26. Syrenne and Zangurak


"Zael!"

Syrenne? Zael's eyes widened. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Yurick and Mirania looking around, as well as Therius, Asthar, and Arganan. The entire group was confused, and Zael didn't blame them for not being able to see Syrenne. He couldn't, either.

"So you probably know this already, but…I'm dead." Syrenne huffed. "And guess who's in this area?"

Arganan audibly groaned. "Please don't tell us that Zangurak's still actually alive after all these years!"

Asthar's gaze snapped towards Arganan, almost in pure disbelief. "Were you hoping that we'd end up here and find out that Zangurak suddenly passed away and someone else took his place?"

Arganan threw a hand up in the air briefly, hissing. "It was worth hoping, Asthar. It's been a hundred fucking years!"

Mirania sighed, shaking her head. "I'm sure there are more people than you that wish that, Count, but considering that Zael survived a hundred years asleep with the Outsider's power, I'm not surprised that Zangurak himself is still actually alive…."

As they spoke, Zael grimaced as new images came to his mind; Zangurak clashing blades with him, cursing his name as Calista called out in vain for him.

"Syrenne?" Zael heard Lowell call, and he blinked, trying not to lose himself in his head as he listened to the others around him. "We're here, okay? And we're not going to leave you. Just…where's Zangurak?"

"Further in." Syrenne echoed, before a sigh left her. "Just…don't die again, okay?"

Zael wasn't sure if he remembered Syrenne sounding so tired. Or worried. He vaguely recalled Syrenne clutching Lowell's cooling, dying body only a moment later, begging Lowell not to die after he took an arrow for her, and Zael willed the memory away.

"We promise." Zael managed, before looking towards the others. "Let's go."

"Are you ready?" Lowell asked him, looking him in the eye. The ice mage seemed oddly serious, and Zael wasn't sure if it was because of Syrenne's speaking earlier or if he, too, recalled his own demise even now.

Either way, Zael knew he had no time to waste. Zangurak had to go down.

"I'm ready."


The party stepped into another large hall, reminiscent of a throne room. The image of Marbas attacking the group came to Zael's mind briefly, before he shuddered, shaking his head.

Marbas wasn't here, he reminded himself. It was back in Lazulis, and it was dead and rotting for good.

That was when he emerged.

Zangurak.

He looked wilder than before, strangely. Red and orange light seeped from his right hand where his Outsider's mark was. Zael saw him in his mind's eye, swiping at him with the lance of his, and Zael blinked several times –

Only to sidestep immediately as Zangurak swung his lance at him, in reality.

"Careful!" He heard Asthar call out, and he noticed Yurick, Mirania and Arganan all preparing magic. Lowell had his sword out, intent on using his weapon first for now, and Asthar and Therius were already rushing at Zangurak, swords also out and ready to attack.

Zael gritted his teeth and looked Zangurak in the eyes.

"Your time ends here, Zangurak!"

Zangurak dodged Therius' attack, blocked Asthar's own with his lance, and then swung wide. Therius got caught in the attack somehow, Asthar barely dodged, and Zael sidestepped – or so he hoped. He felt blood drip down his cheek as Zangurak's eyes bore into his.

"Do not think you can defeat me so easily." Zangurak's voice sounded strange, echoey like the first time, but deeper than before. His eyes glowed red, brighter than his own hair, and Zael swallowed. He seemed so much stronger than last time.

And last time, Zael didn't even beat him.

Would he be able to do it this time?

It was one thing to go against Zangurak with just himself and Calista assisting. He couldn't remember if any of his other friends had been there. Had Dagran killed them already beforehand?

That part of his memory remained foggy as he blocked and parried Zangurak's attacks. Mirania and Lowell's forest and ice magic did wonders to slow Zangurak down, though, but he relented. With every advance Zael and his friends made, Zangurak pushed back almost twice as hard.

It had to be the Outsider, Zael decided. What if…?

He looked down at his own hand briefly, after dodging one of Zangurak's attacks and enduring a hit after that. He then looked towards Zangurak's own arm, before the idea came to mind:

What if I chopped off the arm that had the Outsider's mark on it?

Would that even work?

It sounded odd, but…Zael knew that whenever he used his own power, it always radiated from where the mark was. Could it be the same for Zangurak?

"I have anointed my arm with the blood of the Arganans." It was Zangurak that spoke, and Zael froze, looking him in the eye. Zangurak seemed sure of himself as he dodged Mirania, before swiping at her. As she was a ghost, she was already dead as his spear ripped through her body, but she looked pained, much to Zael's surprise. "With it, I lay claim to almighty power."

"You sick bastard!" it was Arganan screaming some distance away, before the light of Holy magic soared across the room and at Zangurak. "How dare you do that to Calista!"

Zael gritted his teeth as Zangurak blocked the blow. "Regardless of what power you have," He spat, "We can't let the Outsider itself be in this world any longer! Look at what damage has been done over the past hundred years!"

