Ch.142: The Grueling End to the Suffering! An Ally's Atonement, a Hero's Return!
Griffin fired off dozens of Exosus Releases, keeping his distance from the rampaging shark demon that Callista had just summoned. It swam through the earth like water and closed in on him despite the numerous blasts it took. It had a thick, metallic hide and resembled a skeleton with blazing red eyes.
"Chomp, chomp, little Pokémon!" the demon called out with a grating, heavy tone. "I'm going to grind your bones to dust!"
Griffin glared back at it. While a part of him wanted to talk back, the numerous injuries he accumulated during his time in the cave were starting to stack. He was breathing hard and his muscles ached from constant abuse. He was on the verge of collapsing if his sheer willpower to not get eaten didn't keep him active.
I can't leave until the keys are secured. He glared ahead, spotting Gwyn as she continued to clash with Voss. Despite such a blatant weakness, there's nothing to capitalize on. We can't penetrate his armor no matter how many times we strike. He bared his teeth. Argh, but there's no way we can just let them escape. There has to be a way to keep Voss from escaping.
"Where are you looking?!" Griffin felt the shark demon jump out of the ground and dive at his head.
"Step off!" Griffin turned and raised his leg, delivering a sharp kick to the shark's jaw.
"GAH!" The shark flew backwards, stunned stiff. The kick practically paralyzed him with how hard it struck.
Of course, Griffin staggered on one leg and massaged his foot, not only hitting a demon made up of metal, but also kicking with a heavily exhausted foot. He squeezed hard to relieve the tension, then stood up. He pointed Endless Regret and muttered, "Exosus Release."
The blast tore across the ground and nailed a direct hit onto the shark demon. He roared in pain and flailed back toward Callista, who sent him away before he could crash into her.
Callista scoffed. "Well, it appears you're more than a match for a handful of the elite demons, boy."
Griffin leaned on Endless Regret, but kept up his aggressive stance. "Send as many…as you want. I'll cut them all down just like the rest."
Callista glared. "I was hoping you'd say that." She tapped the floor and summoned a large circle of black fog. A black pillar shot from the ground, then emerged the shape of a massive, imposing figure. "Arise, Drogas! Heed your mistress' commands and destroy this pest!"
Griffin took a step back and marveled at the gigantic demon that emerged from the fog. The red skinned demon centaur with muscular arms for legs. Drogas banged his shields together and roared at the ceiling. His shout alone sent shocks through Griffin's body.
Drogas gazed down on the Grovyle and proclaimed, "I shall eliminate you for my mistress. Do not resist." He lifted his hand, then swung down.
Griffin leaped into the air and narrowly avoided the explosive shockwave that follow. The earth split from his hand all the way to the ceiling, knocking out more rock on top of them. The shock echoed through his ribcage and spine for quite some time. It was a rare occurrence for Griffin to actually feel terrified by an opponent's strength. Voss, the Shadow King…and now this monster.
Drogas lifted his head and glared at the flying Grovyle. "Do not resist."
Griffin used the falling rock as a springboard and propelled straight toward his head. I need to kill this thing instantly. He summoned the Exiled Souls and spun them in the ones in his hands. "Secret Cutting Technique: Global Annihilation!" Griffin torqued his body with red energy flying off the tips of the swords until he was veiled in a ball of spiraling energy.
He struck Drogas dead-on and exploded into a massive sphere of pure slashing power that encompassed the centaur. The blow did knock Drogas back, as well as tear the earth around them to dust.
Griffin flew backwards from the recoil and sent the six daggers away. His eyes widened in horror, seeing not a single scratch on the centaur. "What the—"
"I am…amused." Drogas swung his arm with a surprising bit of speed and swatted Griffin out of the air.
Griffin crashed right in the middle of Gwyn's fight with Voss, spooking the Mew. "Ah! Griffin!"
"Pay attention!" She squeaked and dodged Voss' sword slash, but left herself open to a brutal kick in the ribs. He knocked her aside, then turned his sword on the fallen Grovyle. "Get up. I won't be satisfied until I finish you, Holly, and Mack off."
As much as Griffin wanted to oblige, he couldn't move any of his limbs. The last hit left him paralyzed from the neck down from the pain alone. Either that, or his bones were broken. Regardless, he wished to Arceus he had gone numb because the pain was excruciating.
He growled at the imposing titan and yelled, "Give me those keys!" With an act of defiance, Griffin expelled Exosus Release from his mouth like a dragon and shot at Voss' face.
Voss, having had enough with the assault on that one area, blocked with his arm. "Even like this, you continue to demonstrate your warrior spirit. You are a true fighter at heart."
Griffin stopped and coughed harshly, feeling the inside of his throat burning from the magic usage. Exosus Release wasn't exactly meant to be used in such a manner, anyway. He tried to flex a finger to summon one of his other weapons. Anything, really. Pride of Leones, Infinity Breaker, Absolute Zero, anything!
However, with little energy to expend, Griffin was at the mercy of the sword pointed at his face. Voss glared, lifted the sword, and prepared to impale Griffin on it when Gwyn suddenly came flying back in her Spike Form, ramming into Voss as a curled ball of spikes.
"Leave my friend alone, you big jerk!" Gwyn yelled, putting her all into her attack.
Voss grabbed the sides of the curled cactus girl and pushed against it. "Where did this strength come from all of a sudden?"
A blast of neon green magic exploded out from behind Gwyn, pushing her into overdrive. I'm pushing my limit with the magicans! If I don't do something soon before the effects wear off, I'm wiped!
"Spiky Bulldozer!" Gwyn's spikes extended into thicker spikes with dozens or so more growing out from the ends. She picked up the speed and rammed harder into Voss, now with her spikes digging into the ground for extra traction.
Voss growled as the Mew started pushing him back, accelerating by the second. She pushed him up against a wall and grinded against his armor, shooting out a curtain of sparks between them. Though Voss had nothing to worry about, being in close proximity with Gwyn for too long was extraordinarily dangerous.
"Fallen Retaliation!" He swung his sword up and sliced with a vertical line of flames rushing over the spiny shell.
"GAH!" Gwyn uncurled and shed the needles off before the fire spread over her body. The cut ran deep through her defense with a thin line of blood going down her back. "Ow, ow, ow…"
Voss kicked off the wall and slashed at Gwyn's neck. With barely a moment to think, Gwyn stopped the sword with her hands. She cried as blood sprayed from her palms. Had it not been for the plant matter coating her hands, she would've lost all her fingers.
Voss glared into her eyes. "This ends now."
