The End of Lina Inverse.
Prologue: ...Who became a Great Sorceress...
Still afraid, Lina could not force herself to leave the pale pool of light, even if she did know where the main hallway was. Then the shadows seemed to deepen and all color faded to black and white. Lina looked up in terror, the light from the ball was now steadily fading, going dim then dark. Blackness flowed around her again but this time, mercifully, it lasted only for a moment. There! Another light! Lina rejoiced.
Is it the way out? With a little luck maybe she'll be back at the shrine's doors before she was missed!
Indeed another light now grew, a sinister dull red glow like a hot forge was reflecting off the far wall of the chamber and Lina slowly walked towards it. Its hue seemed menacing, foreboding, if not downright evil, but she could not deny its lure, its attraction. Then she could see the light's source, a glowing red-amber stone, ten inches high, shaped like a half melted pyramid, sitting on a waist high block of dull ebony black stone before a flatten portion of the wall beyond it. Tongues of fire seemed to flicker deep with in it, yet no warmth did it radiant forth.
The baleful red light reflected off the flatten wall, reveling an elaborate engraving almost like a mural. The mural, if that be what it was, seem to be of a chart or diagram, five red-gold circles around a larger central star of red. All were inter-connected by thin silver lines making the whole thing a giant 5 sided pentagram with the star at its center. Words in a language unknown to Lina, unknown to all but the eldest of the demon race, the mazoku, also covered the mural making it look more like an illustration from a book...! Damn, its a different shape and there's no symbol for the god of gods, the Lord of Nightmares, but it could be a diagram showing Ruby-Eye and his five demon lords....
As if called by the thought of the demon lords a voice, low and guttural, rasped out the same challenge as the door-warden. "Who is it that enters the Shrine? By what right are you here?" and the amber stone flashed and flickered in time to the words, as if the stone itself was speaking.
Taken by total surprise, Lina answered the voice with out thinking, falling back on the ritual response to the challenge. "Lina, apprentice to Master Durian, by who's right and permission I'm here" she replied in a timid voice.
The invisible eyes Lina felt watching since entering the shrine, intensified their glare, dissecting her, peering into her mind, her memories. Lina felt like a bug under a magnifying glass, hoping not to be crushed or burnt alive by the invisible presence. Again it asked, in a louder, harsher, more commanding voice, a slightly different demand "WHO IS IT THAT ENTERS THE SHRINE? WHY ARE YOU HERE?"
The voice echoed across the chamber until it seemed as if a host of demons were demanding Lina's response, she knew it didn't want or care about her guild rank or master's name. Slowly, haltingly she replied "I... I'm Le... Lina In...verse..., I... I am aan a... sorceress..., I... am here t-to learn ma... mag-ic...." She stammered out, then added a question of her own. "WWho-o..., wa-what... aa...are y-you?"
"Touch the stone and all will be granted" the voice requested. Lina knew, deep down, that she shouldn't, but that voice was so compelling she stepped forward without thinking and raised her right hand to touch it. NO! STOP! the voice of reason cried out inside her, and Lina's hand hesitated.
"TOUCH THE STONE!" The voice imperiously commanded. "Great powers and gifts wait if you just touch the stone!" Lina's hand inched towards the stone, still unsure of the wisdom of listening to talking rock hidden in a shrine to a demon lord, but felt that just touching it could not harm her. Lina finally placed her hand over the rounded top of the amber stone and a strange warmth edged up her arm and flowed over her body.
Lina tried to pull back, to release the stone, but her body was unresponsive and her hand was stuck fast to stone as if merged with it. Then pain seared though out her head and then something, a presence?, also seemed to flow out of the stone, trying to invade her mind and storm the ramparts of her persona, her free will. Two red spectral eyes pierced deep into her soul, trying to push her out, take control. Red... eyes? ...Ruby? SH-SHABRANIGDO! Lina blanched in terror as the demon lord tried to overwhelm her.
It was unthinkable to Ruby Eye that a "mere" human girl could possess the will to resist HIM. So sure was Shabranigdo of his victory that he did not wait for Lina's final surrender and defeat before he began to infuse himself into her Id. The Id, that secret area of Lina's subconscious were lived all her self doubts and foul thoughts, where what malice and petty hatreds she had dwelt.
Here Shabranigdo was strong, after all this was the source of his power, the darkness and destruction in men's (or women's) souls. His power burned and surged there, deep in Lina mind, blasting open the clogged channels and fouled reservoirs that stifled Lina's use of black magic energies, connecting and feeding that power to his new "minion", to make her strong and worthy of him. Here was where he would dwell inside this creature, and he would make her one of his mazoku, and in the fullness of time he would burst forth from her body like a moth from its cocoon and in her death, he would live again.
