tenebrae aeternae in me vivunt.
Translation: The eternal darkness lives within me
He was walking against the wind, each step a struggle. Some part of him was bleeding, so he left a faint trail of little red drops on the green grass as he walked forward. The chest plate had never felt heavier. His arc ached and throbbed, the sensation relentless. Or is there a hole in my heart, that aches?
He had crossed the small dock and he lifted his tired head to look at the Palace. He could hear shouts and yells and swords clashing faintly. I do not want to fight anymore. I just want... I just want to die here in the green grass.
He lay down then, feeling the dull ache in his arc, throb even more. It seems to be matching my heartbeat.
He pondered his existence as he stared up at the cool summer sky, black and endless with little beacons of light. What reason do I have to live for anymore? There is nothing left in me but blood and fire and death. Dragon, you were right, I should have told Pepper... I should have told Pepper I loved her, before... before it became too late.
The Dragon huffed at him silently, too distraught to speak.
I understand... Do not speak, old friend, even I ... I feel despair crushing me from within. It is difficult to talk...
The full moon came into view, white in all its glory and Tony cursed it for a good minute, abuses falling slowly from his lips. It just floats there, mocking me. You sarding white orb, why didn't you just kill me? You should have just killed me...
He felt his heartbeat slow and the air still around him. The memory of Pepper sitting in that Beast's mane, flying upwards away from him into the night, made his arc throb painfully in earnest and his vision clouded over. Tony took a deep breath, lungs paining with the effort.
So this is love... a few moments of fleeting, blessed wondrous sunshine, followed by... endless cold night with your heart ripped from you and taken to the stars.
He closed his eyes. Of all the many things I thought, would kill me... a broken heart was not one of them. Pepper... When I die, I hope I will see you amongst the stars...
He lay there, willing himself to fall asleep and die, when he heard the faint sound of footsteps in the ground, running towards him. He was too tired to react and then a hand was on his shoulder, shaking him.
"Tony, Tony, wake up! Dear God, are you alright?" said a familiar voice.
He opened one eye and looked into the worried face of his friend Happy. He murmured weakly, "Happy, you came... you came to fight... I am so glad."
Happy asked with worry, "Tony, are you alright? What happened, where is Pepper?"
I do not know how to answer this question. Tony moaned and another set of footsteps came towards him and then he heard a feminine gasp.
Milene came into view, eyes dark with worry, "Count, Tony, oh my, he's bleeding."
Tony struggled to sit up and Happy had to help him. He asked tiredly, "What is happening in the Palace?"
Happy said with excitement, "The battle is in full swing, Tony. King John's knights have managed to chase the Chonsario to the second floor. And your smart friend here," he smiled at Milene, "well, she had the best idea of them all."
Milene said casually, "I locked the doors to the basement lair and all the priests are barricaded inside." She giggled and Tony had to crack a sad smile. "They are hopping mad but they cannot get out. So it is just the Chonsario for now."
Just then a huge blast was heard and all three turned towards the Palace, Tony forgetting his bruised back and grimacing with the effort. Milene bit her lip and gently passed her hands over his torso. The second floor of the Palace seemed to be on fire, thick orange flames were visible through its windows.
Tony asked slowly, "I take it that was Le Loup's doing?"
Happy nodded, still stunned by the blast. "He and his companions are trying to corner the horsemen. Even the Village folk are here." He paused, unsure. "We came out to see if you and Pep needed help."
Milene asked now, "Tony, where is Pepper?"
Tony closed his eyes, once again replaying the Beast's flight into the sky, carrying away Pepper. His throat closed up and he swallowed. "Pepper... the Beast took her... into the stars... I could... I could not stop him."
He lay back down, the silence from Happy and Milene deafening. Happy said, "There has to... I mean, there has to be a way.. shit..."
Tony looked up at the sky again. The moon was still there. "There is no earthly way to do so, Happy. I do not know how to reach the stars, I do not know how..." he whispered.
Happy looked like he was holding back tears manfully but Milene murmured to him soothingly, "Tony you are badly hurt. You need some care. You need medical attention."
He closed his eyes. "I do not want anything." Except to die quietly. I cannot ... I cannot believe I failed her.
Milene stared at the Palace. "No one can even find the Priest and the Captain."
