Chapter 24: Bitter Revelation
Throughout her storied past, Liliana Vess had seen so much. She had witnessed death many times over. Men, monsters, gods, and horrors; she had seen the destruction they could wreak and the bitter ends they could meet. Before her world-weary eyes, planes had burned, drowned, calcified, putrefied, and perished from the Multiverse. Devastation had always been a constant in her life, something her heart had hardened against after all this time. Nothing, however, could have prepared her for this.
She had sensed Bolas rising from the Citadel long before he emerged. The overwhelming stink of archaic magic nearly gagged her, but she managed to maintain composure. The Elder Dragon did not communicate anything as he landed on the rooftop behind her. Instead, she felt a growing miasma emanating from Bolas, something bubbling and building that caused even her cold, pale skin to stand on end. Then, the bubble burst, and she felt her command over the Dreadhorde suddenly shift. She was no longer in complete control. Her orders were still being carried out, and she could still see and manipulate the Eternals through the Chain Veil, but she was not alone. Inside the head and heart of every zombie, Bolas' magic was right beside her. She knew this was coming, that the Elderspell would be joining her to enact the next phase of Bolas' ascension, but she did not know exactly what it would do until she saw it with her own eyes.
Domri Rade, a loathsome brute of a boy, died at the hands of one of her Eternals. Not just died, though, not like any death Liliana had ever seen before. His Spark extracted, his body and soul both drained of their essence with a simple grip from a zombie's hand. All the while, Bolas' sadistic voice rang in his, and Liliana's, ears. She felt his Spark enter the Eternal, filling it with a chaotic, uncontrollable energy. In the moment before the zombie exploded, releasing Domri's Spark into the wind, she could almost feel the young mage's presence.
Liliana bore no affection for Rade, his cretinous existence having been a thorn in her side since she arrived on Ravnica, but as she looked through the eyes of that Eternal and saw his last moments, a pang of sympathy echoed through her body. No matter how barbarous and foul he was, no matter how many times Liliana had contemplated feeding him to her ghouls, even he did not deserve this. No planeswalker deserved this.
And yet, Domri was only the beginning.
With his Spark, the full power of the Elderspell ignited, and her field of vision was now filled to the brim with the same sickening sight. In an instant, random people in the streets were illuminated in a golden light. She did not fully comprehend it, but she could almost feel the pull of their Spark from that light. These were the planeswalkers, summoned by the Beacon, trapped by the Sun, and now identified by the Elderspell. It attracted the Eternals like moths to a flickering flame, but it was not the Eternals who would suffer from the blaze.
For many of the planeswalkers in the city, their realization was too late. Across Ravnica, from the Rubblebelt to Dinrova, if a planeswalker was within the grasp of an Eternal, they were as good as dead. The look on Domri's face as his life was ripped from his body was now repeating, over and over, consuming her view through the Chain Veil. These were faces she did not recognize, hailing from every corner of the Multiverse. No matter where they were from or what they could do, the looks on their faces were all the same, and Liliana only needed one word to describe it.
Terror. That's all there is. There's no fighting, no pleading, no praying. As soon as the Eternal has their Spark, they give it all up. There's nothing left for them but pure terror.
She wanted to throw up. The brutal scenes through the zombies' eyes, the eldritch pall of the Elderspell, the brief sensation of each slain planeswalker as the Eternal processed the Spark. It was all too much too fast. Even within the span of her last thought, another crop of planeswalkers were harvested. A vedalken mage in a flowing silver robe, a towering elven woman strapped in barkskin, a four-armed ogre with a sledge for each hand, a lizardman with arms and legs made completely of sculpted jade, an ancient crone with a pitch-black staff…
BEAUTIFUL, ISN'T IT?
The sudden appearance of Bolas' snarling voice in Liliana's mind caught her completely off guard. Every muscle in her body went rigid, and she felt her heart drop into her stomach, smart enough to risk burning in acid rather than deal with the Elder Dragon. It took her a moment to regain her senses, to shift the control of the Dreadhorde away from the forefront of her thoughts, but once it was done, she turned to face her captor.
