1Chapter Six: First Blood (The Wound is Cut)
Mians, the Mystellian sorcerer, was having a heated duel with Johnny Rancid. His brother was Wreaking havoc among the robots and any other enemies he found, leaving him to deal with this overgrown idiot.
He circled with Johnny, left shoulder towards the villain, magical shield on that arm. In his right hand he held his magic whip, which up to that point had proven ineffective. Johnny would just brush himself off and get back up.
"Give up you little punk, you're no match for Johnny Rancid!"
Johnny let loose a flurry of gunshots from his pistol, which Mians deftly deflected with his shield, and he drew back and cracked his magical whip.
Rolling, Johnny avoided the would-be deadly weapon, and fired again. His aim was true, and Mians was hit in the leg, on the side of the knee. His leg collapsed. He tried his whip again, but as he raised his hand to strike, Johnny sent another shot that hit his hand. He pulled his hand back quickly, the whip dissipating.
Johnny strode confidently up to the stricken sorcerer, and carefully aimed his pistol at his head, "End of the line pip squeak."
Mians, of all things, smirked. He held up his free hand, "What, did you think it was going to be that easy?"
His sheild transformed into a whip, which he cracked out, wrapping it around the pistol. With a hard pull, he felt the satisfying release of tension that signified that the pistol was now in about ten pieces.
Great, one less problem to deal with.
He looked back, expecting Johnny to charge in for hand to hand, but he never did. Johnny's eyes were glazed over, and he was stumbling around aimlessly.
"Ah man, this sucks..."
Suddenly the symbol on his forehead shattered, like it had with Mumbo. The magic went into the pieces of the pistol, and then exploded into nothingness. Johnny fell over, knocked out.
Mians had it figured out in about three seconds. Why nothing seemed to work on these enemies. He turned and saw Beast Boy desperately trying to hit Mad Mod as a gorilla. Focusing all his power into one final attack, Mians pulled his hand back, the whip of black energy growing hundreds of feet in length.
"Green one! Down!"
Beast Boy and Mod looked over, in time to Mians crack the whip through the air, right at Mod. Beast Boy changed into himself, ducking under the whip and rolling away.
Mod raised his cane to stop the attack from hitting him. The last few feet of the whip wrapped themselves around the cane.
"Oy, that was close my ducky, but close doesn't cut it!"
"Correction," Mians said, "I was right on target."
He jerked his arm back, then forward with all the strength he had. He sent a wave traveling down the whip (You know, hold a piece of rope above your head then snap it down real quick, you get that wave looking effect going down it). Everything went in slow motion. Mod figured out what Mians was doing, and tried to get his cane free. Kians and Beast Boy looked on in confusion, their fights forgotten.
The wave hit, and the whip easily snapped the cane into dozens of pieces.
Mod's 'S' symbol shattered like the others, and his cane exploded. The robots all shut down, falling over into huge piles of junk.
Kians and Beast Boy ran to Mians, who fell over in exhaustion. They slid to a stop beside the tired sorcerer.
"That's it... the weapons they use are the key... That's where the enchantment is, why the dispelling attacks didn't work..."
"Mians..."
"Did I do well?"
Kians nodded, "Very. Hold on, we'll get you out of here."
"Oh my head..."
Beast Boy looked back and forth between them, "What's wrong with him?"
"He's used all of his magical energy, and his life force is depleting slightly to restore it. No immediate danger as long as he doesn't try any more spells. Come on, we have to tell the others before it's too late."
"Can't you just do the 'mind message' thing?"
Kians shook his head as he helped his brother stand, "We are Mystellians, not Azarathians."
"Oh... So there's a big difference between those huh?"
"In some ways yes, in others no. Come on, I think I might be able to teleport us..."
A MINUTE LATER...
Einderan was in no danger of being harmed himself. His entire body was surrounded by a magical aura made to look like armor. Attacks just bounced off. Plus it enhanced his physical abilities, since he was actually moving using magic.
But none of it mattered. He launched attack after attack, summoned magical weapons, tried every disenchant and exorcism spell he could think of, and none of it worked. Holy magic, weak magic, strong magic, he'd even tried some black magic (He's a demon and a human, he can use light and dark magic). It stunned them, for about two minutes, but then they got up again.