"What!" exclaimed Happy, "They have escaped?!"
She shrugged, "I do not know but they are not there in the basement and the Captain is not with his men. I do not think they have left the Palace either. Tony's friends from the city, the workers, they are situated at the gate itself. They would have seen them leave. They are somewhere within the Palace but hidden."
Tony sat up slowly. The damn Rana and that...that Captain... this is all their doing. They called it here. They called that damn Beast here! They drugged Pepper, made her suffer for two days!
The Dragon hissed slowly, I think we should make the High Priest and the Captain pay for whatever they have done...
Tony felt a slow burning sensation in his chest. The flame was beginning to bubble and froth within him, something it had never done before. He felt it boil and course through him, slowly igniting his blood with a cold rage.
Close your eyes, Anthony.
He did so and saw the banners of flame swirl in his mind, blue and violent, the Dragon also unfurling and swirling powerfully. In a booming voice, it spoke to him. "You are on your last legs of strength but you cannot let go of this injustice. You must avenge your lady. Let the flame fill you with strength, with fire, with power! Wreak your wrath upon those who have brought that Beast to this Earth!
The Dragon roared mightily then and shouted, "What say you, Stark?" And Tony whispered back coldly, "Vengeance. I will have my revenge, I will inflict vengeance on those who took away what I loved... even if I die in the process"
Tony opened his eyes and felt the flame burn violently within him. There was a roaring sensation in his chest. He suddenly felt too alive, burning with hate. Happy was staring at him with fear. "Tony, you alright, your eyes flashed blue and your..." he gulped "... the circly thingy in your chest, it is burning violently".
Tony got to his feet, the pain from his bones gone, rage fueling his recovery. "I need my armor. I need to find that damn priest and Chonsario Captain and finish them off. I will not let them escape me."
Tony had returned to the Palace with Happy and Milene, who had left them to join the fighters on the second floor. They had managed to climb up to his room, using a rope that Happy had fastened on the balcony while leaving to find him. The entrances to the Palace were blocked.
Happy was helping him put on his armor in his room. Every part of his body, except his head, was encased in iron and he strapped the dagger to his boot. When Happy offered him the curved sword, he refused it and instead, rummaged through Le Loup's bag, pulling out a wicked-looking, short, thick, black pike.
"Today, this is my weapon. I'm going to skewer that Priest on it."
Happy gulped but kept quiet. Then he offered Tony his helmet, which Tony refused.
"I want them to see my face. I want them to look into my eyes as I kill them. I want to see it all." He said grimly.
Then as Happy watched with wide eyes, Tony went to the fireplace and picked up a handful of ash, rubbing it over his face, generously on his cheeks and forehead. He then cut his finger and collected his blood in a small dish. He dipped his fingers in his own blood and raked them downwards over his face, drawing four bloody lines from his forehead till his chin, over his nose.
Happy asked tentatively, "Tony, erm... what are you doing?"
He answered coldly, staring ahead emptily into the fireplace. "Tony is dead. Lord Stark is dead. I am the Knight of Ryunn and today I make my final stand. My blood will run but I will not stop until every last horseman is dead." He said, breathing out, the flame blazing through him, roaring in his ears, with anger.
No mercy, no prisoners. My hand will not stay, my vengeance will be complete.
He looked at Happy. "Join the others on the second floor. I must see to the priests."
He picked up his pike and they left the room.
Tony was standing in front of the locked basement door. He could hear the sounds of an object being rammed into the door from the other side, trying to break the barricade. He lifted the barricade and when it was rammed, the door opened with force and the people holding the object, fell forward.
Tony watched silently as they picked themselves up from the floor and stared up at him. "Where is Rana?" He asked quietly, "where is your leader?"
They stood before him, a unit of blue frogs, staring at him mutinously. One of them squeaked out, "We will not tell you, Knight of Iron. We will not."
He raised his pike and said coldly, "So be it."
He saw a horseman charge at him from behind the priests and Tony blasted him with flame, then shoved his pike through the horseman's chest. As the man gurgled in pain, he used his foot to push the body of his pike and braced himself as one of the priests threw something down on the floor, with force.
The narrow corridor was suddenly filled with thick, blue smoke and Tony crouched low, knowing that the smoke would fill the upper air layer and leave the floor clear. He saw the unit of blue break up and he grinned evilly.
