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Part XII

Afternoon of Terminus, Fourth Day of Duskmoon


Just before Matthias stepped through Samuel's portal, he experienced a moment of reluctance. Sweaty palms gripped his staff as he tried to overcome a sudden shortness of breath. He was about to face one of the world's most powerful rogue wizards—one who was augmented by the strength of a sunstone, no less!

Though Samuel would be loath to make use of the Ahriman's powers and expose himself to corruption, he would soon have no choice. Matthias was about to corner him, and it seemed that an encounter with one of the legendary demons was inevitable. Indeed, it would be an epic battle, and Matthias wondered for a moment if he were truly ready.

There was only way to stop Bram's wicked brother and put an end to the Ahrimen's pursuits—and that was Apocalypsis. But, by committing to this path, Matthias would be sealing his own fate. Not that he was afraid to sacrifice himself to protect the world, but … he struggled to comprehend what it meant.

After all, he had renounced his faith in the Goddess years ago, along with all beliefs in an afterlife. The day his wife Angela died, he felt he could no longer worship or revere a deity who had failed to intervene when he needed Her most.

Matthias had done his part. He had made sure everything was right. He had put every Goddess-damned effort into saving Angel's life. All of Vineta's most powerful healers were there, monitoring Angela throughout her pregnancy, seeing to her every need. Yet, it was not enough.

What more could a man have done? An ostensibly loving Goddess had taken away the one thing that meant more to Matthias than anything else in the world. There was no way a seasoned academic like him could let that slide. Matthias had been raised on faith, but he had learned at that moment that there was no Goddess to heed the call of a true believer. At least, not when it really mattered.

But now, Matthias was ready to face his final test. If he truly felt the same way, then death would be the end of him. He would not rejoin his wife and daughter, nor would they know of his sacrifice. However, he might have a chance to destroy one of the greatest scourges on the planet, along with its human puppet—and that might be a good enough reason to accept death.

Unfortunately, there was no more time for second guessing. Matthias was committed. He shrugged off his remaining hesitance and stepped through the portal ….

And into a bright but bitter cold. A stiff wind nearly knocked him over, while a blinding sunbeam stole his vision. He cursed, knowing he was vulnerable to Samuel's defenses. Without even his full bearings to guide him, Matthias cast a powerful spell of protection.

Thankfully, it was enough. His shield bore the explosive blast of a mighty barrage of fireballs, casting furious amount of heat that would have otherwise burnt him to a crisp. By the time the air cleared of ash and smoke, he saw that he was standing upon a large metal platform in the middle of a clear blue sky, tinted orange by a setting sun. Of all the blasted places, Samuel had taken him to the top of the Zounds airbase, where gusts of high-altitude winds chilled him to the very core.

Samuel stood about a dozen spans away, wide-eyed and clearly angered that his victim was still standing. The Gnostic Knight wasted no time in casting another spell.

Recognizing the incantation, Matthias readied a magnetic field, just in time to deflect cascading forks of lightning. Crackling energy passed on either side. Even a moment of exposure to that current would have boiled his organs.

Next, he cast a wall of fire, successfully melting a tide of razor sharp ice shards that threatened to tear his flesh to pieces. And again, he countered with a swirling maelstrom of magical energy—a mighty torrent with enough force to rip the skin off of Samuel's bones. The Gnostic Knight swung his dark sword, cutting through and dissipating the magical storm.

So many complex and successive incantations sapped the gray wizard's strength. Without a nearby supply of manna, he was quickly depleting his energy reserve. Fortunately, it seemed that the Gnostic was faring no better. Samuel stopped his spellcasting and spoke out.

"So," he growled, "my brother abandoned you after all. Did you truly think you were strong enough to face me on your own?"

Matthias yelled over the roaring winds. "Bram didn't send me. The choice was mine."

Samuel chuckled. "Of course it was. You want vengeance for your daughter, don't you?"

"That's not why I'm here." Matthias needed this villain to know the truth. "There was a time when I wanted you dead for sanctioning the attack on Rungholt. My daughter lost her life in that senseless battle. But, now … I'm past seeking retribution. I honor Angela more by fighting the Ahrimen. That's why I came. I'm here for the sunstone, plain and simple."

