Chapter 28: Walk of Life, Flight of Death

"So." Verd looked down at Orin with a sort of distant look in his green, almost glowing eyes. "This is what you planned to do once you found him? Fall to your knees and do nothing."

Vahn stood, wide eyed, as his father, too, stood before him, blood still dripping from his claws.

"What…what is this?" Vahn felt as though he was rooted to the ground.

Trevor stood at Sye's side, his entire arm already drenched in blood. His face seemed blank, almost as if he'd collapse at any moment. Everyone stood, almost in a trance, except for Sye, who seemed only angry.

"I explained it quite well already." Verd said without looking away from Orin. "Quite well. What will you do, now? Just kneel there while I kill you? Will you at least stand up?"

Orin said nothing. He was on his hands and knees, his sword resting in the grass nearby.

"Maybe you're shedding tears? That might make sense." said Verd. "But it's a very silly way to die."

Orin clenched his fists, tearing up a good handful of grass. Then, he stood.

"Ah, there we are. Die on your feet. There's much more honor." Verd drew his sword once again, and Slade…Sahrn, hissed.

"That's true." Orin said, his eyes still to the ground.

Orin knelt for a moment, and retrieved his sword.

"Not actually thinking about resisting, are you?" Verd growled from under his hood. "It would probably be a waste of everyone's energy."

"When I kill you, it will be worth it." Orin's eyes lifted now, and met with Verd's.

His eyes were different, something in them was new, changed, but Verd couldn't see it.

"I see." Verd turned to Lettengo and said slowly. "Then…I'll let him do it."

Lettengo moved forward, his fanged grin widened, and his white eyes tightened.

"Come at me then." Orin said, his eyes covered by his black hair, now, the night concealing them even further. "Lettengo, show me how much becoming a monster has improved my father's technique."

And Lettengo moved. It was quicker than any normal man could see, likely faster than even Sahrn and Kayd could see, either. There was a sickening display of blood, but the sound of the dark liquid splashing against grass was the only real sound anyone heard.

Orin stood, Lettengo directly at his side now. Orin's face was still neatly covered, his eyes hidden under his hair. Lettengo's face went unchanged. His fanged grin still covered his face, his white eyes still open, but tight. A cool spring breeze made its way past them, brushing through Orin's hair, revealing his eyes. They were still open, half way, but somewhat glazed. His mouth was slightly open, his lips still, and then he grinned weakly. It was as if time had stopped just for that moment.

Lettengo slowly drew his sword from Orin's chest, in such a way that the blood had time to slide onto every bit of the blade. And then, Lettengo closed his eyes, and his eerie grin faded into something more serious. Orin remained standing as Lettengo drew the last bit of steel from Orin's body, and he let his arm fall to his side, within it, still, the bloodied blade. Orin slowly loosened the grip on his own sword, and let it fall.

"You see? You're leader, this young man…" Verd raised a stiff palm in Orin's direction, and he did not turn his gaze away from him. "…he will soon be dead, and yet he remains standing. Killed in battle, fighting his greatest idol, and he has still not fallen. He deserves your envy and respect. Even in his final moments, he will set an example for the rest of you."

Ikara was on her knees by now, her eyes wide. Keith stood, his face just as blank, and he was completely still. Trevor's eyes were closed, his face to the ground and he cringed at both Orin standing their and his own pain. Tess stood rooted, her eyes trembling, Vahn at her side, a look of pain on his face. Iris had dropped his rapier, Jo had taken a step forward, but now stood motionless, in awe.

"NO!" Tess finally burst out, but Vahn caught her before she could move.

"Stop!" He yelled as she tried to push past him, both of their faces had become wet with tears. "Nothing…we…we can do nothing."

Tess fell to her knees now too.

Orin stood there, and he turned his head slightly to look at Lettengo, who now stood in the same fashion Orin did. Still, arms at his sides, legs only slightly parted, his hair covering his eyes.

His legs gave way, at last, and he felt himself slowly falling forward as his legs became numb, his arms limp, his vision blurred. It felt like he'd never reach the ground, as if hours were passing and life was moving on around him; without him. And so it would end like this? All the time, and what he'd been searching for stood literally inches away from him. Verd was wrong. What a stupid way this was to die.

Orin's face finally met with the grass, his body frozen and numb, and his expression remaining the same as his eyes slowly glazed over. Here was his life, before him now. Like he was reliving each and every second in his memory. Everything he could remember passed in real time, no detail passed over, no event untouched. Sye was right; death laughs at you when you die. And when everything had passed, all that stood before him was Bowie, smiling. Just as he'd been told, what he could not reach stood before him in his mind's eye. The image never disappeared, either. Would he be stuck in this hell forever? If he could have screamed, he would have, but there was nothing. Just this image, no smell, numbness, and the only sound was that of cold silence.

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"Now, as for the rest of you." Verd turned his gaze from Orin's motionless body to the rest of the group. "Without him…I wonder if I should have to kill you still?"

"Maybe you'd better." Trevor said as he looked at Orin. "Or else we'll hunt you down just to avenge him."

"You'd do that?" Verd said, not sounding as surprised as one would think. "Well, I guess that answers my question."

