Crimson Twilight: Midnight
Chapter 33: Makaelthos Solcry
Part III: Fall
Despite the horrid screams that resounded within the hall just outside the room, Kallifen remained steady in his place. His weapons, a pair of well-sharpened jur, jutted from his wrists. The blades did not gleam like the newly-tempered weapons of the assassins who had been guarding the hall outside the room. Upon closer inspection, anyone would notice that Kallifen's jur were well-used. There were several nicks on their edges, as well as scratches on the flat of the blades. Still, Kallifen maintained his weapons well. They were given to him when he first swore to serve clan Eviskrae as a retainer. He kept on using them up to the present, while they did not look "efficient"; the assassin relied on no other weapon but them. For the many years that he fought for clan Eviskrae, and later, for Trynis and NightKnife, he had plunged his jur into countless opponents. He dreaded the moment though, when he had to plunge them now into the opponent that slowly approached the room he guarded…
'Makaelthos…what are you doing? What made you decide to end things like this?'
The screams continued to resound outside the door until suddenly, they stopped abruptly. Kallifen tensed as his trained hearing picked up the sound of armored boots walking towards the room. He also picked up the sound of lighter feet behind the armored ones, as well as the curious, scraping sound of chains sliding on stone. He recognized Khaesilya's footsteps but the scraping…
'Is he dragging a length of chain behind him? How strange…'
The assassin braced himself as the door slowly opened. It was never like Makaelthos to perform a grand entrance. It could have been so casual; a man simply entered the room and closed the door behind him. It could have been any visitor for Trynis or someone who had business for the guild. The sight of the bloody, pronteran plate armor told Kallifen otherwise. He had posted eight more assassins to guard the hallway that led to Trynis's personal chambers. The only way Makaelthos could get through was…
"You killed them all…"
The crusader nodded grimly and raised his sword. Thick rivulets of blood ran down the sword's gray-green edge. Some of it ran towards the hilt, a few drops getting into the grotesque eye that was in the center. The eye blinked once, as if trying to get rid of the blood that got into it…
"I should have killed them a long time ago, Kallifen. Where's Trynis?"
The assassin switched to a fighting position…
"Judging by that drawn, bloody sword you're holding, I can already guess what you intend for the guild mistress, Makaelthos. I will never allow it…"
The crusader's eyes did not even flicker with any emotion. Kallifen knew that look. He had watched over Makaelthos ever since he was just a small servant boy in the Eviskrae clan's mansion. He always saw that look when Makaelthos "worked" as a NightKnife master in the guild's earlier days. While Kallifen functioned as Trynis's personal bodyguard, Makaelthos fulfilled a variety of duties within the guild. He was Trynis's main enforcer, ensuring that debts were paid, vengeances were taken and loyalties were ensured. He led many guild activities in the guild mistress's place and handled the recruitment of new members. Soon, even guild members were afraid of him. Rumors circulated that he was the one who ran the guild and Trynis Eviskrae was just a front. Even assassins and rogues did not want to cross him, those who did saw only the look that Makaelthos was using now before they died.
"Kallifen, I'm not letting anyone stop me now. Not even you."
A shiver nearly ran down Kallifen's spine. The voice that answered him couldn't have come from the crusader he encountered outside Sialsanderin manor, staring sadly at the rain. It was as if Makaelthos had regressed back into his role as NightKnife master…
"My duty as the sole retainer of clan Eviskrae is to serve Trynis. Not even you can make me back down from that task, Makaelthos. What about you? Have you forgotten your duties?"
The crusader was silent for a while, as if considering his words…
"I can only perform so many duties, Kallifen..."
Kallifen's eyes narrowed.
"And since when did you start choosing which ones to fulfill, Makaelthos? I'd say you've given up and chosen the easy way out!"
Makaelthos's eyes narrowed in fury. He dashed at the assassin with Mysteltainne raised for a killing strike…
"Stop telling me what I should be doing and tell me what I want to know!"