"Trying to surround me eh..."
He kicked out at the nearest pair of feet he could see and tripped the priest, who fell heavily to the floor. Tony stabbed him in his huge stomach, then pulled out his pike quickly to turn and hit someone who had stepped behind him. Whoever it was, cried out and Tony remained crouched, then he tripped the feet using his pike as they tried to run away. Another damn priest... he thought as he stabbed this one in the face. Then he rose and saw the smoke dissipating, he could make out a number of blue figures scurrying deeper into the basement, deciding to retreat into their lair, then to face him.
His anger grew and he roared, "I just want to find Rana! I will let you go if you tell me where he is!"
No one answered him, so he took a deep breath and entered the lair of the Menolestes.
The next hour passed by in a blood-filled haze for Tony. Even though most of their forces were on the higher levels of the Palace, a decent number of horsemen were here in the basement with the priests. But in the end, it did not matter to him.
Flesh and bone had broken and bled to the thrust and poke of his pike. The smell of burning flesh did not disturb him any more as he mercilessly used his flame to burn horsemen and priests alike. He closed himself off from the screams of his victims as they fell to his weapons. My hand will not stay. There is nothing left in me.
So he had killed more priests and horsemen than he could count. And he still couldn't find Rana. He absently wiped at the blood on his face. One last room, one last one... Rana has to be here somewhere!
He stood in front of a large, bronze door with an ornate symbol engraved on it. He pushed against it but the door refused to budge. It must be locked from the inside.
He could hear someone scurrying about in there. He mentally counted off the priests, he had killed so far. They all look the same, fat and short and bald... wait... wait a minute! The one with the tattoo, the tattoo of a wave! They called him something, the... that's it! The secondary Menoleste! He's in here!
"Goddamn it, you frog!" Tony banged on the door with his gauntlet. "Goddamn it! Tell me where Rana is! I will let you go!"
A squeaky voice said from within, "Just how will you get in, Iron Knight? The door is locked... can you walk through walls as well?"
He heard giggling and that enraged him. He kicked at the door but it was too solid. Then Tony had an idea.
He used his flame on the door's right hinge, blasting it mercilessly, till it seemed weak. Then he charged at the right corner of the door, shoulder first and rammed the hinge. It hurt his shoulder but he ignored the jarring pain and kept ramming the hinge, until it broke.
Then Tony pushed the right side of the door away and he was inside the room. He raised his eyebrows at the sinister shadowed den. The room was illuminated by a few thick candles. Shelves lined its four walls and rows and rows of jars and bottles were neatly stuffed on each shelf. There was a giant skull of some animal on a central shelf, surrounded by flowers and dainty candles.
The heavy smell of the Moonflower hung in the air, sweet and cloying. The center of the room was occupied by a rectangular thick table.
Tony stared at the thick cloth straps present in different edges and corners of the table. He gingerly fingered a strap. Look at the buckle. This could hold down a man easily. This is a laboratory table.
There was a small box on the table, engraved with waves and he opened it curiously. Inside the box, were three syringes. Tony took one out and held it up to the light. What a thick needle... it is empty. Indeed, the other two syringes were also empty.
Then he stiffened as he heard the sound of heavy breathing. Someone is hiding under the table. He placed his pike on the table and calmly reached under the table and caught the hider hard by his ear and pulled him out. Surprise, surprise it is a fat frog.
The priest squealed as Tony slammed him down hard on the table, still catching him firmly by the ear. He tried to rise but Tony quickly pulled his dagger out from his boot and shoved it at the priest's throat, nearly touching the skin. He grabbed the man's thick neck in the other hand, to hold him still.
The priest gulped hard as Tony stroked the skin of his throat with the dagger. "Well Mr. Frog, will you croak about your master? Or do I have to gut you?"
He pressed the dagger gently and the priest croaked out, "What do you want with the High Priest? You cannot hope to defeat him, Knight."
Tony chuckled grimly. "Do not waste my time, frog. All your fellow frogs are dead. No one will come to your aid. Tell me what I want to know and I will let you go".
The priest looked at his blood-splattered armor and bruised face with doubt. Tony growled, "I give you my word, I will let you leave unharmed.
