They did not know exactly how long their journey took; neither Velvet nor Laphicet had much experience telling the time while underground. When they finally emerged from a broken gate however, they paused to behold what lay ahead.
Malevolence warped the world, more so than they had seen since Hexen Isle. An insidious darkness had turned the sky crimson, made the seal's edge become a black wall from which nothing escaped. No sun shone through this curtain, leaving but vague glints of purple and red to illuminate the sibling gods. Columns of crystallised earth rose into the sky like demented spires, houses warped in length and width snaking around them. Roads cut off in endless holes, only to reemerge up high. Above it all towered a familiar structure; dilapidated and broken, but yet unaffected by Malevolence. No wind blew and no sound could be heard.
Velvet and Laphicet exchanged weary nods before moving on. As they discussed before, the darkness was left alone for a time so as to not set off Maotelus. "Reality warps here," the younger Crowe told his sister in the absolute silence. "Perhaps, theoretically, increasing the amount of Malevolence further may allow to affect time in some manner, just like it can bend space."
"Let's not go there," Velvet admonished him somberly. "Even if that is within my power, I never want to use it. I am me because of the choices I made, going back on them is... no." She shivered at the mere idea of how much one could break if they had access to time. The razor's edge upon which the fate of Desolation danced again and again, disrupted for it all to fall apart. "And I'm going to come down on anyone who tries."
"Like the fist of an angry god?"
"Laphi..."
A quiet chuckle lost itself in the silence, his joke drawing some of the tension out of Velvet. She ruffled his hair gently as they strode past the destroyed village. A singular hellion had been lying between two huts, but was killed by a stray strike before it could even rise. Others were soon drawn by the noise, but the sibling gods did not even break stride to deal with them. "There aren't as many as I thought," Laphicet told his sister after a while, to which she shrugged. He dropped the subject as they reached the foot of their destination then.
Before them towered the grand temple, high as a mountain. The Empyrean's Throne had stood a thousand years. Its highest platforms were shrouded in dark mist, the entire facade cracked by the Malevolence encapsulating it. Nonetheless, it remained majestic in its reach. Velvet could not help but chuckle after taking her fill of the sight, however. "Somehow, these stories keep ending with me marching on this place," she ribbed her brother, who giggled.
"Perhaps we should reinstate it as our seat of power when we're done. That is what Arthur had it built for, after all."
"Save that kind of thought for later," Velvet deflected. Even the banter and conversation could no longer ease her nerves. "Is everything ready?" Her question prompted a roll of Laphicet's eyes; he knew they double- and triple-checked every single measure they prepared. Their greater forms lurked above and below, ready to interfere at a moment's notice. Laphicet took his sister's hand and entwined their fingers, amber eyes boring into each other.
"It will be fine," he reassured his sister, then tugged her along. "Let's go."
Their ascent began slowly, but grew in pace with every step. Velvet soon strode, then made to dart only for her brother to hold her back. Neither of them spoke, but they did not need to, to know what was at stake. Both Empyreans could feel Maotelus thrashing beneath, submerged in the lifepool the Empyrean's Throne was once erected on. The seal's center lay atop this structure, in the central chamber that had once been Artorius' refuge.
Halfway there, Velvet's free hand wandered to the blade strapped to her hip. A single nervous action that did not go unnoticed, although Laphicet left it uncommented.
In time they reached the apex; had either sibling turned to look, the sight may have taken their breath away despite darkness and corruption. Yet neither of them did, for their minds were on what lay ahead: a gentle structure of mana had been applied to the very walls of the vast chamber they entered. Laphicet wordlessly drew on the room's mana, plucking the arte off its hiding place. It reformed in front of him, appearing as a construct of no less than fifty blue, ringed layers; the seraph boy imperiously arched an eyebrow, though within he was stumped. Even with a god's mental capacities, he knew it would take millennia for him to create something that compared.
"It's beautiful."
Velvet left his awestruck whisper uncommented, arms crossed as she waited. Maotelus' thrashing grew stronger and the arte's innermost ring, already cracked before, splintered. The second layer immediately began to flash brightly as tremors ran through it.
Laphicet cast a glance at his sister, who nodded her assent. Only then did he step forward, one hand placed atop the seal's outermost layer. "You know we are here," he declared. Golden light pulsed with every word, seeping into the construct; silver light answered from within, pushing back on instinct. "I know you remember me," he continued, almost gently. From his careful pushing, every layer slowly began to crumble. A slight tremor shook the Empyrean's Throne.
