"I wish to see what is coming." The Star Sybil was anxious.
"But...m'lady..."
"No. I must know what we're trying to face."
"Madam, please. I assure you that trying to see who we're going to fight will do nothing but discourage-"
The Star Sybil waved her hand interjectedly. "Enough. Show me." The Taru warlock hesitated, but then nodded unwillingly.
"So be it."
He reached up the bookshelf near him and pulled down a book. After licking his finger, he thumbed through the pages until he found what he was looking for. The warlock then proceeded to walk over to the Star Sybil and cupped his other free hand on the Sybil's ear. He spoke a few words, and his hand grew a blue glow that dissipated quickly. He then took his hand and moved it to the Star Sybil's eyes, which she then closed, and the warlock proceeded to read the same verse, whereupon the same blue glow appeared one more. After completing this, he stood back, read a final line, raised his hand, and slammed the book shut.
The Star Sybil now found her eyes and ears blind and deaf. The room in front of her and the sounds from it blurred and dissolved. Although she still felt the presence of the warlock and the room around her, her eyes and ears grew new senses. At first, it was quiet, but small sounds and voices began to grow.
It began as a tiny growl, and a small flash of green skin. The growl soon increased to a dull roar of growls, gurgles, and shouts, all of a foreign voice. As the sound grew, her eyes began to focus on a seething mob of green, black, and silver. The growls and shouts soon became clear voices, war-like cries of an army that walked forth upon a city. Her eyes continued to clear until the green was recognized as the skin of various creatures, the black as feathers of others, and the silver as glints of metallic armor and blades. All it once, the vision became crystal; its size large. Thousands upon thousands upon thousands of Orcs, Yagudo, Undead, Gigas, Goblins, Anticans, Tonberries, and Sahagins, lined in battle armor and cloth. Mages, warriors, fighters, healers, summoners, all battle ready, marching as single seething mass that rippled and pulsated disgustedly. Their spears, swords and shields were proudly stained with blood, their banners bearing the mark of the Beastmen. They all shouted together, and yet, not as one, screaming and shouting for the war upon civilization and the reaping of blood upon the innocents.
Windurst.
The Star Sybil could not take it any longer; her stomach was queasy from the thought. She collapsed forward onto her knees, palms holding her up from the ground. The vision faded away as the room reappeared, but her skin remained pale, her stomach lurching. The warlock rushed to her side and lifted her up, but she shook him off rudely.
"How long until they are here?" She asked bitterly.
"Sunset."
"How many do they number?"
"Half a million. Maybe more."
"And our numbers?"
"Fifty thousand. We're outnumbered ten to one. And...there's one other thing." The warlock hesitated, and then turned away. "The six pale warriors are leading them."
The Star Sybil slowly pulled herself to her feet and shuffled over to the window. She stared at the blood red sunset for a long moment before she said anything.
"Goddess help us."
It turned out that all in all, Chase, Halystaru, Januz, Daleth, and Fupac had been called by Light. They met in a small room in the Heaven's tower, which had been designated Light's quarters by the Star Sybil. The room was lit by a single window; its contents bare except for carpeting and small tapestries around the room. The room itself was circular and large, and had no other rooms except the main one which had one door that served as the exit. Upon their arrival, Halystaru and Daleth were uneasy with the knowledge they had learned, and were made even more so when the door was locked behind them. However, if anyone, including Light, seemed to notice this odd behavior, they didn't seem to show it.
Chase was obviously still trying to wake up, lazily dressed in some hastily thrown on clothing, and yawning quite often. He smacked his lips in his half consciousness, and seemed perfectly unaware that this was a serious situation. Fupac, who was to his left, leaned lazily on his scythe and peered at the others, and was seemingly bored with his current status. Januz was sitting on the window sill leading outside, and was currently engaged with some sort of odd mediation. His eyes were closed, and he hummed some soft tune as he sat. Light, however, stood still as a statue in the middle of the room. As soon as the door was locked, Light's voice shook everyone fully awake with its booming luster.
"The fighters five take on the warriors six. My sister draws near with her Pale Warriors, and I am lost for time...but not for allies. You five have been chosen to accompany me, on the front, with my power and my will. Behold your weapons."
Light drew her blade and thrust it downward into the floor. It embedded into the oak easily, and twanged with a kind of metallic ring. The ring softly faded away, but the sword began to slowly vibrate. The sword then grew in light until it was a solid form of a shining glow with no edges, and then split into six different forms. On the floor, beside the blade, appeared new shapes of light, which stopped vibrating and took shape as different weapons, all brilliantly colored and gleamed with light.