Even though she had heard Bolas touch down behind her, her focus had been elsewhere. Now, she saw just what was happening on the top of the Citadel, and it sent a reflexive shudder through her whole body. The Sparks that were harvested by the Eternals all flew in their direction, converging in the darkened sky above the Citadel. If these wayward souls were seeking salvation among the clouds, they would not find it. All that greeted them was a swirling vortex, powerful enough to siphon each errant Spark from the sky into the large, golden gem that hovered between Bolas' curved horns.
The Elder Dragon looked different as well. Liliana did not know if it was from the Elderspell or the absorption of the Sparks, but Nicol Bolas had changed. His scales were no longer a rustic gold. Now, they were a foreboding shade of black, with only hints of deep blue and purple to distinguish his form against the blackened sky. His eyes, normally reptilian and full of venomous superiority, were now brimming with blue light, which seemed to grow brighter with each Spark. Liliana might have thought this was a different dragon altogether, were it not for the unmistakable, vile aura he exuded with every thought.
"You'll forgive me if I don't see the beauty in all this." She tried to keep her voice cool, her words detached, the way that, up until recently, had come so naturally. "So, what exactly is this?" Even without his immense psychic ability, Liliana could tell that Bolas was not fooled, as a singular huff of amusement escaped his nostrils.
THIS IS THE ELDERSPELL. AN ANCIENT MAGIC, EVEN OLDER THAN I, DESIGNED TO GIVE ITS WIELDER POWER BEYOND MEASURE. IT WAS LOCKED AWAY BY A SECT OF LONG-DEAD PLANESWALKERS, ITS COMPONENTS SCATTERED TO THE CORNERS OF THE MULTIVERSE. IT TOOK MILLENIA TO FIND THE SPELL, THEN ANOTHER MILLENIA TO MAKE ITS POWER MY OWN. BUT NOW, I CAN USE IT TO RECLAIM WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY MINE.
Liliana folded her arms across her chest, a seeming act of disinterest to disguise her unease. "Well, that's rather vague. I don't think I fully understand."
A harsh, condescending laugh echoed through her brain, chilling her blood with each reverberation. YOU ARE NOT HERE TO UNDERSTAND. YOU ARE HERE TO COMMAND THE ETERNALS. MY ETERNALS. THEY WILL FIND THE PLANESWALKERS AND RETRIEVE THEIR SPARKS FOR ME. ALL YOU MUST DO IS KEEP THEM MOVING UNTIL EVERY LAST PLANESWALKER HAS BEEN CULLED.
"I just…" Liliana began, but was unable to continue. At last, Bolas' grand scheme was laid bare before her, and she found herself overwhelmed by the influx of information. The sobering truth threatened to drown her brain, muddling her emotional state. Depression, confusion, fury, all coalesced into a murky bog, eager to bury her thoughts. As she fought to stay afloat, her words came slow, each one building in unsure anger. "I did not know that your plan, your ascension, was based on… all this."
WOULD IT HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE IF YOU DID?
This question pierced Liliana's heart like a loosed arrow, evacuating the air from her lungs and the blood from her face. Her mind scrambled for an answer but came up with nothing. This lapse, no matter how small, was enough to plunge it deep beneath the swampy muck.
"I…I…" she desperately stuttered, trying to wring any sort of answer from the creases of her brain. No bubbles broached the thick surface, leaving her with nothing but frustration.
This quagmire of emotion was only made stronger by Bolas' obvious amusement. YOU NEEDN'T RESPOND. I THINK WE BOTH KNOW THE TRUE ANSWER. OUR WAYS OF THINKING ARE, AFTER ALL, SO VERY SIMILAR.
If Bolas' first comment were an arrow, then this one was a cannonball. The psychic words sent physical tremors throughout her body, nearly enough to upturn her stomach. She could not tell if this was a passing thought for Bolas or a deliberate action to push her deeper in the mud. Regardless of the intent, these quakes were enough to dredge her thoughts back to the surface. The melancholy, doubt, and frustration fled from her conscious thoughts, leaving only a smoldering anger at the damnable dragon.