Gwyn growled. "It ends when I say so!" Roots sprouted from the ground and bulldozed into Voss, knocking him away. Gwyn staggered next to Griffin, then reached into her bag for potions, ignoring the stinging pain in her hands. "Don't worry, Griffin, I'll have you up before you know it!"
"Gwyn, look out!" he yelled.
Gwyn felt the faint brush of a shadow arm grazing her neck, leaning forward just in time to dodge it. She spun around and landed on her back, frozen in terror as Callista approached with Drogas standing behind her.
"Enough games. Drogas, squash them. I don't care how hard at this point. She'll survive it."
Gwyn's shrunk as the giant centaur demon raised his front leg. Gwyn hooked her arms under Griffin's shoulders and tried to drag him away. "No, no, no, no—" She froze as the foot came down. She threw herself over Griffin and awaited impending doom.
"Last Breath!"
A strong gust hit the duo and knocked them away just before Drogas' foot came down. Gwyn grabbed Griffin, snapped her fingers, and landed on a large canopy leaf growing out from under them.
Voss picked himself up and glared in the direction of the wind, spotting the illusionary Lurantis standing by the entrance she left through, along with a few the pirates that had accompanied her. "Holly…" He drew his sword and approached her.
Holly and the pirates entered the scene, but froze as Voss came at them. "Ah shit, not him again!" Zerif yelled.
Jones raised One For All, shaking at the knees. "There's no way we can fight him like this."
Leigh grunted and crossed her battle claws. "Do we have a choice?"
Holly looked up. "We need to prioritize escape now." She turned and yelled, "Gwyn, forget about the keys! Get Griffin and yourself out of here!"
Gwyn gasped. "But we can't just—"
"We'll figure something out, just—" Holly cut herself off and dodged a sword swipe from Voss. "Whoa!"
"Fallen Hell Blaze!" He swung and released dark flames into her.
Holly blocked with Last Breath while the pirates huddled behind her. Voss slammed his knee into the fan, nailing Holly in the gut. She gasped blood and knocked back into the pirates. She quickly whipped up a sandstorm and attempted to blow Voss back. Though it kept him at bay, he resisted the winds without trouble.
"Weak. Useless." Voss raised his sword and slashed down. With the pressure created by his sword, the winds split in half and blew the group into the walls. "None of you are worth my time. There's not single person here who can break my armor." He tightened his grip, growing more agitated. "My patience is running thin. If none of you produce the challenge I desire, I'll slaughter every last one of you."
Holly pushed herself up on Last Breath and yelled defiantly, "Strike us down all you want, but you know we'll keep coming back! We can't kill you, but you can't defeat us!"
Voss scoffed, then raised his sword. "Is that a fact?"
"Not today, it isn't!" Voss staggered forward as Mack, from out of nowhere, tackled him in the back and placed him in a headlock. "Fact is, we don't have the best concept of surrender! It always falls back on murder for me!"
"Mack!" Holly gasped. "But what about—"
"Flint and the Steenee have been secured for the time being! They're probably on their way to the top!" Mack pulled on Voss and forced him back. "We need to get out of here yesterday! This maze can't hold itself together for any longer!"
Callista turned her eyes away from Gwyn and Griffin for a moment and yelled, "Voss, quit fooling around and kill them already!"
With the mini distraction, Griffin finally pulled a sword from his armory. "Gwyn, grab the sword and swing. Don't even ask, just do it!"
"Uh, right!" Gwyn grabbed the hilt, then whipped it out with a might swing. "Take this—" She froze with a confused smile, realizing the sword she was told to use was…Land Shift. "Wha—"
A strange vibration emitted from the sword. Before anyone could say anything, the entire cavern split open in an instant. Callista gasped and stumbled around while Drogas lost his footing and collapsed beside her. Holly and the pirates clung to each other for balance while Voss kept swing at Mack, who clung determinedly to his neck.
"Was this really your best plan?!" Gwyn screamed as she forced a potion down Griffin's throat.
He swallowed the whole thing and spat the vial out. "Quick yelling and start running!" With feeling back in his legs and arms, he sprung up, grabbed her arm, and dashed for the crumbling exit. "Everyone, we're leaving!"
Voss turned and growled. "No, you don't!" He fired Fallen Hell Blaze, cutting Griffin and Gwyn off in a wall of fire. "No one is leaving here alive!"
Mack gritted his teeth, then yelled, "You like mazes so much, Voss? Well, let me give you the ultimate experience in getting lost!" He reared his lower half back, then slammed his feet so hard into Voss' back that he knocked him onto his face. "Timor Persona, rise!" His persona took form and pinned Voss down.
The Electivire warrior swung his arm around and bashed fiercely into the persona's face. "Your spell won't hold me for long!"
"No, but just enough for this!" Mack clapped his hands together. "Now, Phobia Rem: Mazeo!"
Voss' eyes widened. "Wait, what?!"
The persona cackled as it transformed into a dark portal under Voss. The armored titan sank into the dark portal almost completely had he not driven his sword into the bare ground. Arms stretched out and grappled with him, pulling him down into the portal.
"Callista!" Voss yelled.
Callista looked up amidst the quaking earth and growled. "You've got to be kidding me!" She extended her shadow out and reached for him.
"Not today, bitch!" Leigh yelled, jumping in the way and slashing the shadow apart.
Mack walked up to Voss as he continued to fight against the portal. Mack sneered and reared his foot back. "You said you wanted the ultimate final battle, right? Well, you better hope you're gone for a long time, because blood will be shed the next time we cross paths."
Voss stopped struggling, then looked up at Mack with a thoughtful expression. "So, that's your plan."
"Mhmm."
Voss narrowed his eyes, then chuckled. No, it was actually full-blown laughter. He threw his head back, bursting with joyful laughter, which understandably disturbed Mack. This man who carried himself with the absolute pinnacle of stoicism found this hilarious?!
Voss calmed down and retracted his helmet. "You promise?"
Mack squinted. "Uh…"
Voss grinned excitedly. "I wonder how long it'll be until my allies find me. I guess I'll have to make sure that doesn't happen. Griffin! Holly!"
The others made their way to the exit as the cavern collapsed, with Leigh keeping Callista back as best she could. Griffin and Holly turned back and glared at the swirling vortex Voss was hanging it.
He lifted his other arm up and gave them the thumbs-up. "You three, you lucky children…you better get stronger the next time we meet! You better kill me, or I'll kill you! I know you'll come for me. I'll make sure these keys are safe and sound."
