Chapter 26: Stairway to hell
Knives was in the middle of agility training. Speed was a difficult attribute to train, but it could be done. Knives vaulted over a wall, cut down a pair of target dummies and sprinted for her next target. Every lunge stretched her body to the maximum, and every cut tried to be faster than the last. Knives' new crystal daggers seemed to improve her power when she was only in proximity to them. They made her feel faster, more vindictive, more dangerous.
Li-Yen was improving her magical abilities. Target dummies glowed with primary colours as she shifted her charges around, solving random arrangements like puzzles. She frowned as she sent a red charge to the wrong target, while waiting a second before being able to move it again.
Llarian watched over the two. As an angel, he could never physically or mentally tire of fighting Beleth, but the immortals were not engaged in combat for the moment, due to a certain deal that had been struck.
Knives was to champion Llarian, and the virtues of Heaven: Valor, Justice, Wisdom, Hope and Fate…
But Li-Yen didn't have enough hope. Or fate on her side. And while she was no coward, she didn't truly exemplify valor in battle.
Knives had stepped in with her best attempt yet at wisdom. "Fight for hell. It's easy to sin, and I'll forgive you."
Li-Yen had had to agree, with no other alternative. She opted to champion Beleth, and use the seven sins to convince him to empower her. Greed, Wrath, Pride, Gluttony, Sloth, Lust and Envy. Li-Yen had partially wanted to be sick at the thought of intentionally being the worst person she could possibly be, but in a strange way… it was for the greater good.
"But why can't you go down this path? All these are easy compared to the abstracts of Wisdom and Fate, Knives?" Li-Yen had asked.
"I can't feel pride. I can only feel bitterness, regret and maybe a little satisfaction when I kill things." Knives deadpanned.
Li-Yen sighed "You forgot hatred. Although you have also exhibited some disgust, contempt, malice and hostility, mostly to our foes."
And so, Li-Yen was being absolutely terrible, while Knives was strictly virtuous, despite their conversations.
The two of them stopped training for lunch. Knives sat cross-legged as Li-Yen ate.
"So… are you sure this is going to count? If I overdo any of these sins of yours… won't it affect my combat abilities?" Said Li-Yen.
"Yes, and in a way… I think I can use them to prove my wisdom. If I keep setting up situations that let you get jealous, or be greedy, or a glutton, without letting you overdo it… I think that can prove my wisdom, right?" Said Knives.
"We're still counting on me being jealous… I don't really like it, but I have to be strong. And I have to balance it. I can't let this path to power guide me."
Knives looked at Li-Yen "Oh, quit it with the 'I'm a noble sacrifice' rubbish. You're going to get stronger, that's all. Now come on, I have more training to do."
Li-Yen stayed sitting. "I've been thinking… I might need some kind of tool to use my magic more effectively. Some kind of wand, or maybe a tome?"
"Choose whichever one looks better on you." Knives said, leaping away.
Li-Yen walked into hell's side calmly. The area they trained in was eerily calm when there was no training, devoid of enemies and allies alike. Eventually, she reached the statue of Beleth. She knelt, considering what to say. She realised this was why she was chosen to receive power from Beleth. She could twist words like nobody else in the group, and pay homage to evil without ever risking her heart.
"Lord Beleth, I seek favour. Grant me new powers in the service of myself, a wand of valuable gold and rare gemstones to amplify the destruction I will visit upon my foes." She intoned.
The statue burned, and answered the call. "Your request is of pride, greed and wrath… I am pleased."
The fire coalesced into a point at the front of the statue, and a beautifully gilded wand inset with amber was spat out. It was extremely extravagant, and Li-Yen knew it, but when she picked it up, she couldn't help but feel like a conductress holding a baton. She smiled, realising she could use that feeling.
"Excellent. I will play a symphony of destruction for all to be captivated by." Li-Yen said grandly.
She turned and walked away, hoping that her words were enough.
Her new wand boosted her ease of fighting immensely. Previously, she'd been struggling to switch her targets quickly, but now she could fry two or three key targets in a matter of seconds. She twirled the gilded stick with grace and confidence, flourishing her gestures.