Her arms fell straight by her sides, gloved hands balling into tight fists. "We are nothing alike," she spat, drenching every word in as much toxicity as possible. Looking up at Bolas' face, even through the distorting magics of the Elderspell, she could see a smirk form on his scaled lips.
OH, IS THAT SO? His tone was more jovial than before. Clearly, he was enjoying what little, impotent disobedience Liliana could muster. UNACCEPTANCE CANNOT CHANGE TRUTH TO FALSEHOOD, LILIANA. YOU AND I HAVE A SHARED FATE, NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY OR THINK. THERE ARE ONLY A HANDFUL OF PLANESWALKERS HERE TODAY THAT UNDERSTAND WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO. SOON, IT WILL BE ONLY YOU AND I.
THE MENDING, IT STOLE JUST AS MUCH FROM YOU AS IT DID FROM ME. I HAVE SEEN YOUR THOUGHTS, YOUR DREAMS. YOU STILL REMEMBER WHEN PLANESWALKERS WERE ALL-POWERFUL, WHEN WE WERE IMMORTAL, WHEN WE COULD RULE OVER THE OTHER PITIOUS LIFE IN THE MULTIVERSE WITH JUST A FRACTION OF OUR ABILITIES. WHEN IT ALL LEFT, YOU STILL YEARNED FOR IT, JUST AS I DID. YOU DID WHATEVER YOU COULD TO REGAIN THAT POWER, JUST AS I HAVE. YOU HAD NO FAMILY, NO FRIENDS, NO LOVE. THEY WERE ONLY PAWNS, AND YOU READILY SACRIFICED THEM TO YOUR OWN ENDS, JUST AS I AM DOING NOW. YOUR LUST FOR THAT POWER, TO TASTE GODHOOD ONE MORE TIME, IS WHAT LED YOU HERE, TO THIS MOMENT. I DEAL NOT IN FAITH, MERELY FACT.
With each word that bellowed from Bolas' mind, Liliana's stoked temperament cooled until, by the end, she felt numb. Bolas did not need tricks or deception at this point. All he needed to do was hold up a mirror, to let Liliana look into her own eyes and see the reptilian reflection. This specter of introspection had haunted her throughout the day, but it was Bolas' voice that allowed it to slip in once again.
She refused, however, to go down without a fight. Her fury was nigh depleted, but she gathered what was left to formulate a response, steeped now in a shaky indignance.
"I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of, but I would never do something as horrible as this. My deals were my own."
To her immense surprise, she felt Bolas nod in agreement at her assertion. INDEED, WE ARE NOT QUITE THE SAME. WHILE OUR GOALS ARE ULTIMATELY ENTWINED, LILIANA, YOU LACK THE CONVICTION TO MAKE THEM A REALITY.
Whatever knee-jerk relief she felt at Bolas' initial statement instantly evaporated in the face of his second claim. The mental whiplash from the conversation was leaving her fatigued, and the only response she could manage was a single, haughty "What?"
YOU SEEK POWER, the dragon continued, barely noticing Liliana's reply, AND YET YOU ARE UNWILLING TO DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO ACHIEVE IT. YOU MADE YOUR LITTLE DEALS WITH THOSE DEMONS, BUT YOU NEVER SOUGHT ANYTHING MORE. EVEN NOW, YOU REFUSE YOUR AMBITION. YOU SHRINK FROM THE ELDERSPELL, YOU RESIST THE POWER OF THE CHAIN VEIL, AND YOU STILL DARE TO DEFY ME HOWEVER YOU CAN.
Liliana's heart dropped to her heels. An immediate fear response flashed across her face, luckily obscured by the glowing links of the Veil. She swallowed hard, desperate to tamp down any lingering panic, before offering a masked retort.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
There was a pause, and for a moment, Liliana thought her deception was successful. The illusion did not last long, however, as Bolas merely needed time to muster a disappointed sigh.