"I know you hate me still."
Silver and gold grew brighter, now meeting each other even through the seal. Laphicet felt the seal shudder, felt the god imprisoned beneath quake. Ironic, how it was now for him to free this one of his shackles. A mirthless grin blossomed on Laphicet's face then, the feelings of 'Maotelus' crystal clear.
"I know you fear me still."
A final pulse of gold made the cracks he created connect. Silver light followed at once, shattering the weakened foundations. Layer after layer broke away and Laphicet surged backward; Velvet followed without a word, the siblings going airborne and leaving the temple. The seal imploded behind them, a newborn silver sun. Maotelus roared and the world shook.
All around the planet, people felt the chief god's rage. Faint tremors not strong enough to break more than the most ancient ruins, yet with enough force to be felt. In every city and every village, in every street and every house, they knew that something was happening.
Runette Forton interrupted her sermon as she felt it, instead falling to her knees in prayer. Her faithful immediately imitated the gesture. Far away in Horsa, Runette's older sisters did much the same while van Aifread stood somber, well aware of who was fighting this fateful day. Cynthia Randgriz prayed as well, though she had done so long before as she wished for her daughter's safe return. Unbeknownst to her, Seraph Enya kneeled right by her side with a similar wish.
Atop the waves, Shepherd Sorey stared toward Glenwood with wide eyes. His shaken squire and firekeeper stood by his side, as did Dezel. Separate from them sat Zaveid and Edna however, exchanging severe nods; where Sorey rightly figured that Maotelus was under threat, only these two knew what the tremors truly meant. Edna's eyes fluttered closed, the girl wishing for her beloved to be safe.
Far out, halfway up a mountain amidst the Meadow of Triumph, a lone Normin sat engrossed in a book. Grimoirh glanced up, but offered the commotion but a faint twitch of her lips. Just the same, the hopes of four Empyreans flared in this moment; a flame kindled by Velvet Crowe herself. Far apart they were, but their eyes saw nonetheless. They also watched their old friend, seraphim huddled around him near the emergency exit the Crowes left for them. Zenrus exhaled slowly, closing his eyes as he bowed his head. "My prayers upon the winds," he murmured, fully aware of the immaterial gazes on him.
Far away, a hellion's eyes snapped open. He sat cross-legged in a meadow, meditation interrupted by the tremors. He could feel it upon the air, the way his armour plates vibrated. A purple and red robe covered the man, two greatswords slung over his back. Half his face was pure black, mostly concealed by equally dark hair, but the gleam of a red eye shone through. His head turned in the direction of Glenwood, far away as it was, and he could not help but grin.
The released dragon's roar was answered even before he fully formed. Nine voices returned his challenge, eight that sang in harmony above and one far darker below. Familiar, feared, hated golden light pierced the perennial Malevolence together with the inviolable form of Innominat. The outer seal broke at last as his first head slammed into it, having survived Maotelus' violent breakthrough.
Before the silver dragon could do more than spread his wings and growl however, he felt a shock from beneath. Then from all around. Maotelus' head turned fitfully, attempting to find the source of this new sensation, only to realise the burning darkness receded. It shuddered, its domain slowly undone as it was drawn to the obsidian dragon emerging from below. Minkkubi consumed every speck of Malevolence surrounding her, growing a metre in height and length within seconds.
To the sibling gods, the dragon of light was blurred by a silver corona. Veins of liquid darkness streaked their fellow Empyrean. Once ivory scales had become grey and black, eyes invisible within the darkness. Maotelus roared in challenge once more, shaking the ground; he was answered by white-hot flame, a high-pressured river, hails of boulder-sized stone spears, and storm winds that tore away what was left of Camlann. Four of Innominat's maws continued spewing the four elements while the remaining three maintained shields. The main head, meanwhile, continued to pulse his golden aura against the rabid dragon's. His core body retreated quickly to seek refuge behind his greater form's scales, much as Velvet did with Minkkubi.
