Chapter 22: the Battle for Magix
Earlier… "Bloom you and I will face the Grand Templar ourselves, with our combined power we can defeat him, Bloom we will be the first into battle, our team at our side" Erasiel explained.
"I'm not sure about this" Bloom stated.
"Bloom close your eyes" Erasiel stated, she did so. "Now open them" Erasiel instructed, where Erasiel had been previously stood a large fiery bird with feathers and wings of purple and orange, on this bird was armor of purple and orange with a saddled seat ready. "Bloom this is my true form, I will be your steed, I will bare you into battle and protect you and aid you; Bloom you are one of the few capable of riding a Phoenix and one of the fewer still who have had one offer to bare you into battle; think about it as your warriors disembark the transport they see you flying into battle atop a fiery steed, with your friends at your side; their morale would soar to the heights that they will be able to do deeds they wouldn't normally be able to do, and this will happen not just those from Domino, but to the defenders of Alfea, and the Dwarves, and the Elves" Erasiel stated, he smiled.
"I will do this; only because I've only dreamed of riding a Phoenix much less gotten the chance to: I'll do it!" Bloom shouted then got his back..
"Winx you can come in now" Erasiel stated: the Other Winx entered the room as well as the witches and Kerborg and Gripmaw and surprised by the sight, Bloom on a Phoenix and Erasiel being said Phoenix in his true form. "Kerborg take my staff; I won't be needing it where I'm going" Erasiel stated. The Ship entered the atmosphere and descended downward to Alfea alongside others with rapidly descended to land soon they were over Alfea and could see the battle raging beneath. They delayed until the other ships had landed. "I have two spells for you Bloom: Cascading Fire-cloak and Flaming Sword of Rhuin; they are extremely powerful but with Valruost and Armor of Domino you should be strong enough to cast them" Erasiel explained, Bloom did so, a cloak of fire formed around her armor and Valruost ignited.
"Timmy this is Bloom, open rear doors!" Bloom stated on her wrist comm, the other Winx assumed Charmix; the hanger had been emptied of the Windriders and Space Strider back on Coltaris for their safe keeping, the door opened. "Here we go! Winx Forever!" Bloom yelled. ("Stone by stone creaked, crushed fallen") The flew out of the hanger bay descending into battle, the Warriors of Domino who had landed let out a proud cheer of "To the Queen! To the Queen!" as the Winx flew in a wedge around Bloom as they descended. ("Beauty burned, erased but not forgotten") They charged into battle Bloom jumping off of Erasiel and flying downward into the Lighthaven warriors. ("I'll take your melodies, and you last breath, fill the air with Embers I inhale!") Bloom charged into the Lighthaveners, the combat techniques of her ancestors flowed into her body, she sliced thru Lighthavener after Lighthavener, unaware she was cutting thru elite warriors with ease and thru strong armor like it was butter and flesh like it was paper she was soon covered in their blood near her Stella drove her rapier into the Lighthaveners shredding them with slashes and piercing their guts with her thrusts. ("In their blood I will stand, let the waning light of Man, cast my shadow on the fires of War! Till all time burns away! Till our Embers fade to grey! Cast my Shadow on the fires of WAR!") Bloom was joined by Erasiel who had assumed his combat form in his armor of Order and had drawn Judgement his two-handed Falchion, he used to chop thru Lighthaven warriors, at this point they flew over the Lighthaven soldiers and had been separated by the other Winx who alongside the Nimnx were now using their magic to deadly effect on the Lighthaveners. ("My grief is swollen, is rusty chains, tethered to the killing wind sun up sun down sun up sun down again, one burning candle, one wind whipped flame")
Bloom and Erasiel carved thru a rank after rank of soldiers until they faced the Grand Templar. "So, you have come once again, and you have accepted the role as the leader of a fallen people, I know that sword, I know it well I've slain five men who wielded it and raped two women who wielded it, and now you've come Princess Bloom wielding the Blood-Drinker" Arsonious stated.
"Correct she has!" Erasiel stated.
"And Darkar, what a surprise" Arsonious stated sarcastically. "When this is over, and you are defeated I will rape you princess and end your life and your line once and for all!" Arsonious stated. ("I carry in my teeth like an animal!") "Your father once faced me, after I had slain your Grandfather; oh, your grandfather how he screamed his screams were as bad as when I forced him to watch his sisters raped and then burned!" Arsonious taunted and revealed. A Fire burned in Bloom's blood, she thought of her parents, her true parents; their portrait on Domino; then saw in her minds eyes the visions of the deeds of Grand Templar: Valruost had been a witness to all his vile actions, inside her head the voices cried out for blood, and sword itself cried out for blood: the blood of Arsonious. ("Vengeance my strength!")