Knives was still setting up opportunities for Li-Yen. She was careful to always show off her advantages of speed and focus around her, never letting her know of her disadvantages of physical strength and lack of judgement. It was tough to conceal, but Knives could see that she was making it easy for Li-Yen to be jealous. And all the while, Knives trained. Her daggers had cut apart more enemies in the last few days than anyone else, and she was learning how to deflect, evade and resist attacks with greater finesse than ever before.
A week passed. Li-Yen had made an art of talking to Beleth in a way that exaggerated her sins, and Knives was approaching the deadline to ask Llarian for his judgement and power. But one question still haunted them: Would it be enough to satisfy the lords?
Li-Yen and Knives were performing more advanced training now. They were fighting together against hordes of practice dummies that advanced towards the pair. Knives was fuelling herself with anger given form, tearing apart her foes savagely while never taking significant damage. Li-Yen gracefully and confidently twirled her wand, bringing crashing bolts of lightning to bear upon her foes. But they kept coming, as that was the point of this exercise: Stamina. Just endless enemies until the girls ran out of fight.
The problem was that Knives would never 'run out of fight'. Li-Yen was only starting to appreciate how much rage was locked inside Knives, even though it had manifested as her weapons. Li-Yen's mana reserves ran dry, and her electric charges flickered out, but Knives just kept going. She evaded blow after blow after blow. Her daggers were never more than a second away from a kill. Training dummies littered the area, slowly but surely forming a hill of broken wooden forms, magically beyond repair. They were not the strongest foes…but Li-Yen looked on in awe as the pile climbed higher. Taking on an army of anything would be considered a suicide by most, but Knives was unstoppable.
Li-Yen checked the time. Knives had been going for almost fifteen minutes at this pace. The hill of broken foes was growing into a mountain. Eventually, something unexpected but inevitable happened: The pile of training dummies collapsed. They came tumbling down around Li-Yen, and as far and fast as Knives could jump, she couldn't fly. She reached the ground, and impacted with a thump. Li-Yen considered stepping in and continuing the fight on Knives' behalf, but realised she couldn't, for the sake of receiving power. So she let them come.
Once a dummy touched Knives, all of them disappeared, concluding the training. Knives had already been halfway to her feet, and was annoyed to find her endless supply of punching bags had been taken away. "Did you really have to let them come? I know you have to get sloth as a sin but come on, sweetling!" Knives twisted the word 'sweetling' until it was very, very sour.
"Well, getting you angry would make you more powerful, right?" Said Li-Yen with a small, smug smile.
Knives turned an odd shade of red. Before she could explode, however, she closed her eyes and said something in a different language.
Li-Yen looked at her sideways "What was that?"
"Thalassian."
"But what does it mean?"
"'Gods, give me patience, because if you give me strength I'll kill them'. I sure hope that learning it counts as wisdom, because it's a good quote."
"It does indeed, mortal." Rang out a new voice. Llarian. "Your time available draws to a close, as the war ticks on. Return to my altar, and you shall be judged."
Beleth followed "Mortal champion of hell! It is time for you to prove your worth. Return!"
Li-Yen looked at Knives nervously. "I… well, good luck my friend. If I die now… it was nice to know all of you."
Knives brushed a hand over her sleeve "Don't sweat it. At worst, you can just warp away. Get going." She turned and walked away. Li-Yen swallowed and walked in the opposite direction.
Li-Yen knelt before the altar of Beleth once again. "Lord Beleth, I have lavished the sins." Lust. "I have championed hell against heaven, and proved we are superior" Pride. "I will crush our foes with utmost joy, and own all that survives, feasting on my spoils while the conquered suffer for opposing." Wrath, Greed, Gluttony. "Yet I still require more power! I cannot abide being weaker than any warrior of heaven!" Envy. "Empower me, and I will never need lift more than a finger to doom my foes." Sloth.
The gigantic statue of Beleth did something unexpected.
It came to life, stepping off its pedestal and unfurling batlike wings. Hellfire arced around his two colossal blades. Li-Yen was terrified. If he'd seen through her lies… If she'd played on her actions too hard…
"Pain, Lies, and Hatred… you are a perfect candidate…" Said Beleth. "You only require the taint of death. Champion Yen… You have but one last trial to prove your worthiness."