I'M BEGINNING TO FIND YOUR ATTEMPTS AT DECEIT RATHER BORING. YOU SHOULD KNOW BY NOW THAT YOU CANNOT HIDE ANYTHING FROM ME. EVEN FROM WITHIN THE CITADEL, I COULD SEE YOUR INCONSEQUENTIAL DEFIANCE.
"What do you mean?" Liliana insisted, tensing every muscle in her face and neck to keep her words from wavering.
I SEE YOUR COMMANDS TO THE DREADHORDE. YOU OFFER AS LITTLE AGENCY AS POSSIBLE, KEEPING THEM OUT OF BUILDINGS AND SINGULARLY FOCUSED SO THAT OTHERS MAY ESCAPE. I HAVE SEEN IT SINCE YOU FIRST TOOK CONTROL, AND IF THIS CHILDISH RESISTANCE MATTERED TO MY PLANS, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO A SWIFT END LONG AGO.
Her brow furrowed, and she let a quick line of curses fly from under her breath. Some were aimed that the bastard dragon leering over her, lording his hold on her, but most went directly back to her. This whole time, she had assumed that what she was doing was a loophole, a way to fight against her contract-holder within the wording of the deal. Now, to know that she did not breach the contract simply because of how insignificant her actions were, it left her utterly deflated.
Silence fell on the Citadel's roof. Liliana had no sarcastic retort or veiled threat this time. Her arms now hung limp by her sides, the strength needed to keep her fingers curled into fists having dissipated. Her posture sagged, the purple dress that had always been her favorite now feeling like a cumbersome suit of armor. A bitterness, like that of a foul herbal medicine, welled in her mouth, but she barely had the energy to grimace at the sensation. Her eyes, still suffused with necromantic energy and hidden behind the Chain Veil, stayed trained on Bolas. Here, doused in darkness and brimming with stolen life, she saw him for what he truly was. She had seen monsters and demons of all kinds in her life. She thought she had known what evil was, how it looked and sounded and acted. Now, she saw its true, snarling face.
Though Liliana's eyes were still trained on Bolas, the Elder Dragon's attention was elsewhere. He raised a claw to his face, staring intently at his empty palm. In an instant, his eyes flared, and his hand became engulfed by a rust-colored cloud of magic. It bathed the rooftop in a strange, metallic energy, something that Liliana had never felt from Bolas' magic previously. Before she could say anything, the Citadel began to shake beneath her feet. She broke her gaze in time to see that, just behind the dragon, the obsidian was rising from the rooftop. It twisted and bent, horrible screeching emanating from the force, until its final form was revealed: a large, pyramidal throne, hovering just above the Citadel.
Once it was completed, the magic in Bolas' hand dispersed, and with a powerful flap of his wings, Bolas leapt off the roof. He hovered for a moment before landing on the newly furnished seat. He kept his wings stretched, the thick membrane flexing in the wind, and a smile crept onto his face.
AH, THAT IS MUCH BETTER, his voice once again erupted in Liliana's mind. NOW I MAY PROPERLY GAZE UPON WHAT WILL SOON BE MINE.
Even in her dazed state, this sight was enough to grab her attention. Her strength returned momentarily, long enough for her to puzzle over what she had just seen.
"I thought Tezzeret built the Citadel. Since when can you do that?"
THIS IS THE TRUE NATURE OF THE ELDERSPELL, he rumbled. THE SPARK OF A PLANESWALKER CONTAINS MORE THAN JUST ENERGY. IT HAS THEIR YEARS, ALL THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL THEY HAVE ACCUMULATED OVER THEIR INFINITESIMAL LIVES. WITH EVERY SPARK HARVESTED, I GAIN MORE POWER, NEW POWER THAT I DID NOT HAVE BEFORE. THAT SPELL, I BELIEVE IT CAME FROM A BELENON METALLURGIST. NOW, IT IS MINE TO DO WITH AS I PLEASE, AND SOON, TOO, WILL THE SPELLS AND ABILITIES OF ALL THE PLANESWALKERS HERE TODAY.
