filled teenager; horrifying would probably be the word Felix would have chosen.
"Just go," he yelled out to the boy. "Hurry and run to the caves. You're in danger here."
"Don't give me that! You saw what he did to my dad, didn't you?! He deserves it!"
Felix looked down at the man again. Perhaps he did deserve it, but then again, perhaps he did not. Whether truly a murderer or an innocent man, Felix knew that that which cursed him rendered such questions irrelevant, and it was not his place to administer such justice.
"Fine! I'll do it… you stupid coward…" The boy eyed the soldier's sword, purpose filling his eyes.
"I told you to go," Felix responded and fixed the boy with a cold look to hopefully frighten him into obeying, watching as the boy glared back and his siblings shrank back from the look on Felix's face. "You don't want them to see something like this. I know you don't. Just go."
The boy turned around to look at his sister and brother, both of whom were crying, looking at him with tear-stained eyes. The rage on his face dissipated for a second, leaving a look of compassion and worry before they too were gone, leaving only a mask of stoic determination. "Let's go," the boy finally replied before turning around and sending a scathing look in Felix's direction. "How many times are you going to come back and bring something horrible with you?! Nobody wants you here! Just go away and never come back!"
Felix said nothing as he watched the children, now the only surviving members of their family, move north towards the caverns as fast as they could, never looking back. Behind him, a sneaking thief grinned at his opportunity and started to run towards him, the point of his sword aimed directly at Felix's back.
"Searing Beam!"
A flash of orange illuminated the area behind him, and a scream was heard along with an explosive blast, and he turned to see the attacker fall to the ground, down and out. Felix looked to the right to see the origin of the powerful blast of Psynergy, and could not help but feel something resembling pride to see Jenna on her feet, sword in hand. She looked as though it had only been days since their journey across Weyard had ended, and was not in the least bit hindered by the sickness still present within her.
"Watch your back," Jenna called as she made her way towards her brother, motioning to the fallen Lunpan soldier. "He was coming up behind you."
"I knew," Felix said softly in response, cocking his head to the south, in the direction of the area that had become the plaza of the new Vale. The two siblings could see flashes of purple and blue, indicating that half of their quartet had already made it to the area. "Let's go. A lot of people gathered over there when Lunpa made its way through the north gate. We need to redirect them back to the caves."
"Felix!"
He ceased his mental preparation to run to the plaza and looked back at Jenna.
"I know you're going to say this isn't the time, but I don't care," Jenna said, clearly resolute in her desire to say what was on her mind. "Because I don't know if I'm going to get another chance. I'll be quick. Felix… he was wrong. He was just angry. Vale needs you back, your friends want you back, and your sister wants you back. And yes, I do need to tell you this because I could tell how much he hurt you. But more than that, I know you, Felix. I know that you think you can't ever come back, but you can. You just don't want to believe that."
Felix was silent as he listened and took in her words.
"So don't you dare walk out on me again. Ever. I swear I will chase you and kick your ass if you ever do it again. Even if everybody else in this stupid damn world wanted you gone, I want you here. And if you can honestly say that that won't keep you here… that it doesn't mean anything to you… then my brother really is dead, just like I thought he was every damn day for the last four years." She raised a hand to her eyes, refusing to let her tears run freely. "I can't take another funeral, Felix. I can't and I won't." Silence passed for two seconds before Jenna nodded her head in the same direction Felix had indicated. "Now let's go."
The two siblings began their sprint towards the brewing hell in what was left of their hometown. Not another word was spoken. Not another word needed to be spoken.
"It is him." The dark blue man turned to face his companion to his right, the man in black, looking almost camouflaged with the night as he spoke again. "Tune your senses. He is approaching."
"It is true," Alex agreed, looking around as if he were surveying a vast wasteland despite being surrounded only by trees. "But he is quite adept at masking his presence to some degree, no doubt intentional to keep us blind from where he will choose to intervene. Of course, it does not matter. We need not expend any more energy than we need to in forming our own intervention. Once he makes his move, we will be able to catch him off guard."