"I will complete it, Lord."
"Kill your opponent." Beleth stabbed his blades into the floor, and Li-Yen found herself in the central arena of the battlefield of eternity.
Li-Yen looked around. The smoke vents and terrain could easily be concealing a foe. They had to be. Everything was far too quiet. Neither the endless flames of hell or the soothing waters of heaven could be heard from the central area. Li-Yen stepped forwards carefully, checking the smoke vent. She couldn't see anyone…
The first thing she knew of her attacker was the knife in her back. Li-Yen fell forwards in shock, coming down awkwardly to see her opponent and friend for the last time. Knives' face was stone. Unreadable.
"I… thought I knew you." Choked Li-Yen. And her strength failed her.
Knives was silent for a moment as she looked at Li-Yen. She looked upwards "It is done, Llarian. Fate favours me."
"You are proven beyond doubt. Mortal no more. Rise, hero."
Knives felt her anger reaching breaking point as golden light bathed her.
"I killed my friend for power." She said after a minute. "I didn't even hesitate." She said to nobody in particular. The battlefield felt cold and dark, all of a sudden.
Knives stood where she was.
And waited.
And waited…
"Do I value vengeance so much?" She finally said. "What have I let myself… become?"
She sat down by Li-Yen. "Llarian. In prophecy, all ten of us are to stand before the gateway to the final challenge. But if one of us has fallen how can that come to pass? If this prophecy is impossible… Then I must and will take responsibility. If you know where my ultimate foe is… send me there."
Knives closed her eyes.
She opened them at the end of the worlds.
Author's notes: Two dead, seven ascended. Jack will be the star of the next chapter, and then the final fights will start.
Mpopl2: Welcome to the story! Simon and Lewis had their names taken from the Yogscast because I had writer's block at the time, but that does make them a reference I guess. As for Autumn and Li-Yen… well, I won't be treating death casually.
New talents
Knives
Level 1
Adrenaline Block, while at or above 5 stacks of Hyperactivity, gain 50 physical armour.
Evasive blows, while at maximum Hyperactivity, gain evasion and reduce your basic attack damage by 50%.
Level 13
Resistive mind, gain 40 spell armour. Increase your basic ability cooldowns by 1 second.
Demonic rage, Knives burns nearby enemy heroes for 0.5% of their max HP every second.
Legacy of the hunter, dealing more than X damage to a single target in 3 seconds causes them to take 25% extra damage for X seconds.
Level 16
Emotional drain, Activate to cause Knives' basic attack to heal her for 100% of the damage dealt for 5 seconds. 45 second cooldown.
Discipline of focus, while above 50% of your max HP, your Hyperactivity stacks grant an additional 5% cooldown reduction.
Greater blades, basic attacks cleave for 70% damage. Every 3rd basic attack against a target deals 100% bonus damage.
Level 20
R1 up: Energy explosion, Energy burst increases ability power by 50% for 3 seconds.
R2 up: Deep grudge, Vendetta's bonuses do not dissipate until two takedowns are secured.
Five virtues, Activate to become unstoppable for 1 second. Automatically activates if Knives is stunned. 30 second cooldown.
Li-Yen
Level 4
Red anger, Red lightning also removes 5 mana from affected enemies per hit.
Blue sorrow, Blue lightning deals 50% more damage to enemies it is cast onto directly.
Yellow joy, Yellow lightning grants allied heroes 25 spell armour if it is cast on them directly.
Level 7
Symphony of magic, your basic abilities no longer have a cooldown.
Protective charge, activate to give an ally a green charge for 5 seconds. If they take damage from any enemy while they have a green charge, the enemy is stunned for 0.75 seconds and the charge is removed. 60 second cooldown.
Level 13
Specialised casting, your abilities ignore spell armour. Li-Yen can no longer perform basic attacks.
Level 20
R1 up: Lightning never hits the same place twice?, Lightning strike's cooldown is reduced to 2 seconds.
R2 up: Eye of the storm, Your abilities always hit up to 2 targets, and Lightning storm increases targets to 3.
False sin, activate to refill all mana and reduce your heroic ability's cooldown by 10 seconds.