Chapter 10Into the DarknessThe dead, ravaged forms of monsters lay everywhere. Luckily, however, there were no human ones to join them. The entire army stood around Riev, who was stubbornly standing in front of the entrance, the only enemy left alive. Myrrh had flown back moments before, and although her eyes were red and raw from crying, she would not say what had happened. Eirika suspected it had something to do with her foster father not appearing, and her heart let out a pang of sympathy for the young manakete. Riev laughed maniacally. "You cannot stop it! The one true demon will rise! I will allow no one to interrupt his rituals! Mwhahahaha! I will kill you all! None can best me! I shall-" A bow twanged, and an arrow silenced the dark bishop forever, his evil monologue cut short. Someone in the army cheered. Another yelled "If you're going to kill someone, do it, don't stand around talking!" Eirika, however, was to worried and sick with grief to join in their happiness. She prepared to step over the threshold, but then froze as the horrible truth of what she was going to do hit her with such force that it made her stagger on her feet. "Eirika!" Ephraim said, concerned. He reached forward to hold her up, but she waved his hands away. She looked up at him, with a look of sorrow on her face more intense than any other he had ever seen. "Brother… Lyon? Lyon's…" She turned back towards the darkness, still swaying slightly, as if the next gust of wind would surely knock her over. "Eirika… I know. Don't speak." "I… I… Lyon is… He's really… going to die, isn't he?" Ephraim put a hand on her shoulder. His sister was such a fragile little thing. He mentally cursed the demon whose twisted mind had planned this fate, which had put so much pain upon her kind shoulders…And on Lyon's, as well. The two gentlest people in the world, enduring it's greatest hardship. "We have to keep going. But, Eirika… You can weep now. As much as you need. Weep for me, as well." She stood there silently for a moment, eyes glistening. "No… I… I had better not. Once I start, I won't be able to stop for… a long time. We should get moving. Forward, everyone!" She called. And the army plunged into the dark depths of the temple, as the stars near the sun overhead, showing against the wine-red sky, twinkled as if in mockery of Lyon's plight. "Don't go so far ahead, Eirika!""Lyon's back there! I won't abandon him!""Eirika…" L'Arachel said, playing nervously with her braid. "I've already told you…""I know… but I have to believe there's something I can do to help him. Lyon was always so kind. He wanted nothing more than to help people. It's too terrible to picture him imprisoned by the Demon King. Imprisoned… with no hope of salvation."
Knoll sighed softly. "If it is any consolation... Killing him will be an act of mercy." "Sister… Lyon's my friend too. And If I cannot save him… I'll bring him peace with my own hands, if you can't do it. But rushing forward into a mysterious temple brimming with monsters and getting yourself killed won't help him.""I know…" She slowed, and the company caught up with her. The rain outside started pounding heavily, and they could faintly hear the muffled rumbling noises of thunder over the roar of the water. It was a torrential cascade of liquid, and Eirika hoped they wouldn't have to deal with a flash flood on top of the many substantial problems they had already. The downpour extinguished the sun's light and darkened the room. They continued on until they reached a room much larger than the one they had been in previously. Pillars and glassless windows dominated the room, and there was also a huge sigil of blessing inscribed on the floor and several draconic statues, resting in turquoise pools of water that had accumulated over time. An altar stood solemnly at the end of a broad path between the pillars, and the edges of the room were lost in darkness. All appeared deceptively tranquil."Lyoooon!" Eirika called. The sound echoed off of the pillars, resonating into the dark reaches of the temple. Crows called harshly as they took flight at the sudden disturbance. Silence… and then, a lone, echoing laugh rang through the cold room. "Hello again, Princess. It seems that worthless bishop didn't slaughter your friends for me, though… a pity. Not that it matters. I'm afraid your risky little endeavor is doomed to fail anyway." The dark robed figure who had spoken stepped out from behind a nearby pillar and padded softly towards her. "Demon…" Knoll