CHAPTER TWENTYFOUR: TO OPEN THE GATES

Ifrit's flaming fist grabbed hold of a Delkfutt Giant's head and yank it off its feet. The luminous amber beast roared as it crushed the Giant against the wall, shattering the ancient white stone and smashing the enemies' skull. An axe fell on the summoned beast's back and bounced of it like it had hit steel. Ifrit turned and clawed at a second Giant, ripping their head sideways and dislodging it with a sickening crack.

The second Giant's body flopped to the floor in front of a tiny green Tarutaru that held a staff close to her chest and shook her body from left to right as if dancing. She was completely oblivious to the violence going on around. The tip of the staff she held had a stone embedded in it that matched the flaming colours Ifrit. This, however, was no mere Fire Staff and the stone attached to the tip was the Prayer Stone of Fire.

It was a gift granted by the Dawn Maidens. Each stone seemed to react to each of them in turn as if choosing who it would belong to. Strangely, Lion and Zeid did not provoke such a reaction from the empowered prayers, yet the Gentlemen Thief and Shadow did.

"You did super-duper, Mr Ifrit!" Renene cooed as the beast stood tall before her awaiting its next command.

A short distance behind her collection of big brothers and sisters finished up the Giants they were battling and joined her. They all seemed shocked at her happy demeanour with such a huge monster so close and the area around her splattered with purple blood, but she shrugged and happily trotted down the enclosed passage.

"Hey!" Nokum-Akkum called out and ran up to her. "Stop making your avatars smush all the giantarus, I wantaru to have some fun!"

"Silly-willy Big Bro!" she replied. "We need to hurry-wurry and Mr Ifrit can't be hurtaru by these! Leave them to him and go on ahead!"

The passage opened into a large room filled with roaming Giants wielding various weapons. The roof looked like a pale blue bee hive with hexagonal sections joining together to form some kind of protective barrier for the upper floor. That (by her reckoning – even though she had never been there before and found counting hard) put them on about the seventh floor.

The creatures were quite short sighted and would only attack them if they ventured close or caused a commotion. Slipping by was not an option because of the sheer number and fighting them all would take time. The large Paladin walked up beside her and observed the room.

"Renene, are you sure you can fend off so many with your avatar? If we were able to bypass this room without fighting it would save us valuable time that would otherwise be wasted fighting or hiding ourselves with magic."

"Mr Ifrit will be fine, Biggest Bro!" she insisted.

Nokum-Akkum made boo and hiss sounds from somewhere behind the group at the notion of skipping a whole room full of enemies instead of fighting, but was ignored. At the tiny Summoner's command the flaming avatar of fire soared forwards hovering just off the ground and smashed into the back of a hulking Giant.

The monsters nearby were alerted by the commotion and leapt to the aid of their kin as it was pounded into the ground, flowing embers scaring its skin pure black as it fell. The others slipped by unseen and unheard on the far wall. Renene waved happily at them as they disappeared out of sight and then turned her attention back to Ifrit as three Giants assaulted from different sides.

"Blow them to bits!" she yelled. "Use Flaming Crush!"

Ifrit pushed free from the giants, letting out a growl as it went, and shot even higher into the air with one claw out stretched above. Flames from around the avatars body gathered into an amber ball that pulsated and burned fiercely. At its peak, Ifrit spun and then shot straight down into the floor with the glowing red ball being the first thing to make impact.

A fire ball erupted spreading across the floor and consuming the Giants burning them to the bone. The white floor peeled and was tainted black. The explosion reached Renene and expanded around her, yet she happily wobbled from side-to-side humming to herself as the destructive energy reach its limits and subsided.

Avatar's magic was attuned to the one who summoned it, meaning nothing they created could ever harm their mistress. Land and enemy alike would be wounded and destroyed, but she could stand inside the hellfire and exist as if nothing was happening around her.

"Good job, Mr Ifrit!" Renene giggled and patted the avatars flaming leg. "There are still some over in that corner though…please go play with them now."

The silent avatar obeyed unquestionably and headed to its next battle.