Kallifen sidestepped the blow and spun to the left. At the same time he swiped at Makaelthos side with his right jur. The crusader stepped back and deflected it with his shield just in time. Behind them, Khaesilya gasped…
'Mister Kallifen, you have to retreat! Master Makaelthos is not himself right now!'
The assassin smiled grimly and jumped back as the crusader slashed at him horizontally.
'On the contrary, Khaesilya, I've never seen him more honest with himself!'
Kallifen ducked another swing from Makaelthos and dashed at the crusader. Before Makaelthos could recover, the assassin was already beneath him. A jur swiped at the gap between his right shoulder plate and his neck guard, wounding him near his right shoulder. The crusader answered by slamming his shield straight into Kallifen's face, sending the assassin stumbling backwards.
"You know better than to use an overhead slash at me, Makaelthos. I've been watching you fight for a long time…"
The crusader pointed his sword at his opponent…
"You've been watching over me ever since you first found memewling in a cradle, surounded by the corpses of my parents. You've provided me with a new home and a way to live. I owe you so much, Kallifen, tell me where Trynis is and I'll leave you be."
The assassin answered by taking a step forward…
"We've known each other forthe twenty-four yearsof your life, Makaelthos. You know that during those days neither of us would ever dream of betraying our guild mistress, even if we were to be killed for it. Maybe you've changed, Makaelthos, but I haven't…"
Makaelthos charged forward again, Mysteltainne swinging in a wide arc. Kallifen stepped back in time to avoid the furious attack. The doomed sword's gray-green edge whistled near his face.
"It is Trynis who has changed, not me! She was never like this back then!"
Kallifen's left jur whipped forward, gashing Makaelthos where the armored plates on his right forearm met with those on his elbow.
"She may have changed, Makaelthos, but our duty to her didn't! We both swore that we would follow her faithfully didn't we? Did you decide to just forget about it? What kind of honor do you have?"
Mysteltainne swiped at Kallifen's right leg so fast that all he saw was a blur of steel. The assassin stumbled back as blood spurted from the cut. Makaelthos's blow was precise, aiming for the tendons that connected his knee to the muscles on his thigh. He knew at once that his mobility had been severely hampered.
"Where was the honor in kidnapping children to sell as slaves, Kallifen? Where was it in threatening to massacre an enemy's family to force him to submit? You think I can follow Trynis quietly when I see all those things everyday?"
Makaelthos slashed horizontally again. Kallifen tried to jump back but his wounds were beginning to slow him down. Mysteltainne's edge left a vicious gash on his chest. The assassin was panting. It was becoming more obvious to him that the fight was not equal. While he was familiar with the crusader's fighting style and he was used to fighting heavily-armored opponents. He did expect Makaelthos's strange sword to be so powerful. For some reason, the crusader's slashes were faster than normal and they hit with tremendous force that Kallifen did not expect.
"Give up, Kallifen. We both know who will win this fight. Tell me where Trynis is!"
Kallifen merely grimaced as he put some of his weight on his injured leg. Even in his condition, he raised his jur…
"The day I betray our mistress will never happen, Makaelthos!"
The eye on Mysteltainne's sword suddenly widened. Before Kallifen could even react, a length of chain shot from its hilt and wrapped around his body. The assassin struggled to free himself but the chains pinned his arms to his sides and tightened with incredible force…
"Mysteltainne has you helpless, Kallifen, this fight is over. Tell me what I want to know…"
The assassin stared defiantly at Makaelthos, who stared back emotionlessly. Behind them, Khaesilya did not utter a word. The tension inside the room was intense. She could not imagine her master slaying the one man he considered as his mentor.
'Master Makaelthos, please calm down…'
The sohee shuddered when she did not receive a response from the crusader. Instead she heard the steely, mental voice of Mysteltainne…
"The wielder is incapable of answering you mentally, Khaesilya. His mind is too chaotic right now…"
Khaesilya tried to step forward but hesitated. The crusader was acting so differently right now. She was afraid that he might turn on her if she interfered. Makaelthos stepped closer to the bound Kallifen…
"Trynis has made my life so difficult, Kallifen. It's time I settled things with her. Tell me where she is!"
