The Song of Eternity
Canto 1
Parm: The Forsaken Realm
Verse 7
Explosive Meetings
On the roof of the world,
They gathered with everything at stake.
Not strong enough to win,
Strong enough to survive.
Jack and Deklin leapt from the airship they were piloting as it sailed towards the desert below. They landed on the roof of Ashura's tower and rolled to a stop at the feet of the tyrant himself. "What happened?" HE questioned them irately as he had his guards pull them to their feet. He glanced towards the desert where the airship impacted, leaving a flaming crater. "This better be good," he stated angrily.
"The princess is alive, but we have the pendant. There was a magic user there, we barely escaped. They almost had us, but I used the pendant to blast them back while we made our escape," Deklin explained.
"And the flaming crater in the desert?" Ashura asked as he looked at the thieves.
"They started chasing us in another airship, we had to make this thing go faster than it was made to. It was overheating and almost exploded a couple times on the way here," Jack explained as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "They are still coming," Jack said as he pointed at the airship closing on the tower.
"You fools, you led them here!" Ashura shouted angrily. "Get the rest of the guards!" Ashura shouted at one of the guards who raced off to alert help. "You two had better get ready, this is your chance to redeem yourself," Ashura laughed as he took a pair of swords from on of his guards. "This will be interesting."
The airship landed roughly on the roof of the tower. After it had settled five people climbed from it and walked over towards Ashura. "You should leave now Cid," Ashura grinned evilly as his guards placed themselves between the two sides. "Princess, how nice to see you here as well. Guards, take them." Ashura ordered as the guards engaged the five heroes.
Cid, Amarant, and Deke took up the front while Eiko and Pearl backed them up with what curative magic they knew. Jack, Ashura, and Deklin looked at the battle, noticing the three different fighting styles. Cid was the most conventional of the fighters. He used his armor to his advantage taking several ineffective hits in order to deliver several killing blows. He was holding his own and beating back the four guards that went after him. Amarant was beating back his five attackers like it was child's play. He had trained long and hard before and during his exile on Parm. He was paying attention to Ashura, preparing himself for the real battle. Deke was confused as he battled the half dozen guards that came after him. He was holding them back using his sword to attack and his metal hand to deflect blows. He wasn't even breathing hard. He stayed silent, contemplating his newfound abilities as he stabbed his last opponent.
"You are strong, but no match for me," Ashura gloated as he advanced on the warriors. He struck at Amarant and Cid with his swords, knocking them back while he backhanded Deke into a crate. He swung the swords at them again, this time knocking Cid backwards with a gash across his face. "Weaklings!" He roared as he turned his attention to Amarant.
Amarant knew when he was outmatched. He used his speed to his advantage, dodging the blows from the swords, striking at Ashura with his claw. He swung his claw with all his might, tearing a chunk of meat from Ashura's leg. He stood back while Ashura howled in pain, clutching his leg. He let it go a moment afterwards, allowing Amarant and the others to see what was going on. The area where his bone could be seen was rapidly closing as Ashura's flesh regenerated, leaving no wound. Amarant shuffled backwards to where Eiko and Pearl were healing Cid. "We need to escape. He is too powerful, he regenerates whatever we do to him before we can do any more damage. Eiko, try to stun him with an Eidelon so we can get to the airship."
"What about Deke?" Eiko asked as she prepared to call an Eidelon.
"I'll handle him and get the pendant back, just hurry up with that spell," Amarant ordered as he ran over and helped Deke up. He glanced back at Ashura, who was advancing on Eiko, Pearl, and Cid. He grabbed Deke by the collar and pulled him to his feet. "Get ready to get to the airship, we need to bail soon, understand?" Deke nodded his head in reply as Eiko called out Madeen.
Ashura stared at the huge creature before him, surprised, but not worried. Madeen's energy attack began to strike Ashura, who covered his vital areas as best as he could. Ashura screamed in pain as the attack ripped into his flesh.
Meanwhile, Amarant had made his way over to behind where Jack and Deklin were looking on at the battle. "Time to go Jack," Amarant said calmly as Jack and Deklin whirled around to meet him. Deklin took a step away from Jack, drawing his dagger.
"What is going on here?" He asked gravely. He shook his head, he had been having a hard time concentrating ever since Amarant showed up. "Jack?"
"Sorry about this, you aren't a bad guy really, just working for the wrong side. Now hand over the pendant," Jack ordered, extending his hand.
"Over my dead body," Deklin said as he stepped away from Amarant and Jack. He turned his head sharply as Madeen finished attacking Ashura. He blinked his eyes and pulled out the pendant, holding it tight in his hand. The pendant glowed brightly, the light coming out of his fist illuminating his face. He looked around again, as if he was dazed, then whispered out loud. "What have I done?" He turned around and started to walk toward Ashura, sending Jack and Amarant sprawling backwards with a blast of energy.
Ashura was rapidly recovering from the Eidelon attack and was advancing on Eiko, Pearl, and Cid. He swung his blade at their unprotected selves, but had it knocked away at the last second by Deke. He was stumbling, almost falling over, as he kept his sword high to defend them. Ashura swung several more times, each blow being deflected by Deke at the last second, as if by sheer luck alone.
"You are beginning to tire me, begone!" Ashura shouted as he swept a huge hand forward, sending the four of them backwards, towards the airship. "Time for the end princess," Ashura growled as he stalked towards their groggy forms.
"Not today butcher," came a voice from behind Ashura, causing him to turn around, surprised. Deklin's face was dark, with his eyes glowing bright orange with power. There was a sphere of red and black energy hovering in the palm of his right palm. "You used me, time to pay the price!" Deklin shouted as he propelled the ball of energy at Ashura. "Flare!" The ball expanded, covering Ashura, roasting his flesh, making him scream out in pain. Ashura fell to the ground after the spell had dissipated, his body still steaming, but breathing and rapidly regenerating. "Get out of here! I will stop him!" Deklin shouted at the others who had all gathered at the airship.
"What should we do?" Eiko asked Amarant as they loaded Cid on the airship. Pearl was helping Deke to his feet on the roof, and Jack was taking Cid to the control room to the ship started.
"Go try to stop him if you can, I'll try to get us a way out of here," Amarant ordered as he went to the control room where Jack and Cid were shouting at each other.
Eiko ran past Deke and Pearl to where Deklin was waiting while Ashura got back up. "Deklin, hurry, come with us," she pleaded as she pulled on his desert cloak.
"It is too late, you should have left when I said…" Deklin said quietly as the tower began to shake.
"What's going on?" Eiko asked as she grabbed Deklin and pulled him around to look in his face.
"He is bringing down the tower, he has magic too," Deklin explained as the roof began to crumble and fall.
"You lose, none of you will survive!" Ashura laughed as he fell through a hole in the roof.
Deklin grabbed Eiko as the shaking began to get bad. "Time to go," he whispered as a puff of smoke surrounded them and they vanished.
Meanwhile, Pearl was helping Deke up into the airship when the chunk of rooftop under the airship cracked and fell from the tower, taking the airship with it. Pearl fell towards the desert with the airship. She couldn't grab anything to stop her descent. She looked forward as the airship pulled up and flew away over the dunes. She closed her eyes, waiting for the impact to come. Instead, she had the wind knocked out of her as she opened her eyes twenty feet above the ground, and looked up to see Deke holding her with one arm, with the metal arm imbedded in the tower itself.