"Einderan!"
Raven was fighting a losing battle. She couldn't protect herself with her aura as he could, and the villains knew it. He sent an attack that knocked out most of his sister's attackers. For a while at least.
A man came and tried to stab the mighty sorcerer while he was distracted, but the knife bounced off. Einderan turned to him, backhanding him away. However, the criminal just got back up again. And again. And again. There seemed to be no end to this.
"Sir!"
Raven and Einderan turned to see a cloaked sorcerer running through a portal to them, a whip of black energy lashing out.
"Kians! I thought I told you to go help Beast Boy on the northern side!"
"The weapons! Attack their weapons! That's where the spell is, if you brake the weapon you brake the enchantment!"
Einderan watched as Kians cut one of the villains guns in half, causing the spell to brake and the man to slump to the ground, unconscious.
The sorcerer smiled, "Kirheinse you clever devil. I would never have thought of that. They took the seal upon themselves in the physical form of the items they used to cause their destruction and chaos. Raven, did you hear that?"
"Yes!"
"Hold on, I'm going to broadcast this to everyone!" Einderan yelled back, then focused.
Everyone! This is Einderan! The weapons, you have to destroy their weapons! If you destroy the weapons they will go down, and they won't get back up! Now, let's so them what we can really do!-
Einderan's vision faded back to the real world, and he smiled confidently. Now it was their turn.
He gathered up his energy around him as he let some of his anger start to vent, "I'M COMING FOR YOU KIRHEINSE!"
ELSEWHERE...
Cyborg heard Einderan's telepathic message, and decided to follow it. He ducked Gizmo's attack, then rolled behind him. He grabbed the backpack off the tiny villain's back, and crushed it. He watched with satisfaction as the spell broke, leaving him unconscious. Then he turned back to his other problem. Plasmas.
This was going to be tricky. What weapon did he have?
A sorcerer appeared beside him, and both stared up in sickened horror at the liquid...ish golem, of... crap...
"Uh dude, you got the weapon message right?"Cyborg asked.
"Yes..."
"I don't see a weapon."
"I don't think I want to see a weapon."
They dodged a slimy glob as Plasmas recommenced his attack.
"Uh, let's just blast it until we think we hit it." Cyborg said, desperately trying not to think what weapon Plasmas would have.
"Agreed. I'll take the right side. You take the left."
ELSEWHERE...
Starfire finished the criminals off with a final wave of green starbolts. Dr. Light had been pretty easy to take down once his weakness was exposed. Frista told her that there were reports of winning against the controlled villains coming in from everywhere, via her telepathic powers.
"Glorious! We have gained victory!"
Frista looked over into the distance, her face blank. Then she snapped back to Starfire, "They need help to the south."
The two shot off, and they found a fierce 'clean up' battle going on. Most of the regular human criminals had been taken out easily, but the rest were causing problems. Plasmas among them.
Sorcerers ran back and forth, avoiding blobs of goo. Cyborg was yelling out orders.
"Get some of those black field things on him! Keep him still! We can't let him get away!" Cyborg yelled, motioning and pointing. The cloaked figures decided to take his advice, and started wrapping their powers around Plasmas like ropes, until it couldn't move.
"Alright guys, let him have it!" Cyborg said, firing his sonic cannon. Sorcerers used whips, waves, beams, and spheres of power to attack, others picking up and flinging debris. Starfire joined in flinging starbolts like there was no tomorrow.
The blows hit him from every side, covering every square inch of his semi-liquid body. Finally, there was a sickening crunch, and it started to melt.
"Cease fire! Hold up, stop!" Cyborg yelled to them.
There lay a young man, sleeping soundly. Cyborg sighed in relief, "I really don't want to know what that crunch was..."
MEANWHILE...
Slade had been weakened for a while, but it seemed temporary. Now he was back to what Robin assumed was his full power, even after the holy water and white magic.
The sadistic man caught one of Robin's punches, and flipped the boy wonder over his shoulder into a pile of debris, leaving him dazed.