growled. Fomortiis stopped several paces away, his crooked grin marring Lyon's face. "And hello to you as well. I look forward to killing both of you today. But before that, I want to tell you all something. Your dear young Lyon is as good as dead, and will be completely in a few minutes. Want to know what I did to him? I devoured most of his soul. Bite by bite, slowly. How I savored it. Every last delicious scrap of his small soul I could find. Just as enjoyable as the taste was simply how much it hurt him. It's an extremely agonizing process, having your soul ripped apart, especially when it's done properly and drawn out… Luckily, it's one of my special talents. You've no idea how much his suffering, his pain-filled screams, amused me. It was actually remarkably hard to make him do that, despite how frail he is. He'd cry out, of course, but not scream much. I laughed when he did, though. And you should've seen his face when I told him how I would crush his plans for a better world. How I'd make him torture and murder you three. The agony it caused him to learn of how you'd die was worse than the true pain I caused him, at least in his mind. He has such a pathetic heart, it was hilarious." "You monster!" Ephraim snarled. Eirika trembled with anger, her face turning white at the Demon King's chillingly vivid descriptions of the way he had tormented her friend. He had mentioned some of what he'd been doing when they had seen him before, but this was much worse than anything the demon had said previously. Knoll stared hatefully at him. Everyone else looked just as shaken and pale as they did after hearing such a disturbing speech. Fomortiis snorted scornfully. "Why does this upset you? Why does it anger you to know that torturing him pleased me? What does it matter what happens to that weakling now? He was a sickly cretin whose trivial dreams were nothing but hopeless-""SHUT UP!" Eirika had been about to say the same thing, but her brother had beaten her to it. "Lyon is our friend. Even if he dies, we'll still be friends, always, just as we promised we would be. You stole Lyon's body and corrupted his dreams! I'll crush the life out of you." The demon laughed mirthlessly, smiling nastily. "Your idiocy astounds me. You're just as big a bunch of fools as he is." Eirika bit her lip, quivering with emotion, and then blurted-"Let him go! Take me instead! My body would suffice for the sacrifice!" Ephraim twisted around and stared at her, mouth hanging open. Before he could tell her that he wasn't going to let her do that, the demon spoke. "No… I like my current prisoner. Your ancestors may have helped to trap me, but it was this boy's ancestor alone that sealed me away.I'll have my vengeance on the man through his descendant's death, but don't worry, I'll make sure you go to join him before the eclipse is over." The demon grinned, and again, there was silence. Then Lyon shook his head, and when he looked up again, he was himself.
"Lyon!" "…Eirika?""Lyon… It is you, isn't it, Lyon?!" Eirika asked desperately, almost begging. She took a step forward, but Lyon backed away. If the demon resurfaced when he was close to Eirika… the very thought made him wince. Better to be cautious…"Yes… But I'm… I'm almost completely gone. Before I'm lost entirely, I want to apologize. This is all my fault. I wasn't strong enough… I was… weak. My father… and all those people… are dead because of me. And the people in Grado…the people I swore to protect… soon will be. Because I am weak… people will die. All of this… is my fault. I should have died, and they should have lived…"Eirika shook her head vigorously. Knoll and Ephraim looked at the floor, letting Eirika say what they were thinking."That's not true, and you're not to blame, Lyon! It was the Demon King. He was controlling you… No one could have stopped him. And you were only trying to help others! If I had been in your place, I would have done the same things you did. Everyone has weaknesses, Lyon. You're not the only one. I do. I'm sure my brother does…" Ephraim looked up indignantly at this, but then let his head fall again, shamefully."Don't hate yourself for having these weaknesses, please! You are stronger then you know-no one else I have ever met is as devoted to helping others as you are! And Lyon… you are so selfless. Your generosity seems to flow from a bottomless well… Would you call any of those things weaknesses? And you've survived the Demon King's possession… Surely that must show you have