At first all Lina could do was tremble in fear, her mind was in agony, pain tortured her soul and she was unable to defy the piercing eyes of Shabranigdo, the demon king of the Mazoku and lord of all black magic. But then at the brink of the abyss, at the very end of her rope, when her total surrender and acquiescence seemed all but assured, Lina's stubborn will, her ego, her spirit, welled up and she began to fight back and to resist.
And to Lina amazement she felt the presence reel back and retreat as if repulse and reviled by her will and spirit. Ruby Eye was shocked, surely this girl did not think she could deny HIM. He stuck back at Lina's will, whispering silent thoughts into her mind of how weak and pitiful she was, how great and mighty was He, and how futile was her resistance. Almost it worked, almost she gave in, but Lina was always the optimist, never a pessimist and such thoughts were strange and un-natural to her and she drove them out and listen to them no more.
Then Ruby Eye tried a different tact, "You will be my vassal, I will grant you great powers. I will make you mighty!" the voice tempted her. "I will show you..." and visions of mighty armies of humans, trolls, and monsters rallying to her call. Of cities burning as she rode triumphantly though them, heaps of ill-gotten plunder laid before her feet, of great and terrible spells at her beck and call, and of vast harems of men in sexual servitude to her. All she had to do was to submit and serve HIM and all this and more would be hers.
But Lina was the younger daughter of a simple merchant, honest and good, and white magic and its virtues ran strong in her family, VERY strong. Lina craved good food and lots of it, pocket money to spend freely, good friends and adventure. Her dreams were of Prince Charming and gala balls, of being a great benevolent sorceress and casting mighty spells, of learning new things and finding great treasures, and of great quests and deeds but in the name of good, not evil causes.
This was what Lina wanted, but it was nothing Shabranigdo could grant, save maybe the magic, "I will teach you, you will learn." He whispered in her mind, but the price he wanted, her soul and eventually her life, was too high. Lina rallied her spirit and its basic goodness was a force Ruby Eye could not withstand, or even long tolerate and he left her mind, but not her body. If you don't respond to the "carrot" perhaps the WHIP will do!
Anger and rage radiated from the amber stone, and it flared to a blinding red light and Lina cried out as the light burned and seared her. She had stopped Ruby Eye from buying or seizing her soul, but she didn't stop him from trying to hurt or even kill her. Pain lanced though out her body, and the stone felt as if it was draining her life energies, feeding on them. All she had to do was give in and the pain would stop, the voice of Shabranigdo whispered to her.
Nothing Lina could do seemed to stop the pain that racked her body, all the spells and enchantments she had learned at the guild were worse than useless. Not only could she not cast them, they were the stuff that Ruby Eye was lord of, Black Magic. She would have better luck dousing a forest fire with grain alcohol.
Her life was over, this Lina knew beyond a doubt. If Lina did not submit, Shabranigdo would not let her live, and SHE would NOT submit! Ruby Eye had lost, had failed to corrupt her soul or break it, and He was NOT a "Good Loser." Lina last thoughts turned to the home she left years before, a mother and father that loved her and quite unexpectedly to her "perfect" older sister.
Luna, the scourge of her young life, the sister that always did every thing first and better than her, the one that everyone thought of as "Perfect." When Lina showed (White) magic affinity at five, LUNA had cast her first spells at age four, While she was a scrawny bean pole a Short scrawny bean pole at that!, LUNA was already tall and blonde and... well, robustly built. Everything she tried, everything she did, LUNA had already done, and BETTER!
To top it off, Luna was also a strict martinet who ruled over her baby sis with fist and fury, but Lina also knew she could be a little hellion that probably deserved MOST of Luna's creative "Punishments." The strain and effort of competing with her unbeatable sibling had finally forced Lina to a different path. If she couldn't beat her sis in White Magic, Lina would learn Black and to chaos with Luna!
But now that death was looking her in the face, Lina wished she could see and talk to her older sis one last time, there were words and actions that laid between them that Lina wished she had time to set aright, now it was too late!. Even now she could "hear" Luna chanting one of her White Magic prayers against evil she loved to evoke when ever she chased her little sis.
"In the name of Holy Dragon Ceiphied, Goddess-protector of this land. In your blessed name and in your service, against all evil help me stand...." Lina repeated the words she remembered so well.
She was resigned to death, after all what could SHE do against Ruby-Eye? But her sister's prayer did help to bring Lina some level of comfort and again she repeated it, and then yet again. Each time it seemed harder and harder to say, as it seemed to be sapping her energy, but each time the pain and torments of Shabranigdo also seemed to be more bearable. Third times the charm!, another of Luna's favorite sayings, popped into Lina's mind.