While Maotelus shook off the elemental assault as a large dog shakes off water, Minkkubi charged forward. Her banshee's wail made the larger dragon's head snap around, then he hesitated for but an instant. Minkkubi barrelled into him mercilessly, launching Maotelus off the Empyrean's Throne; he took the central chamber along, tearing it off the structure wholesale. Moments later, the surrounding mountains shuddered as he crashed into them with a choked growl. Landslides were loosed from impact and immeasurable tons of stone made to bury the beast as the mountain collapsed around him. He resurfaced a second later, snapping for the charging Minkkubi. A single wingbeat saved the smaller dragon's throat.
Velvet and Laphicet kept their distance to the rampaging dragon, fully aware that a single swipe of his claws could injure them gravely. Maotelus charged her head-on, higher mental functions suppressed by Malevolence; she rolled aside while he collided with the Empyrean's Throne and tore through it like so much paper. The temple collapsed, then melted as a stream of lava rained from above.
A wave of force launched molten debris in all directions right after, revealing Maotelus once more; despite every attempt to harm him, the dragon of light bore little more than scratches. A swipe of his tail caught Minkkubi and slammed her into another mountain. In addition to a broken leg, this left her quickly buried. Maotelus reared back, free of distractions; a pulse of silver light pushed Innominat back, disrupting his artes momentarily. Laphicet and Velvet saw what their greater bodies alone would have missed: a gargantuan arte circle formed between Maotelus and Innominat, flickering yet remaining stable.
No words were uttered as colossal amounts of mana flooded the arte. A continent's prayers given voice and form, aimed at the heavens. Velvet's eyes widened as she tore open the earthpulse to flee, her draconian body ceasing all efforts to dig free. Laphicet merged with Innominat, who already aborted all offense in favour of shielding himself. They knew this arte would not be interrupted.
Seconds passed in a deafening silence, the absence of sound ever more disconcerting. Both sides sized each other up, the utter loathing of silver and gold plain on display. Then Maotelus reared back once more, screaming defiance as Indignation completed. A stream of unrelenting silver power tore apart the heavens and hammered into Innominat's seven-folded shield. The roar of mana drowned out all sound and its mere passing dispersed the clouds for kilometres; half the mountain closest to Innominat evaporated just as the rubble of Camlann was consigned to oblivion.
Up above at the shaking cliffside, opposite to where unstoppable force met immovable object, an old building crumbled. Within stood five spectators whose life would have been forfeit, had Alisha not sensed the danger moments ahead. She violently grew into her fox form as Indignation was unleashed, shielding the others with her body from its shockwave. Yet even the most powerful being before the gods was nearly found wanting; reality itself quaked under Maotelus' might, the blinding light of his arte fading seconds after it first emerged. When her companions could see again, Alisha lay on the ground, clothes, skin, and flesh torn off her body. Blood pooled around her even as the therion fought to stay concious.
High above, Innominat fared little better. Where at first it appeared his shields may hold, it was not meant to be. Two of his heads hung limp and unresponsive, four more had most of their scales stripped away to reveal vulnerable, pink flesh underneath. The golden dragon inhaled heavily, drawing in every speck of Malevolence in the entire area just as Minkkubi uncurled; Indignation removed the mountain covering her in its entirety. Velvet returned moments later, watching her brother's scales regrow as he devoured the darkness to heal.
Maotelus roared at them again, spreading his wings in an effort to intimidate the larger dragon. The response was a shriek from Minkkubi, who charged in while Velvet and Laphicet met near Innominat's wounded body. When their eyes met, they both knew the other's thoughts. "I hate this," Velvet whispered, her words lost under the cacophony of colliding giants.
"I know," Laphicet answered somberly as he took her hand. Velvet drew the blade she carried this entire day, aware that it was their only choice.
Deep below, Minkkubi dropkicked Maotelus' snout and pushed off, launching herself toward Innominat. She shrugged off a hail of ice that was more instinct than intent. The runes carved into Velvet's weapon ignited as the siblings channeled their power into it. Black and gold first appeared, then mixed as the gods began to shine brighter, and the world held its breath. Even far beyond, the elemental Empyreans reared back in shock at what they saw and felt. A union of light and darkness, never seen before. Maotelus' aggression faded in favour of uncertainty.
The dragons touched each other as their core bodies began to flake away. All four fused together as they called the other's name.
"Geb Imesch!"
"Sub Smuyaw!"
Maotelus stood and stared for an eternal moment. Upon the cliffs, human, seraph, and hellion alike stopped dead as the sheer wrongness began to assault their senses. Gold, black, and red mixed together, the form of both forgotten. No one dared breathe as the gleaming dark light faded, revealing a serpentine dragon coiling up as if to strike. Short legs emerged near its snout and far down its body, eerily reminding Eizen of the beast he killed a thousand years past.