Tess was now whimpering into Vahn's shoulder, Ikara still sat motionless in the grass, her eyes tearing, and Keith still stood perfectly still. Jo moved forward, at last. She ran toward Orin, her wings folded tightly against her back. He couldn't really be dead…

She knelt down beside him, Lettengo right next to her, but she seemed to simply ignore him. She rolled him onto his back. A bit of blood ran from his mouth to his chin, and some even from his nose. The wound in his chest went clear through from one side to the other, and the amount of blood on him was amazing. His eyes were still slightly open, as was his mouth, and his eyes quivered. He was breathing.

"Orin…" Jo put her hand on his face gently.

"Mourning isn't something to worry about now…" Verd started. "You should be worrying…"

A sudden crack in the sky diverted Verd's attention, and even Kayd and Sahrn jumped. A bolt of lighting lit the sky. First one, then another, then several. Even in this fake night sky, could the weather change? A bolt slammed the ground nearby, throwing chunks of soil in every direction, and leaving a rather deep, black hole in the earth.

"What are you doing? It was you who attacked in the north, wasn't it! You sent those bolts down on our ship!" Keith turned to Verd, his eyes watering. "You killed him! Duran, and now Orin…"

Verd spun around immediately.

"These are not my doing…" he said, sounding somewhat disoriented. "This can't be…"

A second bolt slammed the ground nearby, rattling the entire area, and then a third struck, and a fourth. The fifth came down, an amazingly bright, large bolt that crashed only a few yards from them, knocking Verd and his followers backward into the grass. The shock threw Vahn and Tess backward as well. Verd was back on his feet within a moment.

"No…" Verd took a step back.

Within the crater the previous bolt had made, stood a rather beautiful woman in glimmering white satin robes. She threw back a long head of blue hair, and looked in Verd's direction with golden eyes.

"I told you…" said Mitula. "We are immortal."

"How?" Verd drew his sword again, and tightened his grip upon it. "The sword…!"

"I told you. Immortality. What don't you understand?" said Mitula as she moved forward slowly. "Maybe it can render me…immobile for a while. That doesn't mean it can kill me. Nothing can kill me."

"But Ze…" Verd stopped himself.

"You're too smart to be a devil of Zeon. Only one devil was ever that clever, and he's been dead for quite a while." said Mitula, as she slowly made her way toward him.

"It's a story far to complicated…" Verd muttered. "I will kill you this time."

"You're much too thick headed. You said you had respect for me, remember?" Mitula grinned. "Does that not mean you can trust everything I'd say to be true?"

"You're confusing trust with respect? You're not as clever as you try to sound." Verd lifted his hand. "Attack her."

The hunched shadows behind Verd moved forward. They were similar to the Shade's, and yet they were indeed solid. The darkness in their skin made it quite hard to see them in the black.

The creatures charged at Mitula, raising noticeably rusted and battered spears and pikes. They were obviously no match for her. She lifted a single hand an waved a cluster of whip like bolts of lightning, easily turning all those who approached her to dust.

"…retreat." Verd growled, and with that, he was simply gone.

Sahrn and Kayd faded into the darkness, as did Lettengo. Nothing remained but the sound of rumbling thunder in the distance now. Mitula turned toward the rest of them.

"So it is you." She said calmly.

No one blinked.

"You're doing well. I pray you will continue your efforts." she took a step back from them, now.

"You're…the goddess Mitula." Vahn finally spoke, his voice somewhat broken.

"And you are the son of Kazin the sorcerer and Sarah the vicar." she said with a warm grin. "Keith, the son of Rhen of Ribble. Ikara, daughter of Gern of Yeel. Tess, daughter of Finnian of Galam."

Everyone stood somewhat wide-eyed at the glorious figure before them. She proved her significance, her omnipotence, by simply knowing them all.

"Synorok…cub of Xerunas of Grans Island…" She continued. "Trevor, son of Erian of Flagard. Johavanon…mothered by Ninna of Roft…and…Orin."

Her eyes closed.

"You must endure. Whether you live or die has already been decided, but, regardless, son of Bowie, you must endure." she said as her eyes reopened. "Tis the fate of all mortals."

She began to rise in the air, somewhat gracefully, and her body became slightly translucent.

"…and, as I'm beginning to see, of gods and goddesses, too." she closed her eyes again. "I would like you to deliver a message, my young friends."

"A message…? I don't understand! What is going on? Why are people being possessed?" Vahn stepped forward.

"I don't have enough time to answer such questions. You must deliver a message from me to Volcanon." Her body slowly became less and less visible.

"He is a God. He will know exactly what we are to tell him before we even do it." Vahn pressed. "What is this about?"

"It's not as easy as you seem to think, but I cannot explain, I can only give you the message." she said, beginning to sound somewhat anxious. "Tell him 'The devil king rises. His companions will return soon, as well. It will take less than a decade for them to accomplish what they truly wish."

"…and what does that mean?" Trevor spoke up.

"Zeon rises. He brings with him new allies." Sye said simply. "He has Bowie, and so, he has the Jewel of Evil. He is infinitely powerful. Armageddon is at hand."

"How do you know this…?" Mitula's eyes widened.

Sye said nothing, and Mitula's fading image soon turned back to Vahn.

"Volcanon will know how I have faded and why, but he has not my knowledge. Relay the message as soon as possible." she said. "…and…may I say…farewell…to this world…to…all mortals."

And so, she was gone, and the infinite darkness of the sky turned back to the dimly lit, star speckled one that was of the norm. The thunder stopped instantly, and they all stood, mouths agape, and Orin coughed weakly as he was dragged through the silence of his mind's eye.