Callista's eyes widened. "What?!" She finally overpowered Leigh and swatted her away before lunging at the vortex. "Voss, you bastard! Hand me those keys or—"
With a hopeful grin plastered over his face, Voss dislodged his sword and willingly fell into the portal. It closed up in a flash.
Mack jumped back and narrowly avoided Callista's vengeful slashing. She growled at the Sudowoodo and screamed, "Where did you send him?!"
Mack smirked. "Hell if I know."
Callista roared and deployed dozens of shadow arms at him. A vine grabbed Mack's waist and yanked him back to the ground. Griffin pulled Land Shift out again and slashed the air.
"Now die!" Griffin roared.
A section of earth cut itself from the ceiling and slipped out. Callista reined her anger it just in time to see it. She gasped and instantly cocooned herself in a shadow shield as it slammed down on her. The shockwave split the ground open, sending the cube of earth and the Ariados buried under it careening farther down in the crumbling maze.
Everyone pulled themselves back as the entire floor gave out. Gwyn covered her mouth in shock. "Holy…is she…is she actually—"
"Doubt it!" Griffin grabbed her arm. "Move, move, move!" The large group scrambled for safety as the floor and tunnel started collapsing on them.
"Kehehehehe!" Aeternus laughed madly as he fired an endless stream of particles blasts at the fleeing Samurott. "Run, run, run, but you'll never escape my Endless Particle Volley! KEHEHEHEHE!"
Leroy scoffed under his breath as he weaved through the stream of particle blasts. "Lightning Shot!" He fired multiple shots from his finger before increasing his speed and vanishing.
Aeternus stopped his attack and casted a frontal barrier to stop the lasers. He snapped his fingers and projected another barrier behind himself, stopping Leroy's seamitars from smacking into him. He craned his neck and smirked at the Samurott. "Oh hello."
Leroy kicked off the barrier right as Aeternus fired rapid Particle Beams. He deflected them, then chucked one of his seamitars at the Mr. Mime. Aeternus stopped it with a barrier, then blasted it into the ground with said barrier. Leroy kicked off his Nebula Rider, gripped his other seamitar with both hands, and swung heavily into Aeternus' barrier. A loud crackle emanated from the clash.
Aeternus grinned over the wild crackling. "Will you stop embarrassing yourself? Your straight forward approach is getting old."
Leroy hardened his gaze. "I'd advise keeping your mouth shut."
"Why? Will something I say be used against me in a court of—"
"Godspeed."
Aeternus' eyes widened as two fists pressed against his back. He watched as the Samurott's visage vanished before him into particles of light. Wait, what—
"Impetus Pressure: Death Gauge."
Aeternus spouted blood as a vibration wave shot through his body. He screamed his heart out, feeling things burst inside his body. He was pretty sure one of his lungs exploded, as well as a kidney. He felt his stomach twisting and tearing against the vibrations, spilling out inside his body.
Aeternus bared his vibrating teeth and, struggling to lift his arms, snapped his fingers. "Matter Shift!"
Pillars shot from the walls and slammed into Leroy. Aeternus doubled over and held his stomach while the Samurott smashed into the ground behind him. The mad clown panted heavily while blood trickled down his face. He covered his bleeding mouth while barely retaining the concentration to stay afloat.
He used a condensed version of that spell…to destroy me from the inside out. Crap, he's no strategist like his son, but he's full-blown murderous at heart. And that's coming from me!
He glared over his shoulder cautiously, watching as the Samurott sliced through the pillars pinning him down. One other odd thing he noticed was that he had his other seamitar back, despite it being on the other side of the cavern when Aeternus got rid of it.
That other spell he used…Godspeed, he called it? What the hell was that? What was with my vision? I felt his fists on my back, but I saw him clear as day in front of me for a moment. He bared his teeth. Light Speed makes the user fast as lightning, maybe faster than that. I've trained to fight against such speeds. But him? Is it possible he moved faster than that?
His eyes sharped as the Samurott leaped back into action. Aeternus threw up a barrier and stopped him in place. Aeternus grunted. From the looks of it, he destroyed my right lung and both my kidneys. My stomachs in shambles, but my heart's still working as normal. He felt his shadows worming their way inside and repairing his organs. I can easily survive any one of those attacks, even if he blasted my brain. But the pain is staggering. I can't take too many of those or I'll be left wide open.
Aeternus forced a smirk, then yelled, "Neat trick! I can appreciate someone with a fine eye for art!" He tapped his barrier and blasted Leroy off with a pressure wave.
Leroy summoned his Nebula Rider, imbued it with Light Speed, and raced around the cavern. Aeternus fired off shots from his palm as he followed the mage's movements.
He's not using that speed spell again. Is there a time limit? Or can he only use it a certain number of times? Aeternus smirked. One of those two, definitely, otherwise he wouldn't be wasting his time trying to kill me. You were saving that until you found yourself in a bind, or you were hoping for an easy kill. Any other opponent, that last shot would've ended them, but I can't be put down by meager tricks!
Aeternus clapped his hands and extended spikes from the walls. Leroy weaved through the tangling web of stone rushing at him, slicing a path open for himself, and darted straight for the mad clown. Aeternus aimed his finger, predicting Leroy to reposition behind him, and instead fired over his shoulder.
Leroy reappeared right as the Particle Beam pierced his shoulder. "Grr!" Leroy grunted.
"There you are!" Aeternus whipped his arm around, summoning another pillar, and knocked Leroy away. "Particle Incinerator!" With both hands, he fired down a torrent of particle-destroying flames, wrapping them around the pillar and burying Leroy under a wall of burning pale yellow.
Not satisfied, Aeternus swung his arms down and commanded a massive cube of rock to slam down on the flames, then pierced into the flaming pit with hundred of spikes. Aeternus brought his hands together and charged his special attack.
"Particle Eraser!" He opened his hands and enveloped the entire cube, disintegrating everything caught in the light of his spell. Aeternus laughed, brimming with the cruelest taste of euphoria as everything crumbled into Light Particles. "Well folks, that's a wra—"
Something pierced through the light like a spear, narrowly hitting Aeternus in the forehead had he not casted a barrier. His eyes widened, recognizing it as Leroy's seamitar.
"I'm sorry, wha—"
An explosion of lightning detonated within the Particle Eraser's light. Squinting, Aeternus spotted the Samurott fighting against the erasing energy. His defensive aura burned within the light, but resisted the best it could.
Aeternus felt a vein pop in his forehead. "Oh? That's how it is, huh?" He calmly took a deep breath, then roared as energy spewed from his soles and propelled him straight down. "You have got to be shitting me!"