A long, shining lance, whose edge seemingly had no flaws. It was embedded with gold trim, covered with ivory pearl, and its hilt was filled with rubies. Daleth's current, beaten up, bent lance seemed like a child's toy compared to the beauty of this new one.
There was a long, curving scythe, its shape twisted yet smooth. It had runelike etchings upon its every surface, and its blade was solid gold. The blade itself seemed to reflect light so bright that it nearly blinded Fupac.
In the middle lay a great tower shield, large and sturdy. It was almost a perfect curve, and its handles were intricate and strong. The shield itself was large enough to cover a young child, but it was fit to a man of Chase's size.
Beside the shield lay a long staff, wound in solid ivory oak, and embedded with a single, giant sapphire atop which was surrounded by hard, magical oak. The jewel held a mini rainbow in the jewel, and the rest of the staff was smooth as silk, yet strong as iron. Just below the top of the hilt there were pictures of Januz' pet, Fenrir, carved into the handle.
And finally, at the right, there lay a small holy mace. The club itself was made out of ivory engorged in holy water, smooth and soft, yet sturdy. The handle was solid glass that held the feather of a phoenix in its casing, and the bottom of the mace was made of moonstone, a jewel that greatly enhanced the power of holy magic, Halystaru's specialty.
To see these wonderful weapons made Januz, Chase, and Fupac swoon, but it only made Halystaru and Daleth bitter. The three of them immediately pounced forward and reached for their weapons, which gleamed with a pure glow.
"For Selbina and Windurst." Chase reached for the tower shield and was immediately turned aglow.
"For my brother." Januz picked up the staff and was soon engulfed by a piercing light.
"For some REALLY pimpin' weapons!" Fupac grabbed his scythe and was set ablaze in a world of white.
Soon the three lights disappeared, and Januz, Fupac, and Chase reappeared, now clad in their golden weapons and armor. All of their eyes had turned blue and their hair golden and they now stood next to Light as one of her own.
But Halystaru and Daleth simply stared at their own weapons.
Light cocked her head. "You do not wish to fight evil?" Daleth sneered at this, but turned toward Halystaru and nodded.
"Take the mace Haly."
She jolted back towards him. "Wha? Why?"
"You will need to trust me on this one."
"But Daleth..."
"Just do it Halystaru. Please."
Halystaru started to try and argue more, but was stopped by the look of hatred on Daleth's face. She sighed heavily and walked toward the mace and stared at it, before finally picking it up with a glum look. Just as the others had been, a light covered her like a cloth, and when she reappeared, she wore holy armor weaponry, her eyes blue, and her hair golden.
Daleth snorted. "You knew that I haven't trusted you since that night. I will not fight with you."
Light pretended to be surprised. "Why?"
"You killed my friend. You are the single handed cause of her death."
"My sister tried to kill her, Carrier, not me."
"Would she have been after Kidria if you had not tried to take her body?"
A long silence followed that question, but Daleth didn't really expect an answer. He waved an uncaring hand at the silence. "And I know you won't harm me, I'm the 'Carrier' or some crap, ergo, you can't afford to hurt me. But it was not so for Halystaru, so I had her take the mace. I don't want to fight with you for some petty battle; I shall fight on my own accord."
Light simply stared at him as Daleth started for the door. Just as his hand reached the doorknob, a scythe of gold pierced the air and embedded itself in the side of the wall. Daleth turned, and in horror, found a look upon Light's face that scared him very, very much.
"You found the book."
"What book?" Daleth's voice squeaked, and he cleared his throat in embarrassment.
"One thing the book fails to mention, my dear Carrier, is that when I take a body, I also take their memories. It was a mistake to let me take the Taru white mage, because now that I have her, I now have the memories of you reading that book with her in the library. I had only the slight suspicion until now."
"And while you are right in one aspect, Carrier, in that I do not wish to hurt you, I take my own safety far more seriously then that of the Carrier's. The Reckoning is a fear to me...and I will not let anyone who knows of it survive. Not even the Carrier himself."
Daleth backed himself up into the door leading out the room and drew his lance. By now Light and her four warriors had all drawn their weapons and were glowing. They stood battle ready while Light looked pleased at Daleth's attempts to escape. He jiggled the doorknob, but found it locked.
"Shit." Light laughed at him.
"I hate my sister with a passion. But I hate anyone who ruins my fun far more. I promise to make your death painful, but I can thank you for one thing: I have been looking for that book for centuries. Maybe now I can destroy it once and for all and assure myself a place on this plane that will be never ending."
Chase, Halystaru, Fupac, and Januz all charged at Daleth while Light simply sat back and giggled like a school girl.
"Too bad you won't be."