As Bolas laughed to himself, delighted by both the power he now wielded and the power soon to come, Liliana could only stare in abject horror. Her mind bounced between the information Bolas had provided and the view from the Eternals, still tearing through the city and extracting whatever Sparks came into their field of vision. A dreadful realization crept its way into her mind, and she needed considerable resolve to try and keep it from Bolas' prying eyes.
He can feel them. Just like I can, for that moment where the Eternal absorbs the Spark. Except for him, it's not just a flash. Every planeswalker that's died, he has their souls trapped. I could feel their pain, so he can too. He just doesn't care. The cost of power…
Her thoughts trailed off as she heard a draconic grumble cross her mind. She quickly swept the sentiment away as Bolas addressed her, this time his jocularity replaced by an even, business-like tone.
RETURN TO YOUR DUTIES, LILIANA. THE GATEWATCH SHOULD SOON BE REACHING THEIR DESTINATIONS. PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE NEXT WAVE, AND TAKE CARE FOR OUR IMPORTANT ARRIVALS. THOSE RECALCITRANT FOOLS SHALL SEE THAT THE ENDGAME HAS ALREADY COMMENCED.
There was a pause after Bolas' command. Liliana stood in silence, offering no response besides the churning emotions in her mind. Her gaze stayed on the Elder Dragon, and she could feel her anger beginning to kindle once more behind her eyes. She felt her muscles tense, and for a moment, she could almost feel her body ready to take a contentious step forward. This never came to be, as Bolas' eyes fell to her, his eyebrows crooked and his teeth visible between parted lips.
WELL? he sneered, the timbre of his voice shaking her with a mixture of expectance and sadism. It was enough for her, as she felt her coiled muscles unwind. Her gaze fell to the ground, and a belabored sigh hissed through the Veil.
"It shall be done."
As always, she left off any honorific from her answer, but this was no longer borne from rebellion. It was merely resignation. As Bolas gave an affirmative huff, Liliana turned away from him, resuming her position looking over the city. She swept over the shadowed skyline, only illuminated by the countless wisps of energy sailing towards her, each one twinkling with a distinctive light. She stared out at the Sparks for a few seconds before taking in a deep breath and turning her attention back to the Eternals.
The gruesome images from before once again filled her conscious mind, identical scenes of death still playing out across the city. She tried to divert her attention away from these sights. After Bolas' last statement, something new had been nagging at Liliana's brain. She jumped from Eternal to Eternal, looking for what she wanted to see, and it did not take long to find them.
The Gatewatch still stood, at least for the moment. Liliana nearly let out a gasp as she found them. Chandra and Nissa were still making their way to Vitu-Ghazi. Ajani was still assisting on the outskirts, his planeswalker posse now flanked by a battalion of Simic's mutated soldiers. While she could not directly see him, Jace's telepathic influence was still cutting a clear trail to Nivix. They all seemed far worse for wear, with bleeding wounds, torn clothes, and waning strength marking their struggles, but they were still fighting. Still trying to thwart Bolas, unaware that their plan was already a part of his.
Then, her eyes found Gideon. The view only came in brief flashes, as he was now airborne, riding atop a pegasus high over the battleground just outside the Planar Bridge. She caught glimpses of him through the eyes of Eternalized avens and angels, but no matter what came his way, they did not last long. Their claws and staffs could not pierce his indestructible aura, and if they were close enough to strike him, he could strike back. Each Eternal fell with one swing from his sword, a stinging sensation tapping at Liliana's skull with each severed connection. No matter how many she sent, no matter what threats swooped down onto him, Gideon was ready to rebuke their advances.
Liliana put a hand to her chest, her fingers grasping at the fringe of her dress. Her eyes darted between whatever airborne Eternals were available, desperate to keep Gideon's glowing visage in her field of vision. As she stared at him, she felt tears, already in the process of streaking down her face. Though their eyes never met, she felt compelled to call to him. It was only in her mind, and barely above a mental whisper, but the sentiment resonated with each swipe of Gideon's blade.
Keep fighting. Don't stop now. For once in your life, you stupid slab of beef, prove me wrong and beat him.