Samuel bared his teeth. "Then you're wasting your time! I used to think my enemies were equipped with at least a basic amount of knowledge—if not to justify their crusade, at least to fuel their convictions! But I've come to realize that you know next to nothing!"

"So what?" Matthias challenged. "You think to dissuade me by hurting my feelings?"

Samuel sneered. "You obviously don't realize that I've been Marked by Belial. That means I can't relinquish the sunstone, even if I wanted to. Even if you took my life, it would only grant the Ahriman free reign over my body. Thus, the sunstone and I cannot part. It is both my prize and my curse, and you'll need to go through both of us to get it!"

Matthias smiled. "That suits me just fine. I'll simply destroy you both."

Samuel shook his head disgustedly. "Stupid wizard. Such bravado would only suit you if you knew what it meant to face an Ahriman like Belial. But you're only speaking out of ignorance."

Matthias practically snickered. Samuel did not know about Apocalypsis, and the irony was delicious. "Perhaps you're right … but I do know that you were hoping for a stalemate. You're moments away from losing control of your body already, and summoning the Ahriman would only accelerate your demise. However, I'm willing to give you a way out … if you cooperate, that is. You don't need to lose your life … or your soul."

"You expect me to surrender?" Hatred burned in Samuel's eyes. The wizard's words must have cut deep into the Gnostic's ego. "I'll never yield to the likes of you!"

Matthias shrugged. "I guess not. But what other choice do you have? Run away? Do you have the chops to do that, Samuel? Or perhaps you think you can act tough and play it like a game of chicken. But I promise you this: I won't give up … not until you're defeated."

"Nor will I," Samuel shot back. "I'm not the coward you take me for. My convictions are stronger than you could possibly imagine. While you think this is all about saving the world from the Ahrimen, they are but a minor piece of the puzzle. You have no idea what's truly at stake!"

Matthias frowned. "Then why don't you enlighten me?"

Samuel sneered. "The answers would be incomprehensible to you, Wizard. You're nothing but a pawn—one I will soon remove from play."

The gray wizard calmed himself with a deep breath. Samuel was trying to goad his anger, but it was only the last resort of a man who had run out of options. It was time for Matthias to cut this charade short.

"Face it, Samuel. You're trapped. Fight me, if you dare, but one way or another … I will defeat you." Matthias prepared the words of a spell when he noticed Samuel's sneer morph into a smirk.

"Think again."

The Gnostic took off running. Matthias could have fired, but he did not want to waste his energy until he had his target secured. So he followed suit, sprinting down the length of the ship. He was a lot older than Samuel, but he had plenty to drive him forward.

Off to the side, he saw his wife and daughter. They were standing there together, beaming with pride. He chuckled at the fanciful hallucination. His mind was playing tricks on him, but it was actually nice to see an image of their approval as he hunted down the villain. It drove his legs even faster.

As he neared the edge of the airbase, he saw what Samuel had in mind. Right beyond the lip, another ship ascended, ready to carry the Gnostic Knight to safety.

Matthias could not afford to have the villain escape. He focused a well-placed spell, and a magical force exploded right under the ship's nose. It blew through reinforced steel, taking a sizable chunk out of the hull. Smoke billowed forth as the ship slowly lost altitude and fell beneath the cloud cover.

Samuel spun in Matthias' direction. "Fool! If a duel to the death is what you wish, then I'll take you to the Burning Pits myself!"

Samuel raised his hands and spoke words of ancient Arcane magic. He was not pulling any punches, but fortunately Matthias was prepared. This was the moment he had been waiting for. He would wear Samuel down until both wizards expended the last of their manna. If Samuel fell first, Matthias would take his captive to receive justice. Otherwise, he would use Apocalypsis.

His strength was bolstered by the vision of his family. Both Angelas stood there, hand in hand—mother and daughter, reunited at last. They cheered him on, for they knew that he fought for the right reasons. Their love rained upon him, and it was bliss.

Matthias readied the words of his next spell, ready to make them proud.