-

I will defend them if that is what it takes…

To open the gates, I would…

Alain staggered into the nearest wall and almost fell over completely as a spell of dizziness struck him. Words shot around his head as if they were spoken a thousand times over before vanishing just as fast. Now there was only silence in the large passage he had worked his way too.

The whole tower felt lifeless despite the giants claiming it as their home. No sound seemed to echo down or through the ancient white walls and the silence was deafening. As he went through the lower floors he found himself whistling or humming purely to break the endless silence.

Things had gone smoothly before the strange sensation. He had found only corpses so far and followed the trail without being attacked. It meant that he could be less cautious than he usually might and keep up a steady running pace to try and catch up to the others.

How they would react when he found them worried him. They believed that he had murdered Rost in cold blood in some stupid pointless duel, but he knew deep down that he could not have done that. His real friends would understand if he could only talk to them. He knew the priority was to stop the Zilart, but in his heart proving his innocence was slowly creeping into centre stage.

Tiny bits of rock and rubble fell from the roof as there was an explosion further up. Alain kept hold of the wall he had fallen against until it stopped. Whatever had caused it had to only been a floor or two above. No other noise followed which meant it was not the ancient structure becoming active. That meant that he still had time, but just how much was anyone guess.

-

Hanaa, Nokum-Akkum, Shadow, Catherine, and Gerdinus continued through the ancient structure disposing of a few more giants, magic pots, and living statues as they went. They had found a tall winding staircase leading to the floor that held the teleport that would take them to the highest tier. The four corners of each floor were built in large circular rooms connected by passages and teleport pads to go up whole sections at once.

At the top of the stairs they all instantly became aware of a disturbing presence nearby. It was an unstable energy that was flowing through the white halls causing the unnatural lights in the roof to flicker and dim. Gerdinus asked rhetorically if the technology deep within the central pillar was being activated and was creating the strange feeling. Catherine silently worried that it was the Arc Angels waiting just down the hall.

They could not go back; they would not achieve anything to turn away. She knew that and so did the others. She felt Nokum-Akkum grip the back of her leg and shake as if trying to remove the fear he was feeling. They all walked forwards with weapons drawn.

Around the next bend a laugh rung out. It was a crazed female laugh getting louder and louder before being subdued and starting over. In the next rounded room someone lay in the centre of the room on their back with a sword stabbing out of the ground nearby. Dents had been formed all over the room and cuts spread in all directions. A strange artificial mist was present only in the one section hiding detail from them all. Shadow stepped forwards before them all and twirled his katanas in his hands.

"This is where I must leave you," the Ninja said.

"What is it?" Gerdinus replied.

"My contract specifically states that I must kill the Blue Mage known as Vessel. It seems that we have found her."

The laughs continued to sound out from the person in the middle of the room that seemed oblivious to their discussion. Nokum-Akkum asked in no uncertain terms if she had gone insane. None of them had an answer, but Catherine had guessed what was happening to the poor woman.

Blue Magic was drawn directly from monsters, fiends, and Beastmen. Containing them in a body (a vessel) put tremendous strain on it. The texts she had read on the Blue Mages suggested overflowing a vessel would result in the destruction of form and personality as they surrender to the beast within. It seemed as though Vessel had tried to use too much Blue Magic and it was eating her from the inside out both mentally and physically. It was only a matter of time before whatever horrible creature laid dormant inside, created by the learned abilities, would break out and take control.

"Oh, finally… you came…to die," Vessel hissed from the floor as she struggled to roll onto her knees and then use her scimitar to get to her feet. "Took you long enough… I got tired of…"

No one interrupted, but she stopped speaking mid-sentence and started to laugh uncontrollably. Then she gripped her stomach as if in tremendous pain before standing straight again and acting as if it had not happened.

"I was not aware she was so unstable," Shadow mused.

"She wasn't," Catherine replied. "She is trying to use too much Blue Magic at one time, it's eating her alive. I don't know what will happen…but I don't think she has much time left."

The Ninja began walking forwards, "Regardless of what you say, White Mage, she blocks the way you must go. I will complete my contract and then join you to battle the Zilart. Go now."