"If he even makes his move, you mean," Garet remarked, bitterness seeping from every word. "Can't you sense it? Those Lunpa forces that were supposedly 'improved' by the curse are getting carved up down there. Even without Felix's help, they would be perfectly capable of turning the tide against these idiots." He walked forward to move closer to the leader of the group, speaking in his direction. "Believe me, I know their fighting. No amount of 'dark power' or reawakening of some primal instinct is going to make the thieves any more capable of subduing our targets."
"Much as it pains me to say it, Garet is quite right," Alex chimed in with a smirk. "The few soldiers that there are could potentially pose a threat, given that they actually bothered to train themselves properly, but they are vastly outnumbered by the brutes that were solely employed to push and shove the Lunpa populace about while being paid in filth, drink, and the company of unwilling women. They are not warriors; I would barely deem them worthy of the title of 'human'."
"Are the two of you asking something of me? Or are you simply attempting to anger me by mocking my abilities?" Silence met the words of the blue man, and he simply turned around, allowing his gaze to travel right past Garet and Alex, both of whom turned as well to follow his gaze. There sat the Monster of Lunpa, standing ready but not moving until commanded, the only signs of life being its breathing and occasional blinking.
"Tell me, why else would I not have just beheaded this thing and left its head in the center of Lunpa as a message to all who oppose our order? I admit, this was not part of my original plan, but it was always a possibility that this creature's abilities would be useful to our cause." The blue man turned to his right again and nodded, a nonverbal command to his closest companion. The man in black showed no signs of movement, staring straight ahead as Toadonpa began to trudge forward in the direction of the town, its actions dictated by its new master.
Unseen to all, Feizhi watched the man in black with a worried look. In her mind, she struggled to understand the motivations of this strange figure, one second acting against their leader, the next following his every whim, her thoughts reaching only a wall of uncertainty and confusion. Every event is veiled now. I am sorry, warriors of Vale, that I can do no more except hope. Please… be safe, and survive this trial.
Garet remained silent as he watched, ignoring and pushing away every urge he had to yell in opposition. This was you, Isaac. You did this… and you will answer for it.
Alex watched with his usual stoic expression, inwardly simultaneously praising and chastising Felix for his choice to turn against the order he had sold his soul to. For what it is worth, Felix… you always were the only one of your little octet of fools that I could proudly call a worthy companion of mine. A pity that this should be your end…
"Stone Spire!"
"Supercool!"
"Dragon Fume!"
"Spark Plasma!"
Flashes of yellow, red, purple and blue light illuminated what was left of the settlement of Vale and made five silhouettes visible in the night. The screams of Psynergetic attacks filled the air, the lights of Psynergetic spells following the commands of their respective casters. Bodies of Lunpa men littered the ground, many of them still moving but in too much pain to continue their assault.
The attacks came to a stop as those from Lunpa who had not yet fallen suddenly ceased their relentless charge towards their superior opponents and began to back away in an eerie unison, slowly disappearing into the blackness of the night, leaving their companions behind.
Alone in the center of the plaza now, the four Adepts observed their surroundings with their backs to each other, each trying to keep calm after their exhausting fight and expending of much energy. Though agitated, within themselves they felt a certain calmness that none of them had felt for years. With the return of just one to the fold, half of their group was reunited, fighting as one just as they had during that fateful journey.
The calm was shattered as an animalistic roar struck fear into each of them, right to their very cores. All four faced the direction of the sound, preparing themselves, and saw a beast charging towards them right out of the night, as if summoned from some dark, wicked plane and sent into their cherished world that had a beauty amidst so much tragedy that was still worth defending, even from a monster such as this.
The Adepts cast the same four spells as before, the strongest they could muster, and each struck the beast, knocking it off balance for a second or two. But almost immediately, it righted itself and opened its jaws to unleash another enraged roar before it suddenly leapt forward and seemed to slide along the ground at an incredible speed right towards its prey, breaking right through the quartet and sending them all flying backwards to the ground.