The light dissipated around Leroy. He reached for his other seamitar, but was taken by surprise when Aeternus crashed into him and pinned him to the ashy ground. Before Leroy to fire from his horn, Aeternus slammed his hand down on his neck and forced his head back.
"Kehehehe…" the clown snickered grimly. A murderous grin curled to full length. "My, my, even after all that, you still were able to resist my Particle Eraser." He pressed all five fingers down on him. "But, even your impressive defenses can't stop this spell. Farewell Oblivion!"
Leroy froze as a pale yellow infection crawled over his neck and spread over his chest and head. He felt the strange, granular texture his body slowly transformed into, balancing between the line of flesh and dust.
"Once this completely envelops your body, you'll be nothing but dust." Aeternus tried to hold his laughter back, but with the day he has been having, he couldn't care less anymore. He threw his head back and laughed into his hysteria.
Leroy growled. "You…" He paused as the cavern started to shake again. "What the—" The ceiling cracked and collapsed over them.
Aeternus ceased laughing, then pressed his face up to Leroy's half-infected head. "Can you feel that? This entire cavern's going to collapse any moment now. I'll be long gone while you'll be a pile of dust. How does it feel to be bested by a god, whelp! You dare come to me with your arrogance and expect to win! I've killed countless warriors back in my day! What do you have to offer?"
Leroy clenched his teeth furiously. "This…will be your tomb."
"Even now, you're still ignoring me. I'll have fun tearing your son to pieces until he becomes my loyal apprentice." Aeternus pulled back and laughed as the infection closed in on the last of Leroy's body. "It hasn't been fun! Now die, you arrogant—" Aeternus stopped himself and scrunched his face. "Wait, something feel's off."
He looked over the Samurott for a quick observation. Disarmed of his weapons? Check. Pinned to the ground? Check. Arm severed? Check. Incapable of moving? Che—
Aeternus whipped his head to Leroy's right arm. Or rather, lack of a right arm. Leroy's entire arm was missing, with only a space of pure electricity remaining from the gap.
"When the hell—" His eyes widened as a surge of electricity took shape behind him. Looking through his peripherals, he saw Leroy's severed arm floating above his head, gripping his seamitar. In a flash, it swung down. "Oh fu—"
Like a bolt of lightning, the sword came down on his right shoulder and cleaved through with no resistance. As that was the hand injecting Leroy, he flew off and cancelled the spell, returning Leroy to normal.
"GAH!" Aeternus jumped off the Samurott and clutched his bleeding wound. "You bastard!" Aeternus bared his teeth and glared at his severed stump. He extended his darkness and shot it at the severed limb. "You think this will stop—"
A thunderbolt crashed down on the severed limb and lit it up. Aeternus watched with a blank stare as his arm burned and shriveled into ash before exploding into pieces. Aeternus blinked, then looked back dumbfoundedly at Leroy.
Leroy's arm reformed back on his body. His fur glowed light blue while a cloud scarf formed around his neck. He settled his seamitar over his shoulder and glared. "It's over. Surrender and I will make your death swift."
Aeternus' eye twitched as the cavern continued to crumble above him. He fell to his knees, then covered his face. "You just…had to make this shit complicated, now you add insult to injury." An irritated grin found its way onto his face. "I don't get it."
"Hmm?"
"I know the kid hates you. It's clear on his face. So why…why does he still feel the need to acknowledge you when all you do is hold him back?" Aeternus shook his head. "Kids these days don't make sense. What's so special about protecting loved ones? Why do parents deserve unconditional love? They're just the tools to spawn. There's no love. There's only ambition. Why live in a world with these invisible rules when I can live as I want?" Aeternus' grin grew into a wide smirk. "It's emotions like that that get people killed. So why, why do people keep doing it?"
Leroy glared, then approached the fallen clown. "I can't let you leave this place alive."
Aeternus sighed, then stood up. "No, no, I understand. You have your duties, and I have mine." Aeternus chuckled through his teeth. "In a way, I actually do respect you. You understand, don't you, that family is a weakness." He grinned, noticing the twinkle of irritation that sparked in Leroy's eyes. "They called me the Strategist of Darkness, but I'm more of a certified genius. I know how to make people obey me, so I know which buttons to press to spark a reaction."
Leroy's back legs tightened. "Your evil…ends here!" He launched towards Aeternus, crossing his seamitars and lighting them up. "Flash Splitter!"
Aeternus grinned and pressed a finger to his cheek. "I'm done with this fight." He swiped his finger down.
Leroy stopped and gasped as Aeternus started to light up in his own aura. Grid lines stretched over his entire body like someone diced his body. He lifted his head, snickering sinisterly through clenched teeth.
"I'll show that brat who he really is, then I'll have my perfect successor." Aeternus winked. "Until then, sleep with one eye open."
Leroy covered his eyes as Aeternus' entire body exploded. The blast knocked Leroy over and threw him into the wall. He heard Aeternus' laughter echo through the cavern. He gazed up and spotted a trail of yellow dust flying into the ceiling, vanishing through the cracks.
Leroy blinked, then looked at the smoking footprints left behind by the clown. Part of the ground had disintegrated with him as well. The only thing remaining of him was the pile of ashes that was once his arm.
"What…" Leroy shook from his thoughts as the cavern started to rumble again. "Forget it." He sheathed his seamitars and dashed for an exit.
Larger and larger chunks split from the ceiling as the maze started to come undone. Tony, Flint, Ambrosine, and Rico beat their legs against the ground as they raced closer to the top. Tony glared as he felt the magic lining the tunnels fading.
"Aeternus' magic is disappearing," Flint pointed out.
"Did the old man actually kill him?" Tony muttered.
"Old man?" Ambrosine asked.
Tony shook his head. "Forget it. I can see we're getting closer."
Rico sighed. "Thank goodness. I'm getting sick and tired of this stupid—GAH!" The ground collapsed under his foot, dropping into an abyss. "Shit!"
"Rico!" Ambrosine dove, but barely brushed his fingertips.
"AAAHHH!" Rico screamed. He covered his head and braced over impact.
Suddenly, a surge of sand shot out from the abyss and caught Rico. The Scrafty gasped as he sunk into the sand before reemerging back to the top. Flint and Ambrosine grabbed his hands and pulled him back onto solid ground while the sand plopped down in front of them.
The group coughed from the sand cloud, then gasped as Wes, Arid, and Graham popped out. Wes spat sand from his mouth, gagging. "You could've been a little more graceful with the driving." Arid rolled his eyes.
Flint's eyes lightened. "Wes!"
Wes blinked, then beamed. "Aha! Flint!" He lunged and tackled his brother into a hug. "Oh, I knew you were up here! I'm so glad you're safe!"