Kallifen remained silent and continued to wiggle his arms…
"Makaelthos…you've gone mad!"
To the crusader's surprise, Kallifen managed to free his right arm from his chains. The assassin's jur struck true, plunging deep into Makaelthos's side. Reflexively, Mysteltainne thrust forward, burying its edge deep into Kallifen's chest…
"Kallifen!"
Makaelthos stared at his former mentor in shock. He did not expect this to happen…
"Is this what you wanted, Makaelthos?"
The assassin felt the chains fall away from him as the crusader stepped back. He struggled to keep himself erect, maintaining a dignified position even as blood gushed down the terrible wound on his chest.
"No…this isn't…"
The assassin smiled grimly…
"What's the matter, Makaelthos? Did you really believe for a moment that I would not die defending my guild mistress? Isn't this what duty is all about? Isn't this the fate you turned your back on?"
Makaelthos watched Kallifen in horror. Before he could react, the assassin crumpled to the floor, his blood stained the fur carpet that covered the floor of Trynis's personal quarters.
"K-Kallifen…"
The old assassin did not answer. He was dead…
The crusader turned away. The sight sickened him. How could he have let this happen? He never wanted to kill him!
"The guild mistress is waiting for you in the tomb of Osiris, Makaelthos Solcry. She says if you want to settle things with her then it would be fitting if the two of you met in the same place where NightKnife started."
Makaelthos turned around to see who spoke. Sure enough, it was the bow-wielding rogue, Rianne. How she managed to get inside the room unnoticed was a mystery…
"What are you up to, rogue? Tossing away information that Kallifen guarded with his life?"
The rogue merely smirked at the corpse in front of her…
"Obsolete trash to be discarded…"
Makaelthos's grip on Mysteltainne tightened.
"Don't you dare insult him!"
The rogue shrugged her shoulders and stepped into the shadowy corners of Trynis's bedroom.
"Save your energy, Solcry, you'll be needing it…"
······
The darkened tomb of Osiris was silent was Trynis Eviskrae stared at its shadows. With the mummified immortal prowling Prontera, most of his minions had disappeared to some convenient spot where he could summon them at will. This suited the rogue just fine as she waited for Makaelthos…
'It's been a couple of hours by now. He's probably on his way…'
Trynis smiled grimly as she considered the situation. Even though she told Kallifen to immediately provide the crusader with her whereabouts, it was most likely that the stubborn, old assassin would not do so. It was unlikely that Makaelthos would kill their mentor; at least he wouldn't if Trynis could predict his actions. Right now, however, she was unsure of what the crusader was capable of. She had just received reports that he had already dispatched twenty of the rogues and assassins that had tried to stop him.
'He's out for blood. Mine especially…everything is going according to Rianne's plan…'
The guild mistress of NightKnife chuckled at the situation regarding her new "right hand". This was Rianne's bold play for power. She was probably the one who provoked Makaelthos into coming to Morroc and start his killing spree. Now she's probably also the one who will tell Makaelthos of where the guild mistress was. A confrontation between Trynis and her former right hand could very well end with Trynis's death…
'With me out of the way, you'll assume leadership of my guild. If I kill Makaelthos then you'll attack me anyway since I'll probably be too injured to fight back by that time…'
The sound of armored footsteps caused Trynis to refocus on the current situation. There would be enough opportunity to deal with Rianne later…
"Trynis…"
The rogue easily recognized Makaelthos's voice as it echoed inside the tomb. When she looked at him though, she hardly recognized his appearance. His plate armor was covered in blood. He already had his sword drawn and the gray-green blade dripped more blood on the stone floor.
"Mak…you've decided that it should come to this then?"
The crusader continued to advance towards her.
"Did I even have to decide, Trynis? As I see it, you never gave me any choice."
The rogue drew her dagger. Almost at once, both Grimtooth and Mysteltainne began to vibrate. The tomb echoed with buzzing sound as if there was a swarm of insects present.
"True, then you really want me dead?"
Makaelthos's eyes narrowed.