Gerdinus agreed and ordered them all to walk round the room keeping their distance. They began and Vessel watched them with gritted teeth. Just as she was about to charge at them Shadow was next to her with a katana poised to stab her gut. The Blue Mage reacted fast enough to parry with her scimitar and the two began combat at a furious speed.

Catherine sighed as they left another of their party behind fighting for their life as they carried on towards the summit.

-

"Brother, we have intruders making their way up here," Kam'lanuat stated from the console he observed.

"I have seen them all with my eye," Eald'narche replied lazily. "Not all of them are here with the same intention. It is unavoidable for them to reach here, but who cares? They will not be in time to stop me. Activate the central pillar and order the Mammets in the lower control room to do the same. I will get the girl."

As the shorter of the brothers walked from the main control room he paused and looked up towards the roof as if hearing something and closed his one good eye. There was something strange about two of the intruders that felt different.

What is this that I feel from inside him? All five taints…that isn't possible… Just who is that Hume? How curious he is the exact opposite too… Dawn Goddess, have you chosen your emissary? What possible chance…could one man have against the Emptiness?

-

"My silly-willy legs aren'taru working!" Nokum-Akkum panted as he tried to keep up with the rest of them. "Someone mustaru have put gravity on me!"

"Or you just need to shed some of that cute little tummy of yourrrs," Hanaa purred and poked his forehead.

The Tarutaru pouted and then snapped his teeth at her outstretched finger. Gerdinus told them to keep quiet and that they had reached their destination. Catherine was in front looking at the glowing teleport pad.

Normally these pieces of ancient technology would be dormant until someone stood on them to activate them. Something was different however, as it glowed brighter than any teleport she had seen before and none of them were anywhere near it. Little shock waves of energy flicked along the top of a gothic seal burned into the platform. It hummed intently and crackled every few seconds. It did not seem safe to stand on. The group stood at the base of the four steps leading up to it, all except Nokum-Akkum how had collapsed onto the floor next to the steps waving his hand in front of his face to cool down.

"Catherine, you are the most knowledgeable of this sort of thing, what do you think?" the Galka Paladin asked.

"…It looks as though it has an increased amount of power flowing through it that doesn't require a body on it to work. I can only guess what that would mean, but perhaps the structure is being brought to full power by the Zilart. I should point out that there is no other way to reach the upper floors where we must go other than to take this teleport."

Without another word, Gerdinus strode up the steps and stood in the centre of the teleport. His form was surrounded by lines of purple light and then vanished a few seconds later. The teleport seemed to be working fine. Hanaa was next and disappeared. Catherine encouraged Nokum-Akkum to get up and they stood on it together. A sensation of being lifted and flying through the air overcame her as her physical presence was moved.

-

The upper floors of Delkfutt's Tower were much darker than the others with far less lights illuminating the passages. A mist seemed ever present as well and bats lined the ceiling. Catherine stood up from where she had appeared and looked around. She was in a small alcove next to another teleport that seemed lifeless. There were no enemies around, but at the same time neither were her friends.

"Cathy!"

Her heart skipped as the over exuberant voice of Nokum-Akkum called through the communication pearl in a pouch on her belt. Soon after that she heard Gerdinus and Hanaa as well. It seemed as though they had all been sent to different points on the upper floor. Catherine could only guess that the teleport had been damaged by the sudden power serge in the tower. Taking command once more, Gerdinus told them all to make their way to the tenth floor and to wait there to regroup.

After only walking through two passages Catherine had realized that something was very wrong. She had visited the peak of the tower years ago before it even had a heavy population of Giants and knew the layout reasonably well, yet she did not recognise where she was now. The passages were not long paths separating rounded rooms like the other floors and seemed to twist and turn sharply far too much. The paths were also too long for her to be at the very top.

She began to question whether she had been trapped inside some kind of disorientating spell when she finally came across a large room. It was too large and could not have been one of the four corners of the tower. At the far end of the darkened room someone had their back to her. They were eclipsed in shadow and made no movement to suggest they were aware of her being there.

The figure turned to face her as she walked forwards with her club drawn, fearing that it might an Arc Angel.

"By Altana…" was all she could utter as she was attacked.