"You see Robin, no matter what you do, no matter how hard you fight, no matter what tricks you pull, you cannot defeat me. You never could on your own. And now, not even with the help of all of your precious friends can you beat me. The prophecy will be fulfilled, and this world will end."
"Why? Why are you doing this Slade? What could you possibly get out of this?" Robin asked bitterly, getting to his feet unsteadily.
"What do I get out of this? The thing I lost Robin."
"And what is that?"
Slade raised a hand, holding his palm out to Robin. Fire condensed into a ball around it, "Why don't you ask God? After all, they do say all questions are answered in death."
Robin prepared his unwilling limbs to dodge, but knew he couldn't move out of the way in time. Darn it, it wasn't supposed to end like this!
Suddenly, from no where, a black shield descended, and the fireball couldn't brake through it. The force of it split, moving along the wall of energy, until dissipating in the air.
"Is that you Raven?" Slade asked cooly.
"You should only be so lucky."
A black figure rose from a portal in the ground. A shadow wrapped in a cloak of black. Robin was reminded for a moment of the grim reaper, but cast the thought away quickly.
"So, you're another one of the sorcerers that came with this Einderan. Mael understated it when he said you were rebels, you've officially become an annoyance to me."
"My sincerest apologies." The figure replied sarcastically. He pulled back the hood of the cloak, and the shadow melted from his face, "But you see..." The shadow melted further, until it revealed a confident smirk, "I am not a sorcerer that came with Einderan. I am Einderan."
There was a heaviness in the air from the power emanating from the brother of Raven. It was thick, with something unseen but definitely felt.
Slade regarded him with the same cool as everything else, "You are the leader of the revolution against Lord Trigon? Hmmm... I'm disappointed."
"You are the feared undead soldier in the service of Lord Trigon? Hmmm... I must say, the feeling is mutual."
"You can not beat me boy." Slade said confidently.
Einderan crossed his arms, which were still covered in the magical black armor, and his smirk deepened, "That's likely. You have a part to play yet. But I do think that you would do well to stay well away until I leave."
"Oh? And why is that?"
Einderan glared, uncrossing his arms. The air thickened further, and he said in a very threatening voice, "Because, I do not take kindly to those who hurt my sister, directly or otherwise. And so far, you've managed to do both. You've hurt her and her friends both physically, and emotionally. And you had better start praying, because when this prophecy is dealt with, and my sister overcomes my father, I will come back. And then, you will know your final destruction."
"You deceive yourself. Raven cannot 'overcome' Lord Trigon, or the prophecy, and you know it. Deep down, you know that there is no hope. Because when this world falls, there will be nothing left in this universe strong enough to stop Trigon's conquest."
"I must say, you have a rather bad choice of demons to serve. You think that there is no hope for me? Let's look at you. You have allied yourself with a demon. Even if my sister fails, and all you have worked for comes to pass, and my father covers the entire mortal plane in an eternal darkness, do you know what happens then?"
"Oh, please enlighten me."
"You would be lucky if he keeps you around that long. Incredibly. The luck of the devil you might say. Or maybe not. Because if Trigon does conquer the universe, guess what happens to him? I would say Baaltazac would take an interest in this new demon kingdom. And I know Lucifer would, he's been trying to do it since he was cast from Heaven. So then, if my father does accomplish his goal, the only thing he has to look forward to afterwards is to be overthrown by beings so powerful and evil they make him look like an angry child. Where does that leave you? Because I doubt that the luck of the devil would hold up against the devil!"
Slade shrugged, "If everyone loses, then at least you don't win."
Einderan chuckled, "Be glad it is my sister, and not I, who holds the title 'Rasemune'. Because if it were my prophecy, my destiny, you would be back in the pit you crawled out of. Listen to yourself. At least I don't win. I can see why they hate you so much, I've only talked to you a few minutes and your intelligence has already shown itself severely lacking. Here you are, serving Trigon the Terrible, the ender of worlds, for no apparent reason. And both victory and defeat lead to the same destination, your destruction. So like I say, start praying. Perhaps at the end of this God will have mercy on your soul."
