Chapter 15: Into the Dark
The last chapter that actually takes place in Riviera. Of course the last might too but thats a secret for now. Zero and his team are leaving for the final fight. Wish them luck. They're going to need it
Zero was up long before anyone or anything for that matter. His plan was to take 6 people into the portal. Keep the party small and elite. The less people the less things that could go wrong in the portal. He was taking Ein, Ledah, Chris, Jack, and Kaze. There would be no goodbyes. He would tell no one that they were leaving today. It had been a month since Jack had gotten out of the hospital. They were ready. And he knew the Origin was too. Zero stood finally from his place at his work desk, sharpening his various throwing knives and short swords, and exited his room. Kaze was waiting at the end of the hall along with Chris. Zero hadn't told the other three that they were ready so they had to go get them. Zero figured that if he told anyone he hadn't trained for years that Lilly or Fia would be able to get information from them. They continued to walk silently the extra room in the basement of the base. Jack couldn't stand Serene so they got him out of her house and into the base.
"Get up Jack," Zero knocked quietly.
"I knew it was tonight," Jack mumbled exiting the room. He was wearing the custom Carbon-fiber armor Zero made him a week ago. His new scythe had been wrapped in a cloth and was chained to his back. Jack wore a layered black coat that reached his feet.
"Did you tell anyone?" Zero asked, He himself wearing new body armor. His old coat had been nearly destroyed. The whole left side of it had been removed but the right side remained unblemished and intact. A white sleeveless shirt shown and his left arm had been bandaged.
"No," Jack answered.
"Good, Let's go get Ein and Ledah," Zero commanded. The four left the base and made the short trip to Ein's house making sure not to wake anyone. Zero opened a window and climbed through nudging Ledah who slept on the couch. He motioned to Ledah to leave the house quietly when he finally woke. Zero crept upstairs and entered Ein's room nudging him too to wake him from his slumber. Zero exited the house with Ein and the group moved silently to a side path as to not make a sound. The group entered the base and took the stairs to the portal room.
"This is it huh?" Ein whispered.
"Yea," Zero replied. They opened the door to the portal room and there stood every resident in Elendia there to see them off.
"What the?" Kaze muttered.
"Lilly!" Zero shouted, "I know this is your fault!"
"And it is," Lilly smiled hugging Zero.
"We didn't want to miss you guys leaving," Fia smiled.
"How?" Chris asked.
"I noticed when you left and beat you out," Lilly smiled.
"I swear when we get back I'm going to kill you all," Zero steamed angrily. They all said their good byes and Zero started to rush everyone. When they didn't he started sniping with well aimed small bursts of light which cleared most of the people from the room.
"We have to get going," Zero announced. Everyone agreed and Zero opened the portal.
"When will you be back!" Cierra shouted.
"If we get back!" Zero joked entering the portal.
"We'll be back soon alright," Kaze smiled entering behind Zero.
"I promised I'd always come back Fia!" Ein shouted entering too.
"Me too Rose!" Ledah shouted too entering as well. Jack, with no one to say good bye to sighed
'Get over it you big baby,' Leon chuckled as Jack entered the portal.
"Good bye Cierra!" Chris shouted entering too. The portal closed behind him and when Chris reappeared he was on a cliff with the rest of the team.
"So this is it huh?" Ledah asked.
"The castle of the Origin," Zero answered pointing to the large Castle. They landed on a cliff that over looked a large canyon that separated the entry point from the Castle itself. "We better get going. We wasted so much damn time saying goodbye," Zero mumbled looking of the edge of the cliff. What he saw didn't surprise him but didn't make him all that happy (Nothing ever did). There had to be at least 50,000 soldiers of darkness below them.
"Wow," Jack mumbled.
"Ein I remember a time where you and Ledah where getting your butts kicked by one of these things individually," Zero joked, "You think you can take them."
"I'm pretty sure we can," Ledah smirked jumping off and swooping down above the soldiers leaving a trail of fire in his wake.
"Strike many at a time. One at a time would take forever," Zero leaped off as well bringing his sword down as he landed creating a massive explosion of Grey energy taking out at least 3,000 soldiers.
"You heard him!" Kaze shouted jumping copying Zero's technique but not taking as many casualties. Chris and Jack eyed each other nodded and jumped together. Jack unwrapped his new scythe in mid fall. It now only had four points where it could form a blade but they were far more reinforced than the old ones. It had been enhanced by Zero's technology. He started spinning his scythe and slicing several soldiers in half with every swing. Ein gulped and took the dive using Disaresta to both soften his impact and kill enemies. It didn't take the group long to clear the canyon out with heavy hitters like Zero and Ledah.
"Well now what? How do we get back up?" Ein asked.
"We take the stairs duh," Zero shot back pointing at the large golden staircase in front of them.
"How did I miss That?" Ein asked.
"I have no idea old friend," Ledah sighed.
"Come on already!" Kaze shouted. Four of them started up the stairs. Two however had wings and didn't need to do such. When the four stragglers got to the top. They looked at the massive black stone castle in front of them.
"He always was the showy kind wasn't he?" Kaze asked.
"Yea," Zero sighed. The large Gate in front of the group towered at least 20 feet. Zero sighed and pushed the gates open under his own strength, "Knock, Knock!"
Suspense again again. I do it a lot and I apologize but i have to keep you interested some how. Read and Review
Next time: The Castle Awaits
What will be behind those massive stone Gates? Find out later.