Chapter 9: Annihilation
Almost as if he heard me, Azerli spun around and sliced the foolish demon open. Trigon took this opportunity to charge again. Azerli did an acrobatic flip and landed on the other side of Trigon.
Azerli slammed his sword deep into Trigon's back. Trigon roared in fury, not really in pain, I knew. Azerli dodged another swing downward. Trigon ripped his sword out of the ground. Azerli took this chance to make another deep gash on Trigon's side.
Trigon swung his sword horizontally, a cut that would have taken a lesser fighter's head off. Azerli ducked under and deepened Trigon's wound. I saw Trigon's look. He was starting to get serious.
Trigon surged forward, executing a series of cuts and jabs that Azerli barely dodged and blocked. Trigon sent a kick towards Azerli's face that sent Azerli rolling out of the way. Azerli was not in a defensible position, and Trigon took advantage of it. He sent another kick and Azerli dodged. Straight into Trigon's awaiting sword.
"Azerli! No!" I cried out and a bright light filled the room. I found myself on my knees next to Azerli. I lifted Azerli's head to my lap. I started on a healing spell. Azerli raised his bloody hands that had instinctually gone to his stomach, a stomach that had been completely run through. His hand stopped my movements.
"Raven." His eyes were dulling as he spoke, and I knew he was fighting to stay alive. To tell me what was so important to him. "Azerli." Tears ran down my face. "Don't cry. It doesn't suit your…ugh…personality."
I laughed lightly. "Azerli, you're making jokes when you should be getting healing." I tried to start my healing spell again, but he stopped me again, his hand on my cheek. His eyes were serious, with no hint of the humor he had. "You already saved me once. I heard your voice. I'm glad you're here now. I was worried, that I would never tell you."
"Tell me what?" I tried to make myself believe he was fine, he wasn't dying. He couldn't! He couldn't be coughing blood. He was the first person who saw me as the individual I had become.
"I love you Raven. Azarath has blessed you. I can finally see what was different about you all this time."
"You can't leave me Azerli!"
"You will survive, Raven. I see it. I wish we could have spent more time together. Then we might have loved." His eyes dulled completely and I knew he was dead. Killed by my father.
"How very touching." I heard Trigon say. I stood, lying Azerli's head on the ground softly. Trigon hadn't changed back yet. Tears flooded my eyes.
"Trigon, you bastard!" I picked up Azerli's sword, readying to fight. A bright flash emanated from the sword and I closed my eyes. When the spots left my eyes, I saw Azar in front of me. But it wasn't Azar; it was someone else inside Azar.
She stood standing off between me and Trigon. I watched her with curiosity, while Trigon glared at her, a mix of anger and maybe …fear? "Azar?" He growled. The woman smiled and I felt comforted, while Trigon scowled.
"Only in part." Her voice was musical, nothing like the raspy tones that Azar had, but still, this woman had a look that reminded me profoundly of Azar. Perhaps Azar when she was younger.
"Trigon." She didn't seem to the smiling tone she had a second before. "I will not let you destroy my domain. These people have lived and prayed for peace. I will not allow you to harm them any longer. This is no longer the affair of mortals, but of the gods as well."
Trigon scowled at her. "The business of mortals is none of your affair, Azarath. Especially if she is of my race, not yours." Azarath! I was looking at the mighty goddess herself! I fell to my knees in prayer. Azarath ignored me, completely intent on Trigon.
"She is my chosen. I have planned great things for her."
"As have I."
"I will not allow her to be used for evil."
"You have no choice. It has been prophesized."
"I know of this prophesy. I know of another that will also be true."
"There is no other!"
"You would deny it Trigon, but it is true. She may have been born of you and infected with your curse, but she has her mother's soul, and that shall overcome."
"Her mother was weak!"
"Her mother was impossibly strong! She gave herself for her daughter's future."
"The gem is mine."
"Raven is her own being."
"Raven, the Azarathian symbol of evil?"
"A raven is my symbol. She is my chosen."
"Never!"
"Always."
Trigon roared. I lifted my head up from my prayers. Azarath and Trigon were faced off, Trigon returned to his demon form. "I will not let you take her."
"You would give up on your own people for her?"
"My people will survive. Raven is the worry now. I will not let you take her."
Trigon looked angrier than I had ever seen him. "THEN I WILL DESTROY YOUR MEASLY PLANET AND THE GEM ALONG WITH IT!" He roared. The ground started to shake, and I felt to the ground, hands resting on Azerli's Twilight Sword and the mirror.
"Azarath!" I shouted. Azarath stood facing Trigon. "Run Raven! Use the mirror!" I got up and the demon mirror glowed white in front of me, growing wider and wider, till it reached the size of door.
"Azarath!" I called again, knowing that I would never see her again. "Go!" She turned to face me and smiled. She waved sadly as I walked through the door. "Be safe Raven. Trust only with caution."
I stepped into the door of light, Azerli's Twilight Sword in hand. Light swirled around me, mixed with darkness. Stars flew past me in a blur. I saw another door of light, and tumbled through it.
I landed on rough concrete.