Slade had been standing rigid, and Robin was sure he was gritting his teeth. Then suddenly he relaxed, and chuckled darkly, "I don't know what mind game you are trying to play son of Trigon. Are you trying to dishearten me? I have nothing else to lose. Trying to sway me 'back to the light side'? I can't see a reason why I should. You see Prince Einderan, you are talking as if you have everything figured out. As if you are holding all the cards. Let me tell you, you don't!"
Slade rushed forward, and punched Einderan in the chest as hard as he could. The sorcerer didn't budge an inch, didn't even blink. The black, magical 'aura armor' stopped the blow dead. Slade looked at it, dumbstruck.
"You don't need all the cards when you have the ace." Einderan replied cooly.
"Ace? What ace do you have prince?", Slade spat the last word venomously.
"Let's see, now that you mention it, I am a prince. My sister is a princess, her friend Starfire is a princess, Kians and Mians were princes of Mystell, my it's looking like I have in my hand a full royal flush doesn't it?"
If there was one thing Slade didn't like, it was being outwitted. And by that point Einderan was pretty much showing him up. He pulled back and angrily started punching Einderan as fast and hard as he could. Einderan didn't even flinch.
Slade cursed and put his magical powers into it, his fists flaming. The blows became blurs of fire. Small cracks started to appear in Einderan's armor. Slade smile inwardly, redoubling his assault. The cracks repaired themselves, but reformed even faster. They began to spread, and deepen. Then he pulled back, and put all his energy into one final attack. The punch hit Einderan square in the chest, and he knew that the armor would be broken.
But it wasn't. Einderan's face was blank as the armor just repaired itself, back into it's smooth featureless form.
"You'll have to do better than that." Einderan said coldly.
"I'd be happy to."
Slade must've realized attacking Einderan's armor wasn't going to work, because he let loose a flurry of kicks and punches directed at the sorcerer's head. Einderan ducked back and forth, dodging the attacks, blocking when necessary. Robin just watched on in awe as Einderan kept up with the masked villain. Something the boy wonder had never truly been able to do.
Finally, it appeared that Einderan was getting bored. He delivered a quick backhand to Slade's stomach, sending him backwards several feet.
"I grow tired of this. Tell me now, where is Kirheinse?"
"Why should I tell you?" Slade asked, getting back to his feet, "You've already said you can do nothing to me."
"Oh I can't kill you. That much is true. But I don't think it would disturb fate if I say..."
"You're threats are hollow." Slade seemed distracted for a moment, then added with a slight sadisticness, "But I don't think telling you would be a bad idea. I do believe he is with Raven."
RAVEN...
Einderan had left, saying that Robin had found Slade, and he wanted to talk to the villain that had caused them so much pain. Raven didn't mind, she was confident she could handle herself now that she knew how to defeat the enemy.
"Hello, dear Princess Rasemune." A voice jeered from the shadows.
She felt her blood run cold. Looking around quickly, Raven stretched out with her powers, trying to find him.
"I must say, you and your friends put on quite a show. If I hadn't planned this to happen I might've been impressed."
"Show yourself!"
"As you wish, princess."
And there Kirheinse was, right in front of her. He wasn't there one moment, then he just was. Raven summoned her powers instantly, her hands and eyes glowing black.
"You planned to lose then?"
"I haven't lost Princess Rasemune. In fact I'm not even delayed by this. This battle's result couldn't even be considered a set back. My goal was accomplished."
"And what goal was that? Prove how stupid you really are? My brother is going to tear you limb from limb!"
"But he isn't here now is he? I wonder, how long would it take him to get here if you screamed? A minute? A half a minute? Twenty seconds? Ten? Five? One? It wouldn't matter though. He would only come in time to see the small fragile flame of your life extinguish in front of his eyes. In fact that would be rather fitting. Like mother like daughter after all."
Raven screamed in fury and launched everything she had at him. It either bounced off or was stopped before impact. Mael was chuckling, "So close now. It won't be long..."
She stopped her attack, seeing that it wasn't working, "What won't be long, demon?"
"So many things dear Princess Rasemune. So many things."
At that moment the demon shot forward, summoning up his black sword. Raven tried to raise her barrier, but knew it wouldn't form in time, and her reactions were going to slow to dodge.
She saw the blade come closer, and closer, then she closed her eyes.