-

Alain had followed the rows of Giant corpses and scarred battlegrounds up two flights of stairs and had come to the teleport that would take him from the lower levels of Delkfutt to the middle. Something was strange about it, energy shot across it and it was activated without him even touching it. He wished Catherine was there to explain what was happening, he was never any good with understanding technology.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped onto the malfunctioning teleport and felt himself be lifted and vanish. The sensation would always feel horrible to him; he hated feeling like he was being pulled in three directions at once. Nevertheless, seconds later he materialized on a different floor.

"What the…" he muttered as he got up and rubbed his head.

The small room he found himself in was very dark and looked far too enclosed compared to the other areas. The strangest thing was, however, that judging by the lightning and paler colour of the wall he was on the upper tier of floors not the middle that the teleport should have taken him too.

With caution he moved to the exit of the alcove with his arm reached up and griping the hilt of his Great Sword attached to his back. He peered around the corner quickly then hid again. He did not see anything. He took another quick look out and then a long one. The passage beyond the alcove was completely empty.

No enemies… he thought to himself as he turned and walked down the path.

He's close!

Alain stopped and held his head. The hand that had been gripping the hilt of his weapon pressed against the wall as he just about stopped himself from falling over. A swirling sensation came and went.

What was that?

Come on, what's taking you so long?

Those aren't my…

It was as if he was hearing someone else talking out loud, but buried deep inside his skull. The most disturbing thing about it was he thought he recognised it. He stood straight and gently knocked the side of his head. The strange thoughts seemed to disappear at least for the moment.

The next turn opened into a large circular room that seemed far too big in comparison to the other floors of the upper level. He looked up at the ceiling that seemed to focus into a sharp point directly over the centre of the room. His eyes moved down to look at the pattern around the outside of a white indentation and what he saw made him freeze.

Lying in the middle of the room under the jagged point on the roof was Catherine, stomach down, with her club broken nearby. He broke into a run and dropped to his knees next to her. He put a hand behind her head and held her hand with his other as he turned her over.

"Catherine! Catherine! What happened? Please wake up!"

Her breathing was erratic and she did not seem to be stirred by his shaking or his voice. He pulled his hand back that held her head and gasped as he saw it was stained with small patters of red. Someone had hit her over the back of the head and caused a concussion. Alain checked his belt frantically for a potion of some kind as he knew no Healing Magic, but his items were gone.

"Just hold on, Catherine… I'll get you to Hanaa, she can heal you."

He stood up and bent over to pick her up. One arm rested around her shoulders to cushion her wounded head and the other under her legs. He turned to head back to the alcove he had appeared in, hoping that he could find a way to reactive the seemingly inactive teleport.

He's more concerned about her?

He almost fell again, but managed to retain his balance enough not to drop Catherine as the strange thoughts echoed inside his head. They were not his and were not even his voice.

"You're more concerned about her, I admit I'm surprised."

Slowly, Alain turned around.

"I thought by this stage you would only care about finishing what we started. That's what you decided when you faced the darkness…wasn't it, Alain?"

"You…"

Rost walked forwards from the far side of the circular room with the Great Katana he had found inside Dynamis held tightly in both hands. He wore black armour with trimmed orange highlights with a red belt and plated metal guards. It was rare Myochin armour worn only by master Samurai. Few whole sets existed in the world and his seemed to be missing the helmet and matching Magoroku Great Katana.

"I thought you'd died…back then I found a cave filled with blood..."

Rost's face was emotionless, "I suffered great wounds before eventually making my escape, but that's not important anymore. Put her down and draw your weapon, Alain."

He looked at Catherine and then back at Rost.

Do it, draw your weapon damn you!

"This doesn't feel right, Rost. I don't know what has happened, but you seem different. I've made a promise to someone that I'd never kill a friend so I won't fight."

"I'm the one who hurt her," the Elvaan stated. "I will kill anyone who tries to stop the Archduke opening the gates."

He twisted round in anger, "So you've switched to their side!"

"I am on my own side. I wish to see paradise. Why shouldn't I be allowed to cross over? When the Gates of the Gods is forced open and the way appears darkness will consume this world like a plague and nothing can stop it. It's unavoidable. I came to realize that. So I will cross over with them, I will be one of those to ascend. I will not be left to burn with the rest of you!"