"ENOUGH! YOU VILE MONSTER! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Bloom screamed her body aflame as an avatar of fire her wings growing to a large size, then she flung herself at the Grand Templar, a flurry of fiery blows cut into him as he rose up, and she did as well with Erasiel behind them yelling at Arsonious as he slashed Judgement into him, "YOU RAPED THEM! YOU MURDERED THEM! YOU KILLED MY CHILDREN!" Erasiel yelled in a blood frenzy.
Each blow tore into Arsonious but each healed, he countered with his Warhammers, but his blows were parried by Bloom with shield and sword allowing her to follow up with sweeping counters as she and Erasiel pushed him back and far from Alfea all the while in her mind the voices of the victims of Arsonious cried out for vengeance, soon the fight drew the over Lake Roccaluchee, suddenly Arsonious hit Erasiel hard with one of his Warhammers and sent Erasiel flying backward knocking over trees with the force of his impact. In Bloom head she heard a familiar voice among the cries for vengeance. "Bloom! Break the gem on his armor! It's the only way to beat him" Daphne yelled in her head over the other voices. Bloom regained her focus, where before she attacked in blind rage and without purpose now she struck true, parried a Warhammer strike and drove Valruost into the Star of Elrath, shattering the gem, and struck true, the blade plunging thru his chest, Arsonious looked at Bloom into her fiery eyes, she looked into him they studied each other's very soul, Arsonious saw in Bloom a spirit of pure light and she saw in him a spirit of pure darkness and madness, Erasiel had recovered and Bloom saw in him a spirit of a roaring inferno.
Arsonious yelled in agony as Erasiel with a clean slash of Judgement removed his wings and he fell, then Bloom drew out Valruost from his chest and drove it into his heart, Erasiel joined Bloom at her side, the blade stopped his fall. "In the name of Asha, Arsonious, I sentence you be purified! Do you have anything to say?" Erasiel stated.
"Eolia was right; I am a monster! Purify me!" Arsonious yelled.
"Bloom purify him: With Fire!" Erasiel yelled.
"Dragon Energy!" Bloom cast and a fiery dragon flew out from Valruost into Arsonious. Under his armor the Grand Templar was aflame in his entirety! He screamed in the agony with the agony of all his victims all those he murdered, raped, and burned; inside Valruost screamed blasphemous words in the Ancient tongue of Dragons into his head along with a litany of his crimes in Arsonious's own language, Arsonious's screams were heard from miles away day light broke from the clouds, his armor tore from him and flew away alongside his hammers back to Lighthaven amputating his arms in the process. As he suffered Bloom repeated what Valruost had said, and Erasiel laid out the judgements of Asha on the villain: each moment he suffered until Bloom's eyes returned to her normal blue eyes and she was no longer aflame with yellow fire. "It's over!" Bloom yelled then pulled Valruost out it was drenched with blood, the entire blade was red, the still aflame Arsonious fell downward still screaming as he fell into the Lake below: then as it hit the water a fiery pillar of fire went upwards into the heavens above with one final scream the Grand Templar of Lighthaven Arsonious was no more, the only thing left being a charred mangled and disemboweled corpse. A Multitude of specters appeared to Bloom, each as they were in life, but happy, at the foremost of them was her Grandfather but there were also others of the royal family as well as faces Erasiel recognized those being of his students and friends who were massacred on Graynor and amongst them were faces of nameless victims of Arsonious.
"Thank You Bloom for avenging us and for releasing us from our suffering; now we can rest now that our murders are avenged" King Grattion proclaimed, the others apart from him vanished but he remained to look at her. "You are truly the heir to Domino, but Bloom your parents are still alive" Grattion explained "My son Oritel yet lives, you aren't strong enough yet to free him and your mother from their curse but one day you will: I am proud of you my Grand-daughter, proud of what you've done and how you've grown, you'll become a great fairy yet, farewell Bloom" King Grattion stated, then planted a kiss on her forehead. "Farewell my dear Grandchild, know this you aren't alone you aren't the last of our people, and you never will be" Grattion stated he kissed her on the cheek hugged her then he faded away.
Bloom wept having never met her Grandfather and never would have the chance to see him alive, then sheathed Valruost the blade allowing it to be sheathed, the sounds of battle had faded, and the cheering of soldiers could be heard. Bloom looked at Erasiel who was smiling. "You've done good Bloom, you've done a heroic deed and most importantly I can rest at night knowing that you have put those who I failed to protect to rest and righted a wrong so grievous that the dead would not rest until it was righted" Erasiel stated, Bloom smiled and then hugged him not caring for the blood that stained their armor.