The priest stammered out, "The High Priest is on the roof above the Audo... with Giurescu. They are trying... trying to summon something... to win the fight..."
"How do I get there?"
"Go to Audo... on the stage, behind the curtains... there is a secret staircase. Climb up there and then climb up the ladder to the main roof... let me go."
Tony released his hold on the man and stepped back. He watched the priest edge past him and then suddenly the priest pricked Tony's hand with something. Tony slapped his hand away but the priest began to giggle as he danced out of Tony's reach, holding up a half filled syringe.
"Hee hee Knight, let us see how fierce you are now.. Hee Hee, you have been injected with extract of Moonflower and Siwa... Heehee..."
Suddenly Tony felt light headed, a curious warmth began to flow through his veins and the room began to spin. The Dragon started to roar at him, "Anthony! Control yourself! Stay awake! Fight the drug, come on Anthony, remember why we are here!"
The room began to grow dark and Tony felt his legs give way, he staggered backwards and leaned heavily on the table for support. The priest began to move about, humming to himself contently. He half turned to Tony, "You have been injected with a powerful nerve relaxant. In small doses, it is meant to calm someone down. But in the dosage I gave you," he turned holding up a computer," it will turn your muscles to jelly. You will become limp and compliant. So I can slice off your fingers easily, and he giggled.
Tony shook his head to clear the fog from his mind. He could feel himself becoming tired and the urge to sleep was overpowering. Then he saw the priest pick something up from one of the shelves. Tony's heart began to thump loudly in his chest at the sight of the object. It was an ornate headband, plated in gold, I've seen that ... that before... on ...
The priest noticed him staring and chuckled. Something of the last candidate. Pretty thing, slender build, reddish gold hair, big blue eyes... full of spirit. "Of course, she was prepared here. For the Great One."
Tony saw another vision, Pepper in this room. Strapped down firmly to the table, trapped as Rana loomed over her with a syringe. He injected her and then gagged her, laughing as she helplessly felt the drug flow through her veins.
They drugged her with this... he whispered, his vision clearing. His heart began to beat faster. He clenched his fists, the vision of Pepper swaying in the Lacus, refusing to fade from his mind. He was seething with rage.
"Yes," the priest said. "Rana even gave her two injections, he did not want her to fight the Great One attentions. She was always the most alert of the three candidates. He was fascinated by her temper and said she needed to be controlled."
Anthony, whispered the Dragon. Anthony, we need to end the evil. We need to finish Rana off. Fight the drug, focus your energy within.
The priest had come to Tony now, holding up the knife, his froggy eyes glittering maliciously. "I am going to enjoy cutting your tongue out."
The flame roared inside Tony, the thought of Pepper fueling his fury, until he could feel his chest surge with power. As the knife descended on his face, he dodged the cut by sliding sideways and then plunged his dagger into the priest's side, stabbing the side of his stomach.
The priest shrieked and clutched at his stomach, blood spurting out from the deep cut. He knelt in pain and Tony stood in front of him, kicking the small knife away. As the priest struggled, Tony walked away and saw the headband lying on the floor, broken in two. He picked up one of the piece's reverently. His hands shook as he remembered when he had last seen this on Pepper.
The day we left for the damn temple. She wore that blue dress ... red gold hair streaming behind her... coming down the stairs with that smile on her face..This is all I have left, I suppose.
His eyes welled with tears and he blinked hard to control them.
Then he slashed the priest's throat, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction as blood splattered upwards onto his face.
As the priest's body slumped forward onto the floor, Tony took a deep breath. He still felt very warm and feverish but the drowsiness was gone. He moved his fingers and stretched himself. I think we faced the worst of it. I do not feel... sluggish any more. What do you think, Dragon?
The Dragon growled restlessly, I'm a little hesitant. There's no telling what are the effects of this drug. But... I do not see what else we can do. We cannot wait.
Tony had found a sink and he carefully washed blood and gore off his pike. Feeling very vicious, he washed his face but used the priest's blood from the dagger, to redraw the vertical blood lines on his face.
He tucked the dagger back in his boot, cooing to it. "You are a very useful tool, my friend."
He found some string, tied a knot in the headband piece and wore the piece around his neck. A favor from my queen to her knight. If in life, I could not serve her right, then I go to my death willingly to avenge her.
He picked up his pike and left the room.