She felt the wind of the blade go by, not even centimeters from her head. She was motionless for a moment, then opened her eyes, dazed.
Mael caught the hairs he had cut as they fell, grasping them firmly in hand.
"Kirheinse!" Einderan yelled as he teleport to the scene, ready to fight.
Mael raised the hairs, and grinned at Raven, "My battle trophies. Sorry our meeting was cut short princess, I hope we don't see each other any time soon."
Then he was gone again. Einderan arrived a split second, screaming, "Get back here you coward!"
Raven's hand ventured to where the blade had severed a few strands of her hair, "Why did he miss? He could have killed me, why didn't he?"
"What?"
"He missed on purpose, and took a few of my hairs. Why? Why would he do that?"
Einderan gritted his teeth, "I don't know. But he has something planned. He's not stupid, he has some kind of scheme. Did he say anything?"
"He said his goal was accomplished, and that this entire attack was a ruse of some sort. And that many things are about to happen."
"Hmmm... What are you thinking Kirheinse? Why would you? I have to meditate before my emotions get out of control, do you think you can handle things without me for a while?"
"As long as Kirheinse doesn't come back we should be fine."
Einderan nodded, then turned. Raven watched as her brother let the black magic armor fade away, walking a short distance then forming a portal without missing a step.
Then she felt something. A disturbance, faint but distinct in the distance. She turned towards where it was coming from, and glided up on top of a building. She saw what looked like smoke, and fire in the distance. But what was over there?
No...
A FEW MINUTES EARLIER...
He walked with a slow, heavy gait. Ponderous, but also rhythmic, and determined. He had walked right through the chaos, right through the fighting, no one giving him a second glance.
It was always like that. No one ever gave him a second glance. No one cared. No one gave him the time of day. They cast him out, a freak, shunned him because of his talent. His ability. They cursed him for the only thing he could do. It was his skill, his calling, and he was hated for it.
But he would show them. He would show them all. He would make them look twice. He would make them care. He would give them a reason to fear him. To curse him. To hate him. He would do exactly what they thought he would do, then shove it in their face.
They would look over their shoulders in fear as they ran.
They would care he lived because of the destruction he wrought.
They would fear him for his power.
They would curse him for his skill.
They would hate him for his ability.
He was going to destroy it all, then shove it in their face that they had been right. That he was a monster. A monster they had created. He tried to help, and he was driven away. He tried to sooth, he was beaten back. He tried to heal, and he was harmed all the more.
They had created Some Kind of Monster.
He stopped at the edge of a small, hastily constructed town. A little girl walked up to him, smiling sweetly, "Hello!"
He didn't answer. He couldn't answer. He merely kept his head down, keeping his face in shadow, letting his bangs covering his forehead.
"What do you have on your back?"
He turned his head slightly, looking at the instrument he was carrying. He smiled and motioned in a 'you want to see?' manner.
She nodded her head, and a rock was encased by a black aura, and flew a short distance, almost hitting the man. She blushed, "Sorry."
He didn't notice any of this though. He brought the instrument from it's position on his back, sliding it on the strap till it was in the ready to play position.
The little girl looked at it quizzically, "What is it? What does it do?"
"Treya?" A voice called out from the background, but went unnoticed.
He strummed the six strings one by one with his fingers, and the girl's face lit up, "It makes music?"
He nodded. A woman jogged up, kneeling by the girl, "Treya, what have I told you about going off on your own like that."
"Sorry. I was talking to him. He makes music!"
She turned to the man, and frowned, "Who are you?"
The smile turned evil, sadistic, showing a bit of the white gleam of teeth from the corner. He raised his head, revealing eyes full of demonic joy, and anger. He swept his bangs back, and chuckled, though no sound was heard.
The mother didn't get it till she saw red. A symbol on his forehead. 'S'
"Oh my, Treya, run!"
The mother grabbed the little girl's hand and dragged her away as quickly as she could, yelling warnings to the other people.
He kept laughing. If he could have made the sound, the laughter would have been quite dark, and insane at this point. But he couldn't. So he pulled a small plastic pick from his pocket, and strummed the strings one more time.
The strings of his guitar were his vocal chords.