"Same, bro!" Flint hugged around Wes' neck, beaming with joy.
Ambrosine smiled at little at them. "Aww—AH!" The tunnel shook from a second tremor, taking out more of their stability. "Okay, bonding time over! Time to leave!"
"Have any of you seen the others?" Graham asked.
Flint stood up and said, "Some of our guys are still down there. I'm not sure who's—"
"Hey! You guys!" They turned and gasped. Further down, where the tunnel was collapsing into a massive space. Griffin, Gwyn, the bounty hunters, and the remaining pirates hopped along the thinness of plateaus in the cave. The slightest bit of weight shifted them and caused them to crumble, but Gwyn was able to get everyone the rest of the way by shooting vines from her glyph glove.
Right as their last foothold gave out, everyone grabbed onto Gwyn as she reeled them towards the tunnel. Arid shot sand out of the walls and grabbed them in a large sand fist. He pulled them in and dropped them unceremoniously to the floor.
Gwyn rolled out of the sand, spitting some out of her mouth. She raised her fist weakly. "Yay…"
"Gwyn!" Wes and Flint picked her up and hugged her. "You're okay!"
"I'm fine, too, thanks," Griffin grumbled as he helped Mack and Holly up.
Arid looked back at the collapsing space behind them. "Now is that everyone!"
Graham counted off their heads. "Between everyone I rescued, plus the Espeon, that seems to be everyone except…where's Indigo?"
Tony and Rico's eyes widened, then their faces fell. Tony turned his back and covered his one eye while Rico stared teary-eyed at the ground. Arid, Graham, and the other pirates narrowed their eyes worriedly at the Scrafty.
"Rico…where's Indigo?" Leigh asked gently, touching his shoulder.
Rico shuddered as he tried to hold back his tears. He ran his arm across his eyes and looked at her with snot dribbling from his nostrils. "Can…Can we just go now? I…I'll explain later."
Arid narrowed his eyes, seemingly understanding his distress, then nodded to Graham. "Get us out of here. It's been a long day." Graham turned and snapped his fingers, summoning his final portal for the day.
Leigh and Zerif guided Rico through the portal with Zerif even letting him lean against his side.
Jones turned to Griffin and tossed his back One For All. "Thanks for the loan. Good luck." Griffin nodded to him as the shipwright jumped through the portal.
Arid stared at the portal, flared his nostrils, and looked back at Wes. "Ravenfield." Wes narrowed his eyes. "…This is where we part ways for now."
"You guys are going to lay low, huh?"
"Don't think we'll be out of the action. Once we've recuperated and pulled ourselves together, you'll bet we'll return. For now, I leave the rest of this mission in your capable paws." He extended his hand to the Umbreon. "I never thought I'd see the day I would be relying on you, but I see now you may be Mysto's only hope. It scares me to think of, but Apollo was right about one thing."
Wes' eyes narrowed worriedly. "And that is…?"
"You and your family truly are agents of chaos." Arid glared determinedly. "So, use that knowledge and destroy him."
Wes blinked in awe at the pirate captain, then gazed at his outstretched hand. He took a deep breath and slapped his paw into it. "Just watch me."
Arid smirked, even chuckled. "Crazy kid." He pulled from the Umbreon, then turned to the portal. "Ambrosine, let's go." Arid put one hand through the portal, but stopped. He didn't sense the Steenee coming closer. He looked back and squinted at her.
Ambrosine fiddled with her tattered uniform, standing idly by Flint and Gwyn with a guilty face. "Uh, Captain?"
Arid glared and pulled his hand from the portal. "We don't have all day, Ambrosine. What's the hold up?"
Ambrosine gulped. "Sir, I don't mean any disrespect, but…I think this is where my journey ends with you and the Desert Beasts."
Arid's eyes widened. "What?"
Ambrosine winced. "I'm sorry, I really am."
Arid glanced warily at Flint, which sparked a bit of confusion from the Flareon, then glared back at Ambrosine with a serious look. "Is this because—"
"N-No, not that!" she exclaimed, covering her reddened face. She exhaled and shook her head before glaring more confidently. "Someone needs to make sure they stay in one piece. You all need to disappear, but…I wouldn't feel right leaving these guys behind while they're injured. And…" Ambrosine clenched her fists. "And…"
"And?" Arid pressed.
Ambrosine glared at the floor. Though the air had cleared between her and the Desert Beasts, some part of her still felt guilt from the things she said. She would've willing sacrificed all of them if it meant preserving her life. Her own fears turned her away from the ethics of a medical magician, something she strived to become even with her low magical talent. She had to be better for herself. Better for them.
She wasn't going to learn anything being the doctor of a pirate crew. She had to learn the hard way, whether she liked it or not. She needed actual magic tutors to teach her the right way to fight. She needed to put her skills to more practical use.
With a deep inhale, she dropped to her knees and bowed before her captain. "With the sincerest respects towards you, let me spread my wings! Let me learn from my mistakes!"
"You blindly let yourself become corrupted for a moment. Is the temptation to bury all your pain away really worth it?"
I don't want to hide away anymore!
"Pain…should be felt to experience true happiness. One can't understand life without first knowing pain."
The Sudowoodo said something similar earlier, and I'm reminded of your words, Captain. I need to conquer my pain so that I can be better for you and the crew, who so generously took me in even though I was some stowaway. Please…let me do this for myself!
"Let me join Team Ravenfield and stop the shadows!"
Arid gasped as tears fell from Ambrosine's eyes. Team Ravenfield stared at the Steenee in shock, though Flint was arguably the most stunned of them. "Ambrosine…"
Arid narrowed his eyes, noting the pleading stare she gave him. Some part of her, he could see, still carried that burden from back in Aeternus' HQ. The burden of running away like a selfish coward. This thief who stowed away on his ship and earned a spot as his doctor.
For the longest time, he saw something in Ambrosine's eyes that couldn't place. Now, it finally clicked with him. This burden extended farther beyond her guilt with the crew, but with herself. The weight of her life, the life she believed was falsely given to her that she must now bear to preserve its fire.
Was she scared of dying…or was she scared she wouldn't continue carrying the torch of that flame given to her?
Arid narrowed his eyes sympathetically. "So, this is the depth of your sadness."
Ambrosine whimpered pitifully. "Captain, please."
Arid sighed and scratched behind his head. "Why…are you asking me, runt?"
Ambrosine's eyes widened. "H-Huh?"