Jenna struggled to her feet and instinctively raised her Phaeton's Blade towards the monster just a few feet away. "Heat Wave…" she whispered, feeling a warmth surrounding her.
A bright orange plume of fire burst from her very being towards Toadonpa, but the creature immediately opened its jaws wide and a cloud of black fire, a perversion of the Dark Blessing, seemed to explode from within itself, striking the Psynergetic spell and pushing it back towards its caster. Jenna released her spell and dove to the side to avoid the monster's attack, which struck the ground with a small explosion.
As Toadonpa turned its naturally grinning face to focus its attention on Jenna, Piers quickly struck next as its attention was focused on her. "Freeze Prism!"
At once, gigantic icebergs seemed to rain down on Toadonpa, shattering on impact, and knocking it to the side. Righting its large frame, Toadonpa wasted no time in sending another Dark Blessing towards Piers, and the Lemurian answered back with a Djinni summon. "Shade!" With a flash of blue light, a glowing watery shield was projected around him, halting the attack, but only temporarily as the shields gave way seconds later.
Piers screamed as the fire made contact with his body, the sheer force knocking him backwards. Piers tried to steady himself, doubled over and trying to ignore the pain fluttering over every inch of his skin. He heard and felt a crash right before him, undoubtedly the result of a great leap from the monster, and looked up just in time to see one of Toadonpa's claws lash out and leave three large scratches across his torso.
Piers felt the warm blood running down his chest and stomach, dropping his sword and placing his hands over his chest, instinctively trying to heal himself. He was barely able to scream from the sheer shock of the brutal attack. The monster whirled around, swiftly striking Piers with its tail before his work was done, and the wounded Piers was again sent to the ground, his head striking the earth, knocking him out.
Saliva dripped from the monster's jaws as it eyed Piers' fallen body hungrily, but it paid the price for a lack of attention once more as the Psynergetic representations of a fireball, lightning bolts, and a gigantic sword struck it simultaneously, prompting a roar of pain as it was violently pushed to the ground on its side by the attacks.
Jenna ran towards Piers and knelt beside him, holding both her hands above him before whispering, "Cool Aura." A soft red glow of healing energy emanated from her hands and flowed into her fallen friend, but the sound of another roar informed her of her lack of time, and she pulled away from the still-unconscious Piers as soon as the cuts had been closed, leaving painful looking scars.
Sheba and Felix both jumped out of the way of a leaping crouch from Toadonpa, both feeling the ground shake from such a close impact. Sheba turned around to face Toadonpa once more and just barely dodged a claw, but Toadonpa swung its tail at her in the same motion as its body turned from the missed swipe. The impact was less than it could have been, only sending Sheba stumbling from the strike, and she immediately recovered to take aim with her staff.
"Tornado!" Fierce cyclones took shape around Toadonpa, and the monster let out roars of pain as they tore at its flesh, but the force of the wind proved ineffective against its massive size, failing to knock it over. With a mighty leap, Toadonpa tore right through the constructs of powerful wind and began to charge at a shocked Sheba.
Sheba felt her breath escape her throat as she felt arms encircle her waist and bring her to the ground in a running jump, just barely getting her out of the way of the charging creature. Toadonpa hissed in frustration at its missed target, and was distracted from her yet again as Felix leapt forward with a scream of, "Echo!", and struck its body with his sword, another blast of earthen energy striking it immediately after as a yellow image of a Venus Djinni surrounded Felix, granting him power.
Breathing heavily, Sheba turned her head to see Jenna beginning to pick herself up from the ground, and felt a surge of gratitude towards her best friend. She was about to voice a sentiment of thanks, but was silenced by the harsh look Jenna suddenly gave her as she looked in her direction. It was quick, fleeting, but it resonated nonetheless.
"Get up," Jenna said fiercely. "And watch yourself. I can't be looking after you all the time!" With that, Jenna ran forward to enter the fray once more.
Felix swung his Gaia Blade to make contact with one of Toadonpa's claws as it came flying in his direction, successfully slicing it and causing the monster to stumble backwards in pain as it clutched its wounded claw. Turning to see his sister approaching, Felix yelled out to her. "Jenna, get ready! Meld!"