strength!" Ephraim and Knoll both nodded in silent agreement. Lyon looked at them both thankfully, than shifted his gaze back onto Eirika."Thank you, Eirika. You were always… so kind. The Demon King will claim my flesh as a vessel for his resurrection. Before that can happen… I want you to kill me. I'm sorry, Eirika…"She swallowed a lump in her throat. "Lyon… I… I will save you. If that is the only way, then… I shall."Tears slid silently down her cheeks. Lyon wanted to wipe them away, but at any moment, the demon could… She looked so sad. He longed to take that burden from her, bear it himself instead, but he couldn't. Not for lack of trying, though. When he'd found out what the Demon King planned to do with him, he'd tried to kill himself with the knife he carried for self-defense in case magic wouldn't work. But the demon had stopped him, and punished him for his rebellious intentions, naturally. So, unable to purge the sorrow from her, instead he said, quietly, "Please don't cry, Eirika. I remember how beautiful your smiles are… a face such as yours was meant to be happy."With an effort, she smiled at him, tears still clouding her eyes.He smiled back at her, a smile that came from deep inside his heart."Thank you… I'm sorry, Eirika. I'm already so close to death. But, before I die… I want you to know that… I've always-"The malevolent light of the Demon King began to flicker in his eyes."Get away from me, Eirika! Ephraim, Knoll, stop her-!"Lunging forward, Ephraim and Knoll seized Eirika, who had started running towards Lyon. She struggled against them. An agonized look swept across Lyon's face. "Stop it, demon! You're hurting him!" Fomortiis laughed. "Really? I never would have guessed!""Fight him, Lyon! FIGHT HIM!!" Lyon closed his eyes, fought silently."It hurts, Eirika… Ahh!"He fell to his knees, clawing at his own head, as if he could tear out the evil intentions of the demon trapped inside him... caged in Lyon's body, but ironically, his jailer nonetheless. "LYON!!"It was too late. The demonic look returned. Fomortiis had claimed him once again. The demon sneered as he got to his feet. "Oh, please… Are you done turning your failings into some sad epic of personal tragedy? Your body is mine now, and if you'd just stop fighting, lie down, and be still like a good boy, I won't have to keep using pain to remind you of that. It's time we started then. I have a ritual to complete… and some nuisances to kill-""Shut your mouth!"The demon looked at her in surprise. She glared up at him from her enforced position between her two friends. "I won't allow you to desecrate Lyon's body any further. You will not return to this world. I will stop you myself if I must." Fomortiis laughed sadistically. "Ah, is that so? And do you honestly think yourself capable, wench? You once prayed for this fool's salvation. I can see you still do, even now. Can you bring yourself to kill him? To drain the life from the body of your friend?""I can and I will. I made a promise to Lyon, and I intend to honor it."Before anything else could happen, however, Knoll, eyes closed in sorrow, finished the incantation he had been muttering beneath his breath. A jagged line of blue lightning infused with black energy sprang into existence and hurtled at Lyon. The demon leapt aside, avoiding the blow, his eyes glinting with dark joy at the prospect of battle. He began chanting the cabalistic words to a spell-and faltered. Evidently, Lyon was fighting back. He frowned, and runes of transportation flared up around his feet. With a crackle of energy, he teleported to the altar at the far end of the temple. Ephraim and Knoll released Eirika and turned to confront the hordes of milling enemies suddenly surging forth from the darkness, their expressions grim. "Are you ready for this, sister? Wait… where is… EIRIKA!!" Ephraim cried out in dismay as he sighted his sister's lithe form sprinting down the corridor towards Lyon, blue hair flying out behind her. Then he groaned as a wide circle of flame shot up around her, separating her and Lyon from everyone else. And then there was the huge dracozombie-thingy the Demon King was summoning into the circle… He spun around to alert Myrrh to his sister's plight, and then he saw her. Oh crud. Myrrh, exhausted from her last battle, was crouching near a pillar, with Saleh defending her. She would not be able to help Eirika. And he could not reach her, either… So he went back to fighting the monsters at hand, and prayed for her success.