A wide toothy smirk formed. "That's your call, not mine. No one's forcing you to stay. But, if it eases your heart, then so be it." He raised his hand, then pointed dramatically at the doctor. "Ambrosine, I grant you permission! Do what you can for Team Ravenfield! Be their light!"
A tiny gasp escaped her lips as stars danced in her eyes. "C…Captain!"
"When we cross paths again, show me your light! Show me the light that can carve through even the darkest abyss! Make me proud, and become the best doctor this world has ever seen!"
Ambrosine grinned, then jumped to her feet. "I won't let you down, Captain!"
Arid nodded. "I know." He turned back to the portal, throwing a wave back to Team Ravenfield. "Keep her safe, Ravenfield. If anything happens to her, I'll kill you."
Wes blinked, then sighed before throwing back a grin. "Well, how can I refuse an offer like that? We'll keep an eye on her, Arid, you have my word."
Arid nodded, then stepped through the portal. Graham offered one last wave to the group, a wink to Ambrosine, then vanished into the closing portal. Just like that, there was no turning back for Ambrosine.
She inhaled deeply, then faced the treasure hunters with butterflies fluttering in her stomach. A moment of silence allowed her to sink into the new atmosphere, taking in their confused stares. They were no doubt thinking 'Where did this come from' and such. She'd be lying if she said her decision wasn't based off impulse, but there was some truth of forethought put into it.
She needed a change of setting. She knew her crew could get by without her. They did before, they can now.
Ambrosine smiled weakly. "Heh, so, uh…I am an official Ravenfield, right?"
Wes closed his eyes and smiled. "Well, I can't say no to a new travel compan—WAH!" Everyone instantly remembered they were still standing in a collapsing cave system.
"Less initiating, more running!" Mack yelled.
"Uh, right! First order of business, Ambrosine: RUN!"
The team sprinted like hell as the tunnel came down on them like a heavy waterfall.
Morgan and Apollo stared each other down as the entire cavern came collapsing down on them. Apollo kept struggling within his thread bindings while Morgan panted heavily, shaking at the knees. His lungs felt like they were air fried multiple times. Each breath he took was a dozen razor blades clawing into his throat. The taste of blood coated the inside of his mouth.
Apollo stretched out the bindings, but a second layer coiled around him and tightened back up. "Agh!" Apollo's glare intensified. "Release me, Wendrake."
"N…No. I don't think I will."
"Obey your master and release me. I won't ask again."
Morgan took short breaths, even if it brought discomfort to his chest. Blood leaked from the severed part of his arm. He felt the string pulling on the muscles, but his arm felt cold and lifeless. He could feel the phantom pains in his hand as he twitched the dead fingers.
"I will make this…my final atonement." Morgan grunted, his eyes sagging as the stamina rapidly depleted from him. His vision doubled, making the room spin, but he kept his resolve. "I will assure this world…a bright future."
Apollo bared his teeth. "Can you really expect your words to make a difference? Won't do you hope to accomplish? I've proven my point, Wendrake."
Morgan collapsed onto his knees and coughed blood into his hand. His whole body shuddered in revulsion, chills sapping the heat from his body and stiffening his muscles.
"Do you intend to hold me down here until the maze collapses on top of us? You are a full. You will be crushed. Rocks will tumble over your body, crush your head like a rotting pumpkin, and skewer your limbs on spires. I, however, will live. Tear me to pieces and I will regenerate. The modifications made to Ghostwind's body will keep me going forever. All damage I will accumulate down here will be as if it never existed. You have no chance of defeating me."
Morgan wheezed into his closed fist, then glared up at the possessed Scrafty. "I'm…not going to kill you. I know…I can't." With a shaky start, he pushed off his knee and got back to his feet, spreading them apart enough to retain his balance. He panted for a second to catch his breath, then held his hands together. "Everything…is going according to plan."
Apollo raised his brow. "Huh?"
Morgan clapped his hands together, then started spinning them around. String weaved together between his two hands, stretching out over the room. Apollo watched cautiously as strands of string connected themselves to the walls and hanged like disappointing birthday streamers, or a manor of spider webs.
"I lived a long time in fear of showing my true self." Apollo blinked and looked back at the Hypno, who kept his head low. "All I could do was run. Run, run, run. That was the only way I could survive. What purpose did I have for this world than be a sad observer of war? A war that I was a part of? And yet you came to me with words of flattery and power, driving away that part of myself I was most ashamed of. The part of me you saw as weakness.
"You know, before I met you, the idea of men crying from tragedy…was seen as weakness. Even today, I sometimes see mentalities like that. A world like this where we're shamed for having emotions, that we should feel guilty for giving into our base desires and anxieties." Morgan gritted his teeth. "Some sympathy was garnered after I lost my fiancé, but it turned to ridicule when I hauled myself away for days, lost in my own misery."
"Come on, Wendrake, it's been three days. I understand Senara's death hurts, but tough it out. She wouldn't want to see you crying like this."
"Man up, Wendrake, she wouldn't want you wasting away like this. Come outside, get some sunshine. It's not the end of the world."
"We're doing all we can to find the bandits that raided her carriage. You can get through this, you're a strong guy."
"Those comments…brought out a fury inside. They keep telling me everything will be okay, that everything will turn out for the better. When has telling someone to look on the bright side of things ever actually worked? Repeating the same thing over and over again doesn't make someone feel better, it just makes them angrier. They thought I would get over it, but how do you cope with the loss of someone you loved. You just can't do that. I can't do that.
"I thought I found my relief through you, but I only suffered more once I found my way out. In some ways, I missed the pain. Not suffering made me feel like I wasn't me. Not suffering…I felt like I didn't care about Senara's death at all." Tears fell from his eyes. "Centuries of wandering, living with that grief, with no way to express these emotions.
"That is, until I met Vashti…and Garret."
Apollo's eyes widened. "Vashti…Ravenfield."
Morgan tightened the string between his hands. "I didn't need anyone to tell me it was going to be okay. I needed someone…t-to listen, to let me vent and speak my mind. To let me be vulnerable for once in my life and express the pain I felt. She listened. She listened to my sins. Not a word spoken. She listened, and she never judged me for looking weak. I needed someone to be there. Not to tell me to chase the sun, but to lend me a shoulder to cry on.
"And Garret…that idiot was always chasing the sun. He never had to say it, he just did it. He was stubbornly persistent, so much so that it was infectious. For the second time in my immortality, I found reason to be myself again. I drank, I laughed, I cried, I even loved again…" Morgan closed his eyes. "I put up all my walls to keep myself sane, but I needed to step outside them, even for a moment, to finally begin healing."