As she ran forward as well, Sheba watched with an almost prideful feeling building up inside as the two previously estranged siblings were surrounded by a golden light of energy as they leapt forward and simultaneously struck the beast head on. Seeing her chance, Sheba concentrated and called forth her own summon. "Blitz!" Toadonpa was then struck with a staff crackling with purple electricity, staggering and howling with pain.
But the brief sense of victory was short lived as Toadonpa immediately seemed to recover and glare down at Sheba, opening its jaws to unleash another Dark Blessing. Sheba tried to prepare a Psynergetic spell to fight back, but her mind was then clouded with the pain of the burning blackness. Through the pained haze, Sheba could only think of how the pain she was now experiencing must have been what Piers had felt before a mighty claw sent her flying and crashing to the ground, and all was black.
Hearing a cry of simultaneous anger and worry, Toadonpa turned its head towards the sound, its natural instinct—what remained of it—enticing it to ignore the fallen ones and focus on the last two hostile creatures that would soon just be part of its evening meal. Calling upon a surge of energy, Toadonpa took a mighty leap towards Jenna and Felix, and though they moved aside in time, a black surge of energy that was once purple in color burst from its body, the shockwave sending the two to the ground, separated from each other once more.
Felix struggled to his feet, instinctively raising his sword. His eyes widened as he saw the creature was starting towards Jenna, who was also attempting to get up from the last attack. Were he granted the luxury of calm reflective thought in the moment, Felix would have wondered when last he had been forced to run as fast as he was now, but his mind was a blur, the only semi-coherent thought in his head of getting his sister out of harm's way.
His mind began to clear as he pushed Jenna out of the way of another strike, but it clouded once more when the same slashing movement struck his blade and sent it flying to the side. Felix opened his mouth to call out a Psynergy spell, but all that came out of his mouth was a strangled gasp as his ears discerned the sound of Jenna's horrified scream, and his eyes just barely saw the other hand of Toadonpa shoot towards him in a stabbing motion before everything seemed to go cloudy. Looking down slowly and in shock, Felix's vision slowly cleared and he took in the sight of a monstrous claw right before him, two curved and disgusting nails now wet with blood as they impaled his stomach.
Toadonpa pulled its hand back allowing Felix's blood to issue forth from his wound and splash upon the ground before raising one of its feet to kick him away, the ferocity of the blow sending the Venus Adept flying backwards and crashing right through the wall of one of the houses that had surrounded the plaza. Jaws opened wide, and with another powerful torrent of black fire, the house was reduced to a pile of debris.
Jenna heard her sword fall to the ground, never quite realizing when she had let it go. Her body told her to stand, but her blank mind caused her to fall to her knees, her eyes on the destroyed remains of the house now burying her brother. In a daze, she looked about the battlefield, the once quiet and peaceful plaza of her home, and looked upon the motionless bodies of Sheba and Piers.
In a brief moment of clarity following her initial shock, she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. She felt like screaming out of how little sense it all made, how unjustifiably cruel it all was. How everything—all they had done, all the battles they had fought together, all the happy moments, all the promises and hopes shared between the four that the war that had torn the world asunder was only a passing storm that would soon die down as all storms did… and most recently, all the hopes she had held that Felix would never leave her side again—could be rendered so meaningless so easily.
Jenna then became aware of a growing shadow, and turned her head to see Toadonpa slowly walking towards her. Its eyes glared at her and its drooling mouth and curved fangs opened wide to unleash a Dark Blessing aimed directly at her. With a roar came the cloud of blackness…
Jenna did not resist.
All was hopeless.
"It is over," the man in black spoke softly. "The Alchemist's allies are defeated."
"So soon," Alex murmured, a statement to himself rather than a reply. "Perhaps I did underestimate the curse."
"As many do before they are consumed by it," the man in blue replied. There was an unmistakable tone of frostiness in his voice. "What a tragedy for us all. Such youth and power, wasted."