Ten red eyes began to glow as they sized up fearful Maotelus and the monster roared back, nine voices singing as one. Glenwood shook under their might; the first and only Armatus of the gods.
Once joint in mind, they knew the plans each had individually. Their thoughts and feelings became as one, wills entwined. Utter darkness shone from the colossus like the rays of a black sun; once more the plains and mountains were bathed in crisp penumbra, colours draining away to seek a mere monochrome. Then reality buckled, and from one moment to the next they charged at full speed.
Maotelus backpedalled, a gout of discoloured flame all he could muster in his surprise and instinctive horror. His assailant barrelled through the attempt, dispersing it like so much air and slamming into the dragon of light. The ground broke as did the earth, mountains rumbling while the sheer force of impact drove Maotelus kilometres beneath the surface; Glenwood's southern continental plate broke from impact, hot magma quickly surging from beneath to engulf the uncaring god. He ultimately got his claws against the greater dragon, halting their descent to Desolation's molten core. Pushing back, he focussed his might and screamed as power unleashed; a wave of multicoloured flame followed, black and silver and gold.
To those outside, the gaping chasm left where once a temple stood released a torrent of fire upon which the abomination rode into the sky. An enraged Maotelus followed moments later, leaving Eumacia and Musiphe scrambling to repair the continental plate. Hyanoa's will forced all the winds of the world not to carry shocks of their mighty clashes from then onward, all while Amenoch soothed her waves.
Both sides received wounds now; vicious swipes left Maotelus to nurse his flanks while an arm was torn off the horror's front. Not that either beast cared, immediately snapping at the other for more until only one remained. Deep within both sides however, strong wills burned; the twofold god carelessly weakened their opponent, knowing no pain or hesitation. Maotelus fought for dear life and with unrelenting force, but eventually he began to tire upon undoing another mountain near where they began. The abomination followed right after, a maw of boulder-sized teeth sinking into the smaller dragon's rump. He bellowed in pain and incoherent rage.
Before Maotelus could free himself however, his opponent's remaining leg convulsed, flitting this way and that erratically as it grew into an elongated neck. The head which sprouted from there resembled those of innominat, joining the main one. Silvery blood pooled where their teeth slowly ground deeper into his body, ripping and tearing as grey scales began to break open. Light and darkness coiled beneath, every single wound glimmering. Quickly losing power as they drained it away, Maotelus pawed feebly in an attempt to dislodge his assailant; it was to no avail.
"S-Stop," a weak voice finally begged, so familiar that it gave the abomination pause. "Please, stop..." Maotelus trailed off, trying to pull free but failing. He was nearly torn in two at this point, his many hearts beating erratically.
After making up their mind, the victorious dragon continued to tear. Up high in Elysia, a lone malak watched crestfallen how the main head dove into the open cavity left by Maotelus' torso. Zenrus had found hope after eons of repetition in the endless cycle of suppression, only to see it extinguished like a candle's flame. Ascended to serve the old gods' need, then brought down as his purpose was fulfilled.
The abomination reared back its main head as another maw grew from the stump of a frontleg; the dragon of light fell still while both lesser maws began to devour what remained greedily. Before Zenrus could avert his gaze from it all however, the one head not busy feeding lowered itself to the ground; when it opened, a gentle silver sphere descended from within. Malevolence yet coiled around it, but was quickly burned by flame coming from within.
Wide-eyed, Zenrus could not help but smile. His mood shifted to a relieved joy before he lowered his head. "Perhaps you will reach ascension once more," he murmured gently. "On your own, in time." He felt something like assent from his old friends as his might held against the aftershocks of divine battle. He was getting old, but their aegis kept him from harm after everyone else was evacuated. Just as he began his march to meet the victorious dragons, they finally separated to become Innominat and Minkkubi once more; a weight lifted from Zenrus' entire being then,
As the greater forms of both siblings continued to devour what was once Maotelus, Velvet and Laphicet came to kneel on opposite sides of the receding silver light. It soon revealed an unclothed seraph boy, his eyes closed in slumber. His pale blond hair was in disarray, a youthful chest rising easily while his flame burned away remnants of Malevolence.
Velvet met her brother's eyes, and smiled. They won. He was safe.