Chapter 58
Gaspar sat before the statue of Doom, caressing the magicite crystal. The statue was dark blue with golden wings on it its back and four muscular arms sprouting from its shoulders. A pair of horns crowned its dark face and the lower half of its body was made of a golden metallic stand. Enormous black basalt pillars rose from the polished gray stones with red veins that made up the floor and met together in supporting the vaults under the roof. The walls were decorated with elaborate carvings depicting scenes of destruction. Only a few small windows near the roofline added light to the faintly glowing candelabras spread out among the pews. A swarm of bats flew in the windows and coalesced into the Esper form of Diablos. He landed near the massive doors that led outside.
"Gaspar Chadarnook!" bellowed Diablos.
The Magus opened his eyes and rose slowly. He turned away from the statue to face Diablos.
"Welcome to my Temple," said Gaspar smugly.
"Say your prayers to Doom!" spat Diablos, pointing a long claw.
"I already have," replied Gaspar gleefully, "Now come for me Esper!"
Diablos unfurled his massive wings and flew down the hall. As he got closer Gaspar cast.
"Arctic winds, blow through and freeze the blood of my foes…."
He wasn't able to finish by the time Diablos reached him and impaled him through the chest with his claws. He pinned the Magus to the statue of Doom. Gaspar coughed up red blood and gasped in pain. Diablos' face was fixed in a hideous leer.
"Hurts doesn't it?" he taunted.
Gaspar wrapped his hands around Diablos' wrists. He smiled sickly at the Esper.
"Thank you Diablos," he said quietly.
He touched his bloody hands to the surface of the statue of Doom. He then slumped forward.
Diablos pulled out his claws and watched the Magus slump to the floor like a rag doll.
"What the hell?" he muttered.
He blinked in surprise as Gaspar's blood began to flow into the statue. He took a horrified step back. The statue began to glow with an intense blue glow. It was enveloped in an enormous shaft of light that punched through the ceiling of the Temple. Diablos sidestepped the stones and roof tiles that rained down. He gaped in wonder as the magicite crystal was swept skyward by the beam. The eyes of the statue of Doom began to glow faintly.
"Well done my child," whispered a voice.
Diablos whirled around. "Who said that?"
He turned to see green smoke billowing out of Gaspar's mouth and nostrils. The noxious green smoke condensed into a smoky gray form resting on a mass of tangled thorny vines. It peered at him with glowing blue eyes.
"You shall stand at my right hand," said the faint voice.
"Gaspar?" asked Diablos tentatively.
"Gaspar has been sacrificed," said the voice, "Now the last Avatar has risen."
Diablos took a step backwards, glancing at the glowing statue behind the cloud. "Are you Doom?"
"Chadarnook is the Avatar of Doom," replied the voice.
Diablos stared in horror.
"Do not be afraid my child," said the voice, "You shall witness the destruction of Goddess and Poltergeist."
Diablos gritted his teeth and clenched his claws into fists so hard they began to bleed. "Damn me," he muttered.
The voice became puzzled. "Why do you hesitate child?"
Diablos looked up. "You'll destroy the world!"
"That is of no consequence," replied the voice.
"I won't let you!" snapped Diablos.
"Then you shall be sacrificed as well," said the voice.
Diablos flew up and began to cast.
"Infernal regions confer upon me thy power…Quarter!"
Black spheres formed a small chain that enveloped Chadarnook. It merely hovered there, unaffected. The metal candelabras and braziers rose from the floor and began to break apart into hundreds of small sharp pieces. The pieces all flew into Diablos driving him toward the door, where they drove through like so many bloody nails.
Outside the ground around the temple began to crumble. A circular section of land the temple rested on began to rise into the air. The beam of blue light from the roof swerved toward the other two columns of light. As the three beams converged over the mountains north of Tzen, the land began to break apart. The southern landmass wrenched itself free of the eastern and western landmasses, creating massive earthquakes and landslides. The castle of Tzen collapsed and sunk into itself. The mountains north of Tzen pulled away, leaving a few peaks behind in the shape of a star.
Further north the ocean filled in the gaps in the great triangular lake. With the southern edge gone, it became a massive bay. The city of Styx slowly sunk into the desert sand, as if to hide it from the world in shame. In Jidoor the mayor's house imploded, scattering debris all over the city. Many of the flimsy and ramshackle buildings collapsed of their own accord. In the mining camp, several mines collapsed as the an avalanche buried what was left.
Far to the east the land had torn itself free from both the western and southern landmasses, leaving only a small isthmus far to the north. The remains of the Magic Academy sunk under the water along with Ebot's rock. The fortress of Doma shook and shuddered but its foundations held.
Three small circular islands hovered over the wasted and tortured earth. Separated by hundreds of miles, the Temples of Doom, Goddess, and Poltergeist slowly moved toward each other, sending sparks of electrical energy with the land under them.
The End had come.