"They are not dead," Garet said, trying to control his heavy breathing, sensing the faint energies of the fallen. "Not yet. Call that creature off now. We still need them."
"I am restraining the ferocity of the creature," the man in black spoke, sounding as though he were voicing a contemplative thought to himself. He finally moved, casting a look in the direction of the man in blue. "Shall I have it return to us?"
"No," the man in blue responded, turning to face Garet. "I'm afraid we no longer have any 'need' of them. Alive, anyway. Not with the Alchemist so close. In addition, you were right about one thing, Garet. Their combined strength is something to behold. Even the monster was staggered more than a few times, and the rest of our forces were being eliminated quickly. As such, they are a very great threat. And all threats, as you know, are to be eliminated." Turning to his companion in black, he spoke in an audible whisper. "Allow the beast to consume them."
"No!" Garet cried out, drawing multiple gazes in his direction. He calmed himself and tried to speak rationally. "You can't do that. You said they would be spared, and that they would be used to draw Isaac in and then it would be over. You can't just… alter the agreement!"
"Agreement?" The blue man's voice was tinged with dark amusement. "You wound me, Garet. Are you insinuating that you set terms with me that I would then be bound to by my honor? Tell me, when did this imaginary meeting take place? If such an event occurred, I'd love to hear about it."
"But… you…"
"Because as far as I can remember, not once have you ever spoken up about how you wished your former companions to be treated."
"You… you said to us…"
"I repeated the deal that I made with Felix. He was the one who made me promise not to force him to endure the deaths of those he loved, a promise I was more than happy to keep to until he decided to walk the path of the betrayer, and naturally, agreements with traitors are null and void. You are not also planning to walk that path, are you, my friend?"
"No, I…" Garet clenched his fists painfully tightly and his entire body shook with rage. "Just… look, whether or not it was an agreement with Felix specifically, you said to us all that they would not be harmed. You gave your word to us all in that moment!"
"You are grasping for a case now, dear friend." A cold smile began to appear on the blue man's face, though his voice held no amusement any longer. "You will be now be silent and question my orders no longer."
"You're breaking the deal!" Garet yelled, and in a flash, his Fire Brand was unsheathed and raised, the tip pointed at the blue man's throat. All around him was movement as everyone turned to face him. The man in black watched in silence, Alex had an apprehensive look on his face, Feizhi looked fearful, and the man in blue simply continued to smile with an almost knowing air. "You can't kill them like this! I won't let you!"
"So you have chosen betrayal as the rational course of action," the blue man said. "How… utterly unfortunate. Valeans are so… untrustworthy, it seems."
"Call off the monster," Garet spoke, each word given emphasis and dripping with strong dislike of the man they were directed at. "Right now. All I ask is for them to live and to be set free when we have Isaac. I am not leaving this group or betraying you. All I want is this one simple thing."
"Alex."
At once, Alex's eyes flashed and a blast of Psynergy sent Garet flying backwards with a yell of anger and pain as he hit the ground. Before Garet could pick himself up, a flash of blue light told him Alex had teleported near to him and he felt a hand grasp his shoulder.
"Consider your request denied, old friend." With a final yell of rage and opposition, Garet disappeared with a burst of light along with Alex.
Feizhi, watching the commotion helplessly, winced from the sudden bright display in the dark night, colors dancing in her blinking eyes. She turned to see the blue man looking directly at her, his face unreadable.
"Four companions lost in a matter of days," he said, beginning to take a few steps forward. "That our order is failing so rapidly is most unfortunate… and curious. Do you not agree?"
"I do," she responded softly, beginning to feel the cold hand of fright grip her as he neared. Her fingers twitched as she instinctively regarded her concealed blades, ready to use them if necessary. "It is very curious."
"Indeed. Curious that it should occur when the Alchemist is just about to make his move and right when we spring our trap. Such things take planning, secrecy, the right words, and working in the shadows with likeminded and similarly misguided souls."