He felt the power radiating around him. From him. Through him. In his head a melody started to take form. A sonnet of sorry, a symphony of destruction, a requiem of havoc. He closed his eyes, letting his heart synchronize with the beat of the song. He took a deep breath, then opened his eyes again. Screams of terror, shock, and hurry were coming from inside the town. The perfect backdrop.
He slid his left hand along the strings, setting his fingers into position, then he hit the strings hard. The wave of energy shot out from him, striking a house. It broke apart, the buildings around it vibrating with the force of it.
He let the sound hang in the air, bending the strings and sliding up down the frets. If you listened hard enough, you could almost make out words.
'Run now'
Then the real song began...
RAVEN
She couldn't concentrate enough to telepathically send out a warning, but she flew overhead, screaming down to them. Her communicator was still being jammed. But she knew she had to get to the town where the refugees lived.
'Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid, I should have known that monster would do something like this!' she mentally slapped herself.
"Cyborg, is it working now? Well? It is? Good, Raven!"
She looked down and grabbed it, "Robin! We have a problem!"
"I know, people here are pretty confused, we couldn't make out what you said."
"The refugees, they're being attacked! I can see the flames! Robin, you have to get here quick! Tell the others!"
"What? How many of them got to the town?"
As Raven neared, she almost dropped her communicator in horror. The music was deafening, accompanied by the screams of the victims.
"Raven!"
"One..."
"Who?"
"Rocker..."
"Punk Rocker?"
"No, just, Rocker... Hurry."
She shut the communicator off and rushed downwards. The people were trying to defend themselves as they could, but they weren't soldiers. And they were fighting an opponent unlike any they had ever seen. With a simple motion of his wrist his set loose a new wave of sound, a new burst of power. And he was playing a fast, piercing, deep song. The power was continuos. He had made it near the center of town, and just sent it in every direction. He was destroying everything.
She had to stop him. She wasn't strong enough to do it by force, but maybe...
Raven floated down gently, putting up a sheild against his power. When the music quieted, she yelled to him, "Kirk!"
He stopped immediately, and turned slowly. She almost ran at the look in his eyes. Hatred, loathing. Anger.
"Kirk, fight it! This isn't you!"
This just seemed to make him angrier. Her sheild was almost useless as he screamed back at her with his guitar.
'HOW WOULD YOU KNOW!'
"Kirk, don't you remember me? It's Raven!"
'Of course I remember you! Liar, deceiver, there aren't enough curses for you!'
"What?"
Everything within a fifty foot radius was blown away, except for Raven when he answered.
'YOU TRICKED ME! PRETENDING THAT YOU UNDERSTOOD! THAT YOU CARED! WELL I'VE SEEN THROUGH YOUR LIES!'
Raven was knocked on her back by the force, her shield completely gone. She struggled to her knees, pain lacing her body, "I wasn't lying! I do understand! I do care!"
'No you don't' he replied, shaking his head. He looked disgusted by her, his head tilted as if he couldn't stand to look at her, 'You don't care. You said you would come. That you would help. That you were my friend. You promised me that you would help me control my powers. Not that I cared, but you were the first one to understand what I was saying. To get the meaning of the song! But you never came. I waited. And waited. But you just left me to rot in that cell!'
She flinched. She...
'Don't even try to give me an excuse! Pathetic, lying, you couldn't beat me so you attacked the one vulnerable spot I had. Pressed your advantage right to my heart then left me out to dry! Well guess what. Just because you understand the song doesn't mean you understand me.'
"I'm... sorry..." Raven said, her strength giving out. It took all the power she had to remain conscious. His song had power, incredible power. He wasn't attacking, yet still she was bombarded with it constantly.
'You're sorry? That's it? Six months of being alone in a ten by twelve cell and all I get is a 'I'm sorry'? I need more than that. And I'm going to take it now.'
She stood up, summoning all the power she had left. Which was very little, she had been fighting for too long, and...
Then sorcerers just appeared, stepping through portals and fading into view. Frista appeared and pulled Raven away, "Come on, he'll be taken care of!"
"No! Let me go!"
Kirk, Rocker, looked around and scoffed. He flipped the pick into the air with his thumb, caught it, then asked.
'What? You think you can rock with me? Huh? Alright, let's see you try!'