'Do I? Do I want her dead? I just want her to leave me alone already…'
Makaelthos raised Mysteltainne for a fighting position. He did not come all this way, killing so many assassins and rogues and even Kallifen, so he could just let Trynis walk away with things remaining the same between them.
"I want you out of my life, Trynis! If death is the only thing that can accomplish that then…"
Before the crusader could even finish talking, Trynis had already disappeared from his sight. His trained hearing detected a faint rustling sound to his left. Immediately, he swung his sword at that direction…
"You didn't just think that I actually make any noise when I'm attacking now, did you?"
Trynis suddenly appeared by Makaelthos right side and thrust her dagger towards the gap in the armor near his armpit.
"You actually thought that I'd think that?"
Makaelthos suddenly reversed his grip on Mysteltainne and swung it towards Trynis. The rogue barely managed to slide backward in time before the sword's point buried itself in her chest. The fight begun in earnest now; Trynis held her dagger in a reversed grip, with Grimtooth's tip pointing to her right. Makaelthos returned his grip on Mysteltainne to normal. He held his shield high and his sword low.
"What I'm thinking of, Mak, is if that whore of a knight has ever seen this side of you. I'm willing to bet that she only knows you as a gentle, gallant crusader who used to work for a criminal guild. Has she ever known you as the cunning, devious NightKnife master that you are now?"
Makaelthos advanced slowly towards Trynis…
"I will never be at ease with Eliarainne until I rid myself of you, Trynis. Stop talking and fight!"
Mysteltainne closed in on Trynis in an overhead swing. The rogue sidestepped the attack and jumped as a length of chain shot from the gray-green blade's hilt. She landed on her right palm, a few feet to Makaelthos's left before pushing against the floor. Before the crusader could react, the rogue had flipped behind him, Grimtooth ready for a vertical slash.
"You're moving too slowly, Makaelthos!"
The crusader lowered his right shoulder and drove his elbow backward. The move allowed him to avoid the main force of Trynis's slash. The black blade of Grimtooth tore through his armor, leaving a bloody gash, but it did not dig into his flesh deeply enough. His elbow struck Trynis's midriff, causing her to stagger backward. He used the momentum of his strike to slash upward with Mysteltainne…
"And you're being too predictable, Trynis!"
Mysteltainne's edge grazed the left part of Trynis's forehead. Blood ran down the cut, spilling towards the rogue's cheek before dripping down her chin. Their weapons vibrated even louder. It was almost impossible to maintain a conversation inside the tomb…
"I rejoice with you for finally finding a wielder, Mysteltainne!"
Grimtooth's black edge seemed to emanate shadows as it spoke mentally to its younger brother. Mysteltainne's eye widened briefly and glanced about even faster.
"And it is a great privilege to cross blades with you, Grimtooth!"
Both Makaelthos and Trynis dashed at each other. This time their weapons struck each other head on. There was a loud ringing sound as the two doomed weapons met, followed by a silent explosion of force that hurled them back for several feet. From the entrance, Khaesilya looked on worriedly. The fight was getting extremely violent. It was bad enough that her Master Makaelthos was fighting Trynis but the two doomed swords were making things worse. Still, she could not interfere. She had a feeling that if she did then she would be blown away by the two combatants. The crusader and the rogue closed in on each other again…
The tomb echoed loudly each time Grimtooth and Mysteltainne struck each other. Trynis swiped at Makaelthos face and sidestepped his attack, in a blink of an eye she vanished, only to reappear by his right side. Makaelthos managed to step back as the dagger whistled near his eyes, he then raised Mysteltainne in time to block the attack to his side. Suddenly both of them heard a muffled explosion, followed by a massive splash from the pool of water in the center of the tomb…
'What's going on?'
Makaelthos struggled to remain standing as the entire tomb began to shake. Judging by the surprised look on Trynis's face, this was not part of the rogue's plans. Suddenly, they heard a loud, sucking sound. The water from the pool seemed to drain into the strange vortex that had formed beneath it…
"Master Makaelthos!"