"As if getting rid of the Outsider alone would stop the war."

"You're right," Zael breathed, "It won't. But you've been using it to keep your power longer than you should, and you're using your own people as an excuse to gain power!"

Zangurak dodged Zael's next swing, before a red, glowing shield appeared on his left arm. Zael thought he heard Yurick hissing in disappointment before Zael vaguely recalled something.

Yurick, eyepatch off, screaming out a spell of fire.

"Yurick!" Zael yelled towards him, before dodging one of Zangurak's attacks, then another, "Hit Zangurak with the strongest fire spell you've got!"

"Are you sure!?" Yurick called back. "You're too close!"

"I'll be fine! Just do it!"

"Zael!" Mirania screamed out in warning, but Yurick was already starting to cast. Zael did his best to keep Zangurak at bay, swiping and parrying strikes.

And then Yurick called out something he couldn't hear clearly, before the fire struck.


Zael knew that he was on fire. He rolled over the ground, trying to put it out, only for two pairs of hands to stop him. Healing magic swarmed his entire body, wrapping him in light and warmth much more soothing than earlier.

"I can't believe you did that." It was Arganan that knelt over him, before looking up ahead. He hissed lightly, before looking down at Zael. "A-are you…?"

"I'm fine," Zael breathed, and he got up quickly. He felt sore all over, but he couldn't stop fighting. Zangurak looked particularly damaged by Yurick's attack, shield cracking, and even his lance looked more worn than it once was. "Let's just finish him off! Together!"

"Right." He heard Arganan mutter, and for once, the former Count seemed sure. "For Calista."

Zael didn't hesitate to charge right into the battle again. Therius and Asthar had been keeping Zangurak at bay, Lowell trying to use his ice magic to slow him down. However, Zangurak did not relent, easily parrying their blows with either his shield or his lance.

As Zangurak pushed Therius out of the way with his shield, Zael swung at Zangurak himself.

Zangurak dodged, and swung at him. Zael sidestepped, and he noticed Arganan take out his own sword, holding it high as he charged at Zangurak from behind.

"This," He heard Arganan scream, "Is for Calista!"


The arm hit the floor, still glowing red and orange.

Zangurak's pained scream echoed throughout the entire room, and he dropped his lance. He nearly fell to a knee entirely with how much pain he was in.

Zael felt a pang of sympathy. He'd seen people lose their limbs in battle before. Their lives, even.

But right now, he had no time to give any sympathies. He had to do what he had to do. He took a deep breath, his right hand glowing blue, and charged and Zangurak before stabbing him through the heart.


Zangurak fell.

He did not breathe nor speak again, as Zael pulled his sword out of his chest.

The King of the Gurak was dead, and this time, for good.

"We did it," Zael heard Therius breathe.

Zael tore his gaze away from Zangurak, looking towards everyone. "Are you all okay!?"

"We're fine." Lowell quickly managed, and Zael looked towards Arganan. The former Count of Lazulis looked particularly shocked by Zangurak's body, as well as the arm separated from its owner. Zael took a deep breath, walking over to him, before speaking up.

"Are you okay?" He repeated.

Arganan's gaze snapped towards Zael's own, startled. He paused, before nodding once, quietly.

"Thank you." He muttered. "For…letting me…"

"You're her uncle." Zael told him. "And I think she'd be happy to know that you still care for her. If you and her get the chance to talk, after all this is over…"

"I'll take it. I know."

Before either man could speak again, Zael heard a familiar voice, much less echoey than usual.

"Hey! Zael. You okay?"

He turned to see none other than Syrenne. She looked just the way he saw her before; long, wild orange-red hair, wearing the criss-crossed leather along her arms matching her dark outfit. Two blades, sheathed in the hilt of her belt, ready for battle anytime – or maybe a drink, first.

"Syrenne," Zael offered her a smile, before he swallowed. "I…Lowell and the others told me. About Dagran."

"Yeah." Her gaze darkened a bit as she walked over to him, before continuing. "We got to take him down. I know you don't want to, but…"

"Um," Asthar suddenly spoke up, and Zael looked towards him, "I hate to interrupt, but…something is happening the arm."

Everyone's gaze snapped towards the still-glowing red and orange arm that once was part of Zangurak. It twitched where it lay, before it suddenly stood up, using its fingers to travel along the floor.

"What the hell!?" Yurick yelped, noticing it running away from them. "We gotta go after it!"

"This can't be good." Mirania tensed, before starting to race after it. "Come on!"

"We're coming!" Zael yelled, before running to catch up. He thought he heard Arganan and the others yelling for him to wait, for them to catch up, but what mattered was figuring out where that arm was going.

Was it heading to the Gurak half of the Outsider?

To Cailsta, maybe?

Who knows?

Either way, Zael had a gut feeling that this would not end well.