He started playing again, this time with such fever that he was actually concentrating, and the results were devastating. With every note another blast of energy was fired. With every chord a wave of destruction was ushered forth. Many of the sorcerers and sorceresses were blown back by the force of it. Those that weren't let loose with spells, debris, and magical black whips.
But they all bounced off an invisible shield that the song created. Nothing got through. Only more destruction came out. The empaths among the group were almost as scared of the rage and hatred that was being vented as the attacks themselves.
Frista was now holding Raven back, "Stop it, what are you doing?"
"He's different! His spirit is not like the others! I have to help!"
"Raven, you're too weak, you can't help anymore!"
Nothing could pierce the field around rocker. It was seemingly impregnable. And his power just flowed like a tsunami over the spellcasters. How could one person be so strong?
Then a new figure appeared. One who looked about as angry as Rocker did.
Einderan.
"Who do you think you are? You come here, and blatantly attack us? No, not us. Coward, you attacked the women, children, the elderly and the sick! It's scum like you that reminds me why I'm fighting."
'BRING! IT! ON!'
The force of it shocked Einderan, and he was knocked completely off his feet. The song became taunting, almost like laughter.
The sorcerer's pride was hurt now. He got up, and decided to end it here and now, "Kalei Ertar Riak Vek Tal!"
Black energy flowed upwards into the sky from Einderan, his cloak billowing in the wind. Suddenly fire dropped down in a great column, right on top of the guitarist.
Einderan let his arms drop, but kept up his guard. Did that do it?
The inferno burst from within, and there stood Rocker, looking ever more the part surrounded by flames, smoke, and destruction. His arms were crossed, and he was looking at Einderan unimpressed.
"Hmmm... I see. So it will have to be like that will it?"
"Einderan!"
He turned, eyebrows raised, "What is it sister? I'm a little busy."
"You don't understand, he is channeling his soul through the music! That is his power! To him his music is everything! It's how he expresses his feelings, how he expresses himself, it's how he speaks! It means more to him than his life! If you try those kinds of attacks his spirit will break long before his instrument does!"
Einderan was surprised by this, and looked back to Rocker. He whispered in almost awe, "A true bard... One who let's their spirit flow through music... I thought they were a myth..."
'I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm no myth. In fact, let me prove it to you!'
Einderan summoned up a black sheild to block the incoming attack. This was a problem. Bards, true bards, were complicated. The instruments they played were extensions of themselves, right down to a spiritual level. That's where their power came from, and why it was so powerful. They channeled their emotions and feelings, the very essence of their souls, through the song.
And the instrument he was playing had a demonic enchantment on it. Crap.
"Sister dear, I'm open to suggestions!" Einderan screamed over the music. He would be able to hold the barrier for quite a long time, but he was still on edge. He had never foreseen this complication.
Raven bit her lip, hiding behind a piece of rubble. Einderan probably could have crushed the guitarist, but that would brake the man's soul. And no matter how evil, she knew Einderan couldn't do that to a person.
Einderan muttered under his breath. Disenchanting the instrument was out, he would be decimated before the incantation was complete. Destroying the weapon would fix everything, but what Raven said was true. In a direct battle, Einderan would have to shatter through the man's soul before the instrument could be harmed. And while Einderan had the power, he had to much heart to do something that cruel.
He was slapping himself mentally.
"Think, think, come on! He's playing a song, why is it so hard to beat? Wait a minute..."
Then it hit him. A song. He looked to where his sister was.
They would have to give it a shot.
"Raven! Start singing!"
"What?" She yelled back.
"Come on, it may be enough for his soul to start fighting the enchantment!"
"But I haven't sang since I was nine!"
"Then pretend you're nine!"
"Einderan, I can't!"
"Raven, it's his only chance! If it comes right down between him and us I'm not letting him walk away!"
"I don't have any power in my song though! What good will it do?"
"He's a bard Raven! Music is his life, you said yourself. It doesn't have to have power, but if it's from your soul it may bring his spirit enough strength to fight!"
"Einderan, I, it's, I can't."
Einderan sighed, "So you gave up singing. It's a shame. You always had the most beautiful voice."