A light friendly... what? Touch?, Spirit?, deep within her seemed to answered her third recital of the prayer. A new presence invaded her mind, one that brought blessed peace, renewed strength and hope, and against Ruby Eye it helped her stand. Blessed...? Help me stand...? a stunned Lina realized, Ceiphied! Luna's prayer! Once again, by proxy, Luna had proved herself better, stronger than her, but this ONE time Lina was glad for it.
With the strength of will and spirit, newly bolstered and no longer needed to fight off Ruby Eye's soul alone, Lina finally managed to wrest her hand away from the stone. As if a switch was turn off or a candle snuffed out, both the searing pain and all light in the chamber disappeared and Lina was again plunged into total darkness.
Lina turned and ran, not caring what direction, save away from the stone. She wished for light, and silently mouth the "lighting" spell that she could... sometimes..., cast. A globe of energy 8 inches across instantly bloomed to life and floated above her, radiating a pure white light. She saw an opening and by its size and shape, it must lead to the alcove. Sure enough, the alcove it was and Lina ran though it and out into "the crossroads."
Suddenly lights and radiances from a dozen un-hooded torches and a score of light spells bathing the crossroads and main hall in a brilliance, driving out all darkness. Dozens of sorcerers were crowding the hall, robes of the journey men and masters, weapons in hand and spells crackling around them. It appeared to Lina that the entire guild was present in force, ready for battle.
Relief and euphoria filled Lina as she rushed towards her friends and teachers, but they fell back in mass into defensive stances and spells sped towards her. She flung her self flat on the floor as several fire balls shot over her, barely missing. A trio of flare arrows came next, crashing against her cape shrouded back, but though singed and soot-stained Lina was otherwise unhurt.
"SURRENDER, YA EVIL HAG!" a familar voice yelled "YA FAIL'D! Ya couldn't break da god seal on ol' Ruby Eye, but if ya give back un-harm'd the child, we'll let ya live"
"MASTER!" Lina cried out "Wa... WHY?" was all she could force out amid the sobs and tear of anguish peering up from the floor at the figure standing in the forefront, that of Master Durian. His stern face was masked with a cold fury, his sea blue eyes were ice cold with contempt and in his hands...! In his hands was a ball of pure energy, a deadly spell ready to cast.
Master Durian looked down at the wretched creature that laid before him. It had yet to use any magic, but it wore the attire of an Adept and his inner sight told him it was powerful, very powerful. It had broke the seal to the inner sanctum and open the door, no mean feat. Pain and sorrow filled Durian, Lina missing! He hoped beyond reason that Lina was still alive, but vile creatures such as this one seldom showed any mercy, just malice and death. It's one of Shaby's mazoku, evil and cruel, as Durian's anger welled up I'll kill it if it even touched Lina! as his heart ached for the young girl who was more than just a student to him Da old shouldn't out live da young.
Hag? is that all I'm to him, doesn't he... like me? Lina mentally wailed. The man who was her mentor and a surrogate father, who had been friend was ready to kill her. He thinks I tried to free Shabranigdo, that I would or could hurt a child... ran though her mind before sobbing out "P-Please..., d-don't... hurt m-me! I d-d-didn't me-mean any h-harm, I d-didn't m-me-mean to ba-brake your am..., am-U-let!"
How typical, it pleads for its life Durian's lip curled up in disgust. Oh don't ya hurt me, all I did was kill'd Lina he thought mockingly. Shows how little THEY (meaning mazuko) care for life, It thought I'd be more upset over me damn amulet! Still looking down at prone figure with its pure white hair and red eyes, wizen with age, Durian saw its head was upturned to stare at him, and tears were streaming down its face. Its... crying? ITS CRYING! Rage at its gall raced through Durian and he raise a foot to stomp on it, like he would any foul vermin. NO! that won't do it, won't HURT it! and instead poured his anger into the glowing globe of red, a Fire Ball to end all Fire Balls I'd wish I dare'd use Dragon Slave, but that'll toast us all!
Durian bent down, closer, shoving the glowing ball in the mazuko face, so it could SEE its death. For the first time Durian noticed that its face was strangely un-creased and not a wrinkle or age spot showed, As if... 'IT'... was a child! Durian spat. The light from the ball cast its red glare over the hag, making its snow white hair seem red in color. A vision of the same face with skin of pale peach, the red lit hair, and blue eyes instead of the red ones suddenly swam before his mind and he gasped out "Li-! ...Lina?"
The spell died in Durian's hands and when given life when death seemed certain, Lina did what most twelve year-olds would do. She passed out and remembered no more of that evening.
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