The sohee rushed to the crusader's side as the floor beneath them crumbled. Before they could make for the exit though, the entire floor collapsed, sending them all tumbling towards the vortex…
Trynis Eviskrae struggled to jump from one falling piece of debris to the next. She hadlearned from a reliable source that the reason there are isis only inside Osiris' tomb was because somewhere in the tomb lay a portal to their native world.
'The resonance between our two weapons must have done something…'
The rogue was about to hop onto the next falling shard of stone when it broke apart as soon as she stepped on it. The rogue held her breath as she fell into the blackness below…
······
Makaelthos opened his eyes. He could hear waves crashing as well as the howling of a powerful wind. He was in some sort of beach…
"Master Makaelthos!"
The crusader sat up and waited for his eyes to adjust. He could feel Khaesilya frantically tugging at him…
"What is it, Khaesilya? Where are we?"
Before the sohee could answer, an inhuman voice spoke up first…
"It lookssss like the human issss awake….it took long enough. Torture is pointlessss to thossssse who can't feel it…"
Makaelthos jumped to his feet. He recognized the hissing voice as belonging to an isis. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness though, he saw a truly terrible sight. He was surrounded by creatures that resembled isis only from the snake-like tails that replaced their tails. These were no isis though. Their scales were dull green instead of bright red. They were at least three times the size of a normal isis, with six powerful arms that each held a curved blade. Long, greasy, black hair ran down all the way to their shoulders and their wrists were decorated with all sorts of bangles.
"Khaesilya…where are we?"
The sohee did not answer, she was trembling as she clung to him. Makaelthos could not help but tremble as well. He was no match for these things! Even with Mysteltainne. One of the creatures laughed harshly.
"You are in the Brine Flatsssss, the perssssonal layer of Demogorgon, the princccce of demonssss, here in the Infinite Layerssss of the Abysssss. Asss for ussss, we are the thirteen marilith blackguardsssss who sssserve as his persssssonal sssservantssss…"
Makaelthos felt terror grip his heart. He was going to die here in the Abyss! There was no hope for him now….
"Are you giving up already?"
The mariliths hissed loudly in surprised and slithered back as a burst of light suddenly appeared above them. As soon as they recognized what caused the light though, they hissed in panic and scattered. Makaelthos felt the terror subside as he looked up at the light. Hovering in front of him was a creature that he had never seen before. It towered above him, its colossal wings enveloping him in silver scales. The creature was reptilian, with a long, sinuous, snake-like neck that supported a majestic, dragon head. It had a large scale on its snout that made it look like it had a shield between its eyes, rows of razor sharp teeth lined its massive jaws, while the claws on its front and rear claws were as long as swords and probably as sharp. The creature landed in front of him, its head snaked towards him as if trying to get a closer look.
"It appears that this one is some sort of crusader, Tom."
The creature's voice was deep and powerful and it boomed loudly as it spoke. Its words made Makaelthos look up further, to see whom it was talking to.
"A crusader…can you tell me who you are and what are you doing here, crusader?"
Makaelthos swallowed hard and tried to answer. There was a man seated between the creature's shoulders. He was clad in shining, intricately-designed armor. In his left hand he carried a beautiful, white shield with a pictograph of an armored figure slaying a huge winged demon. In his right he held a lance that resembled a beam of light more than anything else. The creature spoke again, a hint of irritation crept up its voice.
"Show some respect and answer quickly, boy. Don't you know who you're talking to? This is Sir Thomas Valorcrescent, demigod and patron of paladins."
The rider patted the creature on the next and smile.
"Perhaps I am not recognized in his world yet, Thrack. Let's get him somewhere safer first…"
The rider's dark brown eyes hardened.
"Once we're there, you will have plenty of things to answer for, Makaelthos Solcry. To bring dishonor to yourself is to bring dishonor to your patron. Perhaps it's time I showed your world what a true paladin really is…"
Makaelthos nodded dumbly. Somehow it did not surprise him that this man already knew his name. Behind him, Khaesilya relaxed at the presence of this being. Even Mysteltainne stopped vibrating…
'I have a lot to answer for…'