He walked forward, despite the energy being flung against him. The sorcerer raised his hand, and began to gather power into it, for strike that would end this fight.
"God, have mercy on both of us. I'm sorry, please forgive me."
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again he stiffened his body, ready to launch the spell. Rocker readied himself to fight back. For a moment only the shrill sound of a reverberating guitar note filled the air.
Then just as Einderan was about to fire the attack, a soft voice filled the air. Clear and haunting.
"Night has settled over us,
Will it ever again be dawn?
Darkness has come and I'm alone,
Alone with only my song."
Einderan turned to Raven, who was standing up, and shakily singing. Then she closed her eyes, and remembered something.
When she was young, Raven did sing. Quite a lot. It was her talent, her creative medium. She got it from her mother, who taught her songs. One in particular, she remembered. Whenever she would have a nightmare, she would wake up, and sing it softly to herself.
"Who knows what hides around,
Around in the shadows of black.
Waiting, waiting all around,
Waiting for their chance to attack."
Rocker was entranced by this. He started to shake visibly. Going down on his knees, he grabbed his head with his hands, the symbol burning brightly.
"But I have no fear,
Because for all the shadow's might,
Darkness is always gone,
Gone in dawn's first light."
Tears began to flow down Raven's face. How many times had her mother sang that to her? How many times had dreams of darkness and demons been chased away by this song? How many sleepless nights had she found herself gently humming it? Oh why did she have to chose this one of all the songs?
Rocker's spirit, his true spirit, fought. Fought because the song was so pure, he had to. Something about it made him fight the thing that had been invading his mind. And slowly he was forcing it out of him, back into the instrument.
"Close your eyes and drift to sleep,
All will be better when you wake,
And no matter where your path may lead you,
Always with you this song take."
"So that when you are faced with night,
The sun never seeming to rise,
You may sing away your fear and doubt,
Looking hopeful to the eastern skies."
Einderan was almost so lost in the song he missed his chance. He turned quickly back to Rocker, and formed a ball of energy. He had to time this right.
"Light never fails to win,
In a battle against the dark,
And so you have nothing to fear..."
Raven put her hand on the center of her chest,
"As long as you keep the light of your heart."
Einderan grimaced. Now or never. He prayed to God and hoped that this would work. And with that, he threw the energy as hard as he could.
Everything was in slow motion. The spell traveling towards the instrument, slowly, oh so slowly. Einderan waited in anticipation. He was silently begging for this to work.
Feet seperated the attack and the demonically possessed guitar. A foot. Inches. An inch. A centimeter.
WHAM!
The spell hit like a cannon shell. The guitar, rejected by the bard that was playing it, broke in two. The spell on Rocker's forehead followed suit, and soon both it and the shards of the instrument were nothing but memory.
But he didn't collapse like the others. He blinked, as if awakening from a dream, and rubbed his eyes. Then he stood up, and looked at his clothes. That was new.
Then slowly it came back to him. Realization dawned on him. He looked up, and saw Einderan, and the destruction around. Rocker turned to try and go the other way, but faced more destruction. He spun around quickly, trying to find a way out, but couldn't. He began shaking his head. Tears formed in his eyes, and he fell back to his knees. His shoulders were slumped. His body almost entirely limp. He was beaten.
No, not again. Please, I couldn't have done it again...
Then he did the thing any of us would do. He broke down, and cried.
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Alright, if you are wondering what was going on, let me fill you in. Raven and Einderan, being sorcerers and empaths, can pick up feelings right? Well, Rocker (This is an original guy), is a bard. He lets his thoughts, emotions, his very being flow through the guitar, hence his skill and power. Well, he can play a guitar, and to those attuned, he can 'talk' by doing it. Only empaths can understand it though.
That should explain it well enough. Ok, next order of business. I will give you a cookie if you can find the song reference hidden in this chapter. I'll give you a hint, it's a Metallica song, and it's during a part with Rocker in it.
And if you have questions like why can't Rocker talk, how does he know Raven, and all that stuff, wait till next chapter.
And what would Mael Kirheinse want with Raven's hair? Why would he create such an elaborate diversion? Was it all to distract from Rocker's attack? Or is there more?
Muahahahahahahahahaha!