Morgan spun his left hand and curled a tight knot of string around his index finger and thumb. Apollo, who was lost in the Hypno's monologue, gasped as the string binding him tightened. He looked around, noticing how insanely taut the strings were. One could play the strings like a violin. The entire chamber was caught in this massive, thick web.
Morgan glared seriously. "All of this…is for their future. Now it's my turn to chase the sun and leave the abyss I've been skirting across for five-hundred years."
Apollo bared his teeth. "What are you doing?!"
"You didn't think I spent those years just sulking, right? I knew one day, there was a chance you would return. So, as a countermeasure to everything I've learned about you, I'm going to buy Team Ravenfield some time, as well as save my friend."
"Wendrake, what—"
Morgan raised a smirk. "I must thank you, Your Majesty, for shutting off my regeneration. I was betting on you doing that to make my plan come to fruition. Thank you…for killing me."
Apollo's eyes widened as Morgan raised his coiled fingers. He's not serious, is he? "Wendrake, don't do this! Think about what you're doing!"
"Like I said, five hundred years to think it over. I've had plenty of time." Morgan glared. "Goodbye, Shadow King. May we both pass peacefully into the afterlife."
"Wendrake, don't—"
"Ripcord Havoc: All-Consuming Finale!"
Morgan snapped his fingers and triggered all the string in the chamber to bunch together into a massive vortex around them. Nothing but flashing purple spinning around them and raising them off the ground. The chamber walls turned to dust as the string grinded against them and continued to expand into a growing tornado.
Apollo came undone from the string, which slashed apart his muscles and tendons. "GAAAH!" Apollo screamed. All around him, string sliced his skin and scattered blood into the vortex. He attempted to fire a spell, but would lose his concentration the second a string slapped his wrist. He couldn't move or do anything without something biting back.
Morgan floated through the vortex as his own body got sliced up in the string. He made no effort to defend himself, willing accepting the tears and rips. He had his eyes set on Apollo and only Apollo.
The tornado rose through the ground, digging straight up and carving away all the rock. Morgan prayed everyone was out of the maze by now. There was no going back from this attack.
"WENDRAKE!" Apollo screamed furiously as his darkness worked overtime to repair the damages. "You BASTAAAAAAARD!"
Morgan flung himself at the possessed Scrafty and tackled him. He locked his legs around and pinned the king's arms down. Morgan gripped his fingerless glove. "Tell me something, Your Majesty. You say no one can break through your possession? Well, I guess that makes me a nobody. See if you recognize this little spell." Morgan pulled his glove off and threw it into the vortex.
Apollo squinted through the string cutting his face, then gasped as the star-shaped sigil carved into the Hypno's palm. His eyes widened in horror as the sigil burst with purple flame. "No…NO—" Morgan clutched Apollo's throat, choking him.
"This is how you were sealed away last time. I managed to acquire this knowledge…after I abandoned the heralds. A seal that will bind you away forever. Unfortunately, I don't have the strength to put you away into stasis, but I can do the next best thing: exchange your perfect vessel for a nearly dead one!"
"Wen…drake!" Apollo choked.
"How long will it take you to recover? Days? Weeks? Months?" Morgan bared his teeth. "Any time I can give those kids…is good enough for me!" He slammed the sigil into Apollo's face and clutched down.
Apollo screamed as purple flame ignited all over his body. His shadow form shifted out from under the skin, contorting into a terrible, pained cry for mercy. It tried to recede back into the Scrafty, but Morgan added onto the binding spell with his own string, wrapping around the phantom and restraining it.
"Stop clinging to this vessel…and just DIE ALREADY!" Morgan roared and whipped his arm back, ripping the shadow out of Alex's body.
Apollo's phantom screamed like a demon, chomping at the air and trying to wiggle free from Morgan. The Hypno choked the shadow, cocooned it with string, then slammed it into his chest. The shadow burnt away the string, but the damage was done. It screamed in agony as it absorbed into Morgan's body.
With the last of his remaining strength, Morgan grappled Alex's body and cocooned themselves in string as the vortex reached maximum power.
Ava, Ella, and Vincent staggered back in horror as the ground started to break open. "What's going on?!" Ella cried.
Ava's eyes widened, sensing multiple bodies flying closer to the surface, and mass of swirling energy with Morgan's magical signature written all over it. "Hit the dirt!" She psychically threw Ella and Vincent back right as the ground exploded open. A whirlwind of string shot high above the trees, tearing a hole through the leaves and branches.
Ava quickly scanned the sky and spotted Team Ravenfield, the bounty hunters, and Ambrosine flying through the air screaming. She also noticed the Grand World Tree, with part of its roots shredded and dislodged from the ground, tipping over.
"Third eye, open!" Ava's psychic third eye appeared on her forehead. With her frenetic roar, she released a powerful psychic wave over the entire area. All matter flying around her froze in stasis, from the largest rock to the smallest speck of dust.
The flying group covered their heads as they began to fall, but gasped as they suddenly came to a stop. Because Wes was a Dark-Type, however, he was hanging by the shreds of his clothes and with assistance from Griffin grabbing his nape.
The psychic wave washed over the Grand World Tree. Ava clenched her fingers, feeling the weight of the tree against her mind. A vein pulsed in her forehead as she focused everything into lifting the tree back up. She coughed a bit of blood as she pulled on the tree. The weighty groan of the tree fought against her psychic hold, but she kept pulling and pulling, bringing the tree inches closer back to its resting position.
Thankfully, the vortex of string finally eased up its assault and ceased grinding against the tree. Ava pulled on the tree until it was completely straight. With the last of her strength, she tore mountains of rocks from the ground and threw them into the roots until it was sufficiently anchored down.
Ava released the breath she was holding and collapsed onto her face. "Ava!" Vincent cried as he ran to her side.
The flying group slowly descended to the ground as Ava's telekinesis faded. They fell a whole meter to the ground with a painful thud, but nowhere near as bad as falling from several stories.
"Ugh…" Wes groaned. "I feel sore all over."
"Same. My head's throbbing," Griffin complained as he sat up on his knees.
"Where did that attack even come from?" Ambrosine wondered dizzily.
"Guys!" The group gasped as Ella leaped into their bruised and injured bodies, bringing them into a group hug. "You're alright!"
"Ella!" Wes exclaimed, wrapping his forelegs around her. "We heard you made it out! I'm so glad you're safe, too!"
Ella pulled away and smirked uneasily. "H-Hey, I can handle myself."
"I know."
Tony sat up and shook his head. "Y-Yeah…we're all glad to be…ugh…" His knee buckled under his weight and dropped him back on his rear.