The blue man began to encircle Feizhi, speaking calmly as he paced in a slow, deliberate circle. "And while the only person I can truly trust in this world has given you his very rare vote of confidence, I must admit that this string of betrayals has had me wondering where your loyalties truly lie. And that even if they do lie with our cause, whether they will change at the moment we encounter your dear friend once again. She and you were always very close, were you not? Not so different from Garet and his Valean friends."
"My loyalties lie only with the darkness," Feizhi responded, her hands shaking. "Of that, you can be certain."
"That is quite untrue. I cannot be certain of anything, as this night has proven. The free will of humans is such an… obstacle. As such, it is with great sorrow that I must do this. Shadow Bolt."
At his calmly spoken words, a crackling bolt of black lightning fired forth from his form, catching Feizhi off-guard. She could not even sense the attack before the bolts surged through her now uncontrollably shaking body, crackling and sparking all over. Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground, writhing and crying out. Then it was over, and Feizhi's body continued to shake from the pain as she gasped and whimpered, her arms crossed as she grabbed hold of them with both her hands, as if hoping it would ebb the pain away.
She looked up to see the man in blue looking down at her, the beginnings of a smile on his face. The man in black watched in silence, unreadable as always.
"As I have stated to you before, as someone who was granted your abilities through the influence of the Psynergy stones six years ago, you stand to be affected by Dark Alchemy once the light of Jupiter is enshrouded. As such, I humbly ask that you consider this merely an act of bringing about an inevitable result more quickly than originally anticipated. You understand, of course."
"Please… do not…"
"Dark Curse."
Feizhi's final thoughts were of Hama's smiling face, a beautiful and perfect image in her mind that was very soon lost amid swirling and boundless blackness.
The blue man looked down upon Feizhi's motionless form, the corners of his lips rising as she began to rise after a few moments of silence. Black eyes opened, and the new slave to darkness was greeted by an overjoyed whisper. "Welcome to our order. I look forward to working alongside you."
The almost mocking smile faded suddenly as a bright light seemed to flood the world for a second, bathing all in brightness, prompting his partner to speak.
"He is here."
Like a small sun, a large glowing sphere of orange fire gave light to every shadowed corner of the land on this night. Materializing from seemingly nowhere, blackened eyes, once a glowing red, looked upon it with confusion. A soft, animalistic growl was heard as instinct gave way to sensations of danger. A whisper heard only by the speaker was uttered among the rumbling sound of sheer power being brought into existence.
"Megiddo…"
All was bright.
"Yet always, hope endures…" –Gandalf, from that Return of the King game that nobody remembers.
Disclaimer: Yep.
Many thanks to reviewer "anon". Words cannot adequately describe how grateful I am that someone finds something to enjoy in my work. Don't know if you're reading this, but thanks all the same. One day, I plan to thank a reviewer in an update that doesn't come a year after the comment.
Edit 8/21/2014: Thanks again to anon for catching my error in the Sheba and Piers scene. Don't know how I kept missing that, but I despise when I do, so thank you.
So yeah, this chapter will either be really easy or really tough to read. On the one hand, it was packed with fight scenes and destruction. On the other, it was packed with fight scenes and destruction. Either way, my apologies(1). To counterbalance that, I tried to give each character some special moment to make each scene unique. Sheba made good use of her prophecy and got to be an awesome one-woman army, Felix's demons were calmed by Jenna's verbal dropkick, and Piers spoke with and even managed to vex the grand architect himself. Here's hoping I succeeded.
Shocking(2) plot developments next time! This next chapter will definitely not take as long a time to get done (not that anybody's shaking with anticipation) as a lot of ideas finally came back to me after a long dark period of inactivity. This is ClairvoyantMoonchild, still regretting this story's stupid title but too lazy to change it, signing off.
(1) Further apologies if these silly little self-analyses at the end of my chapters make me seem like more of a pretentious jerk than I really am. This is just how I amuse myself, and hopefully someone else out there who doesn't mind "witty" commentary. I suppose it's easy enough to just skip these anyway.
(2) Provided you've never, ever, ever been exposed to the myriad forms of media which contain convoluted world domination plots involving a "darkness" element… aw, damn it.