I, Eternity
First Era Echo: Bittersweet Victory
There was almost no resistance left after Alessia and her armies arrived. However, Leon felt his heart plummet as they saw no sign of the company, only the remains of battle. They made their way to the tower itself, the gigantic spike jutting from the ground. The surrounding gardens would seem paceful one day, Leon didn't know how he knew it but he did. They passed through the destroyed tower doors, and went up the massive spiral staircase that circled the tower in its entirety. When they reached the throne room, even so jaded to bloodshed as they had become they were astonished.
The great chamber seemed painted red. All across the floor lay dismembered bodies. A horrific gargling noise came from a pedestal, where is teemed Pelinal's helmet had been taken as a trophy. However, when Leon realized the sounds were coming from the helmet, he limped forward, aware of every bruise that had yet to heal from the beating, as Alessia and Morihaus, now in his human form, walked alongside him. Alessia picked up the helmet, and on the pedestal stared Pelinal's still-living head.
"I failed." He said, blood tears streaming down his face. Leon began to realize just how tired and hungry he was after his ordeal, and the streams from Pelinal's eyes looked so appetizing. he shook the thought away. "I killed Umaril's body, but he will return. His servants cut me into eight pieces, as they are obsessed with the number. Their sorceries keep me alive in agony. Please, I leave you this last request: Someday, my armor will be found. That one, the one who finds it, he must succeed where I have failed, or all we have worked for will be for nothing."
Alessia, Morihaus and Leon did not understand, but they promised anyway, knowing that Pelinal was sometimes wiser than he seemed.
"Now, please, kill me. My body will never again fight. You have my helmet, and next to Umaril's physical shell you will find my body. Alessia, take the gem within. It will be a sign of your covenant with the gods. As long as you or one worthy possess it, and as long as you are faithful to the freedom of mankind, no sorceries like those of the Ayleids will ever be possible."
Alessia reached through the gore and found the gem. It flashed a soft red glow at her touch.
"Now!" Pelinal said. "Kill me!"
Leon drew his sword. "Pelinal, we humans are forever in your debt. I hereby accept..." he raised his blade "your last wish!" And he clove the head in two. Leon saw, as the blade fell, the look of relief on Pelinal's face. The army then began to scour the palace, and Leon took the blood of an Ayleid before going to the roof of the tower, bringing Caelia with him.
They stood there for a moment, leaning on each other for support, as the sun broke over the horizon.
"That's it then." Leon said, aware of the itching the sun caused but not minding it. "The first dawn where we're together and free at last."
"Yes." Caelia said. "I never would have hoped..."
"I promised." Leon said, showing her his wrist, the marks Hektor had left when he refused to let Caelia go those years before. "I promised I'd get you back, and no force in this world or in the endless heavens would ever stop me!"
Caelia smiled. It was a small thing, fleeting and beautiful. Leon was overjoyed to see it.
"Free at last." She said. "It will take some getting used to." She said.
They went back down into the tower together, and found Alessia.
"There are messages from all over Cyrod, Ayleids surrendering, freeing their slaves. We really have won!" She said. Morihaus threw his arm around her, smiling.
That same day, the Red Diamond was put on a necklace and made into the Royal Amulet. Alessia walked the streets of the City, greeted by the cheers of the freed humans and the bows of the surrendering Ayleid lords. Leon, ignoring the itching of his skin, walked behind her with the other soldiers. Still he saw no sign of his company. He knew in his heart they were dead. He swore that he would always remember them, that he would never forget their sacrifice.
He knew that it was not completely over. Some warlords would try to keep the Ayleid kingdom alive, and that they would have to find the pieces of Pelinal's body, but for this day, all the lingering doubts and the grieving would be put aside to celebrate the hard-earned freedom of the human race.
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Leon felt the tug in his mind at last. He knew that the change from past to present would actually take an instant. However, in this land of memory and thought, he had time. He had conciously recalled all of the Alessian Rebellion as he was unconsious, but he knew he had no time to do all the consious recall now. all of his memories had been unlocked, so he sifted through, looking for a few specific ones. The one that seemed the most important was one from some time after the rebellion, after Caelia had left for parts unknown. A few mad priests were trying to summon Auriel to the mortal world and change him into a god for mankind alone. He dove into it.
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The priests danced, and the god appeared atop the tower. Leon saw the sillhouette of the great dragon against the moons, and he ran up the sheer wall of the tower against the sheet of rain. He reached the top in a flash and drew his bronze sword, not the katana he now used. The god snarled at the interference, and with a swipe of his par he slaughtered the priests. They turned to dust as time sped up and enveloped them. Such spells had no effect on the immortal Leon, who charged headlong at Auriel. The god spewed fire, and leon jumped over it.
You will not interfere! I will restore my body! The god roared, and welled up magic in preparation. It's intention was to return the part of its body that had become time to its core self. The cost for such an endeavor would bwe the unmaking of the world itself. The memory was spotty, vague, Leon felt like he was looking at it through a dirty lens. He knew these things somehow. The fight dragged on. The god said words. Leon remembered what the words meant, but not what they were. At last, the memory snapped into focus and clarity. It lasted only a moment as Auriel spewed fire once again, Leon dodged asiode, climbed the massive forelimb and stabbed the god in the head.
That was when the Dragon broke.
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Leon left that memory. He knew it was time for him to return to the waking world. Over time, in his dreams, he would recall the rest of his memories. It would take some time, but he knew the full extent of his mind and power were at last restored to him. And so the journey through the last of his memories ended as the first began: by himhitting his head on a rock.