Ambrosine shrieked and lunged to his side. "Crap, I didn't even realize how bad these injuries were! What happened to you?!"
Tony winced, covering his bandaged eye. "Too much…"
"We need to get you treated right away!" Ambrosine looked everyone over worriedly. "Actually, all of you could stand for a quick check-up."
Ella blinked, then glanced at her teammates. "Did I…miss something while you all were down there?"
Wes grinned sheepishly. "Uh, we'll fill you in on the details later." He pulled himself up and shook his head. "The important thing is that we're all safe."
"Yeah, but at a few costs," Mack brought up, leaning back on his hands.
"Costs?" Wes' eyes widened. "Wait, did anyone retrieve the—"
"The keys are gone," Griffin answered abruptly, pulling his knees to his chest.
The Umbreon's jaw dropped. "They're gone?!"
"But not in the Shadow King's hands either," Holly added. "It's…kind of complicated." She glared at Mack. "Very complicated." He shrugged it off.
Wes pulled on his hat's brim and shuddered. "It had to be something…"
"You kids…ugh, owe Morgan one hell of a 'thank you' when we find him," Ava groaned as Vincent helped her up. "He's the one who went after the Shadow King, and the reason you all escaped in time."
Wes nodded. "Yeah, we understand. He might still be down in the rubble. Maybe we can—"
"Wait." Tony pushed Ambrosine away before she could get to healing him. He closed his eyes and held his hand out. His whiskers twitched along with his senses.
Flint's ears drooped. "Tony…"
"Is something wrong?" Gwyn asked.
He lingered on their concerns, then his eye widened in horror. "No." Without warning, he sprinted to the tree and started digging into the rubble. "No, no, no, no!"
Team Ravenfield looked at each other with sudden concern, then raced over to help dig out the ground. Ava, Vincent, and the bounty hunters hanged back, fear creeping over their faces.
After being jettisoned straight to the top of the maze, Morgan found himself laying in a small pit with beams of light shining on his face. His ears twitched at concerned, muffled voices nearby, probably on the other side of the pit. He smiled wearily.
"Heh. They have to be battered, bruised, and broken, yet there they are, still doing what they can to protect others." He breathed in, then reclined his head back. "They're good kids."
His legs were crushed under mounds of rock with blood pouring out. The string holding his body together came undone, the contents masked under darkness. His arm came undone and plopped down beside him. Hundreds of cuts littered his face and body, tore the last of his clothes to pieces.
He breathed as best he could with one punctured lung in the stale, thin air. His eyes shifted around as gravel and rock came loose from his rescuers' digging, revealing tiny cracks of sunlight.
"They're…good kids." He squeezed the hand of the body next to him. They really are.
Though Morgan was torn to pieces, Alex Ghostwind remained perfectly intact aside from the superficial cuts. Rock had fallen on him, but had been slashed to bits with whatever strength Morgan could conjure. The tremors have finally calmed. They were safe for now.
Morgan inhaled deeply, then exhaled a long, drawn-out sigh. "Alex…would you say I've truly repented? Have I been a good man?" A chuckle escaped his lips. "No, I've never been a good man. Just a man trying to do good on his promise." He closed his eyes. "I say that's good enough."
Morgan reached into his back pocket and struggled to pull his flask free. He had to shift his weight around until it finally slid out. He shakily held the container to his face and grazed his thumb across the faded initials.
"We never did share a drink together, Senara. This may be the only time you and I can toast." He flicked the cap off. "To us. And to the future." He leaned his head back and guzzled down the last of his whiskey.
He felt the smooth liquid glide down his throat. Though it would never find its own resting place, the whiskey delighted in satisfying his tongue, a particular caramel flavor exciting his taste buds.
Once the last drop slid onto his tongue, he pulled the flask away, smiling fondly at it. His cheeks were flushed.
"Heh…I actually…feel warm."
He gazed up as more rock came undone, spilling open into a path to the surface. The shadow of a head peeked through and pointed down at him.
"Guys, I see him! There's Morgan!"
Morgan's eyes fluttered shut, one last laugh echoing hauntingly from him. "Heh…the light…their light. It's really, really…warm."
The tattoo permanently seared into his skin flaked off like dust and faded into the light. The vein-like patterns over his face receded and the red, faint glow adorning his eyes faded away. His arm went limp, clattering the flask next to Alex.
It startled him awake.
"Wha…What?" Alex clasped the cloths of the dark king he wore, looking around in confusion. "Where…When…" He looked up, then gasped. "Mor…Morgan!" He picked himself up and grabbed Morgan's mane. "Morgan, wake up! Wake up!" Tears fell from his eyes. "Don't go to sleep! I'm begging you, don't go to sleep!"
"Pops!" Alex gasped as Tony came sliding down the rubble and ran to them. "Shadow King!" Tony growled, lighting up his hands.
Alex raised his hands frantically. "Kid, wait, I'm not—"
"Tony, stop!" Wes yelled as he slid down. "That's not the Shadow King!" He could see the anger in Tony's eye. "Tony, look at his aura! That's…That's…" Wes stopped himself and took a double take. "Tony?"
The anger fleeted instantly from the Dewott as his eye fell upon Morgan's body. He fell to his knees, shaking in horror. "P…Pops." Tears welled in his good eye while bloody, watery tears trickled down his bandaged eye.
The rest of Team Ravenfield slid down, then gasped at the scene before them. Gwyn recoiled with tears and threw her face into Flint's mane. Flint let her sob and patted her back, gawking in disbelief. Griffin turned his head away and covered his face, his whole body shaking in rage. Ella covered her mouth while the tears flowed freely.
Ambrosine and the bounty hunters watched from the hole, equally as shocked by the scene. They heard a thud behind them and turned. Ava dropped to her knees and sobbed into her hands. She could sense the exact moment Morgan's flame burnt out. She couldn't bear the thought of seeing the body. Vincent pulled his wife closer and rested her head into his shoulder.
Above in the trees, having fled the collapsing tunnels, Leroy observed the tragic display with equal parts sympathy and guilt. He bared his teeth, then fled in a flash of light.
Tony, sitting in front of his father figure, trembled on his hands and knees, sobbing his eyes out. He clutched the bandana wrapped around his face and the flask sitting beside him and curled onto the floor.
"Indigo…Pops…"
They endured so much, but at what cost? Was this a victory or a defeat? What comes after?
Only one man obtained victory in this brutal onslaught, and they paid him the respects he deserved. A prayer was gifted to the man who sought to cleanse his soul.
The assassin's curse of immortality…has finally been lifted.