Alain walked to the edge of the circular room and put Catherine down on the floor. He felt the side of her head and tried to clean up the wound a little, but there was nothing he could do but hope that Hanaa would find her in time.

"You'd throw away your honour and damn the rest of us…you'd hurt Catherine, the person you've grown up with…you'd do that…"

"To open the gates I would kill each and every one of you."

I must see what you have learned; I must see that it is enough!

Drawing his Great Sword, Alain took up his fighting stance and meet Rost's glare. They began to move towards one another.

"I'm going to stop the Zilart from succeeding," he said through gritted teeth.

"Are you? And where are you going to get the power to do that? You have always been weaker than me and I see nothing that has happened to change that fact. Since I am not even as strong as just one of the Arc Angels what makes you think you could even attempt fighting all five? You are a fool."

"You want to see what I've learned? I'll show you!"

Rost seemed taken back by his words and did not understand how he knew exactly what he had been thinking just seconds before. Despite his surprise, he seemed please at that response and walked forwards with his katana resting near to his leg ready to be swiped upwards.

"So you would break a promise so readily to battle with me?"

"I would not break my promise to the Gentlemen Thief by fighting with you. You are not my friend. The Rostairmar d'Lecanti that I respected once, died in Quicksand Caves."

"So be it. We will end what started on that snowy peak so long ago…" Rost uttered.

-

What started on that day…something changed between us, something that wasn't meant to be… The two of us changed into something different. I became controlled by emotions I'd never felt before and you…you became cold… as if your soul had been drained of all that was good and left only the arrogance that drove me crazy…

Something infected us on that day that meant it had to be this way... You became something different to other Humes and something was stolen from me. Something that made me…

I really wanted to kill you on that day.

I was consumed with murderous intent.

There is no avoiding this…

There is only one outcome…

I hate you…

I despise you…

-

Eald'narche stopped in the middle of a console filled area and held his held as his one good eye was shut tightly. He felt sensations coming from an area of the tower that had become warped by magic exposure and become separated from the physical plane. There was something happening in it that he had not foreseen. He had felt inclinations towards something happening with Altana's chosen one, but he had not suspected that it would lead to such an exchange.

A meeting decided upon by the Gods was taking place in an area that almost seemed specifically created for it. He sneered at the arrogance of the Gods; they would orchestrate such a thing instead of trying to stop them. Yet what the outcome would be intrigued him and especially what it might mean in the future. Nothing the Gods planned was without purpose.

A realization came over him as his felt across his eye patch and laughed. He finally realized who the two poor retches had become. One had become the emissary of Altana to carry out her divine wishes to try and avert the apocalypse at the hands of the Emptiness and the other had become the emissary of the father. Had it been their doing that had stirred the sleeping God? It had to be, no other had the power. The calling of the Arc Angels and the sending of the Shadowlord to the Mother Crystal would have been perfect catalysts.

The door to the power chamber opened and Kam'lanuat entered. He stood beside his brother in silence until his hand fell from his eye patch showing that he was ready to speak.

"So you have felt it as well?" Eald'narche asked rhetorically. "Impressive, I did not think your power stretched that far."

"Is it truly the emissary of Altana? That lowly Hume?"

"Seems like it."

"So then, the other…the one who wished to travel with us…"

"Yes. I believe he has become Promathia's emissary. Fitting, don't you agree? We have awoken the sleeping God who has felt the Emptiness. As we close in on paradise the Dawn Maidens have set about brining this meeting to fruition by awakening their sleeping genes. They would buy the world time if the emissary were to die…but for what I cannot see."

Kam'lanuat looked towards the glowing object running through the centre of Delkfutt's Tower, "They would do that, but send only weaklings to stop us opening the gates?"

"I don't care what they have planned, they won't stop us. I will watch this battle with interest, but it makes no difference to us. Perhaps they have given in and realize we cannot be stopped and have instead begun trying to stop the Emptiness…a pointless endeavour. The girl is prepared, let's go. Tu'Lia awaits us."