Chapter Eleven: Battle against the Sea of Sorrow's
Quietly sneaking into the outskirts of town avoiding pools of the black Corruption that flooded part of the city with Echo leading to a swear lid where she opened it up letting the others in before following after and closing the lid.
"Where are you taking us Echo?" Logan asked following Echo down a dark hallway where she held up a lantern, "this is where the South Island Heroes Guild is hidden, can't make it too easy to find."
"How many other heroes escaped the Corruption?" Tali asked entering a large room with a map table in the center, paintings and murals around the circular room, and a light coming from above.
"Centuries ago, Whisper returned to the island inspired by the courage and power of a great hero she lead the start of the South Island Heroes Guild, with the construction of the guild she lead heroes to aid our people on the island from the creatures of the jungles, when Albion heroes guild burned down by it's people driven by fear, the guild of the South Island thought it be wise to disband the guild and let the guild be hidden away till the day we would need a hero," Echo explained taking a seat in a chair.
"I get the sense you're the only one here," Saker spoke taking a seat in an empty chair seeing Echo nod.
"A year ago I was cleaning out the old family home when I found a hidden chest under the floorboards, I found Whisper Guild Seal, her staff, hood, and the map location to this guild," Echo explained looking at the painting of Whisper on the wall, "I thought maybe it was a sign that heroes needed to return, I thought I was doing pretty good, until yesterday when I couldn't protect anyone from the darkness."
"You must not blame yourself Echo, the Corruption can't be purged away with might alone," Logan explained.
"So, this Dejestress, what is she? Who is she?" Echo asked leaning against her chair.
"An abomination from the void, they're trying to clear the land of its light so that the Corrupter can return to Albion and conquer it," Logan explained.
"Did you see her Echo? Can you tell us what her powers are?" Tali asked Echo who thought about it.
"It was odd, she just appeared in the city in the night then began to sing, her voice began to put all the people in a trans of some sort like a Siren! Then that 'Corruption' flooded the city, and I barely escaped it," Echo spoke turning to Logan.
"I remember Gabriel mentioned she wanted to be an actress and perform on stage in her human life with a beautiful singing voice, if she is the sin of Sorrow she must have the ability to pray on our saddest memories," Logan concluded.
"That explains the statues," Echo spoke seeing the others turn.
"Statues?" Saker repeated, "What bloody statues?"
Leading them to the surface Echo showed a group a shopping district where they saw all the villagers had been turned to stone with a clear trail of tears coming from their eyes, "this happened when she began to sing, then the Corruption flooded the city."
"Why turn them to stone? Why not Corrupt their bodies like in Albion and Samarkand?" Tali asked looking at a statue of a crying child touching the cheek with a sad look.
"Perhaps she wants a live audience?" Saker joked.
"That actually would make sense, in this state she has control of all of the people, she planning a performance and I have a bad feeling we are the stars," Logan spoke looking in the distance to see Harbingers carrying statues away towards the capital.
"What do we do? How do we fight here?" Echo asked turning to the three heroes.
"We out-stage her of course, Gabriel said in human form she can protect herself from the light, we need to get her to show her true form and hit her with maybe a combination light spell like before?" Tali suggested.
"Spell? You're Will users?" Echo asked with a raised brow.
"These two are, I'm all fists," Saker winked getting a disgusted grunt from Echo, "so what's the plan? We gonna confront this Dejestress head-on?"
"We don't have a choice, she brought us here, we won't be able to use our seals to leave till she is taken out," Logan spoke looking at the Guild Seal in his hands, "we have to confront her, together."
"What would you have us do?" Echo asked seeing Logan think.
"Do you have a map layout of the city and buildings?" Logan asked seeing Echo think for a moment.
"No, but!" she spoke rushing to the map table with the others following seeing her point to a building, "in the city archives we can find building layouts."
Looking at the map Tali looked at their current location and the distance it will take to get there, "it will be difficult to get across the city and avoid the Harbinger's eyes."
"Perhaps a distraction?" Echo suggested seeing Saker light a cigar and pull a bomb and toss it in his hand.
"Well Echo, you know this city better than us, is there an old building we can blow us?" Logan asked looking to Echo.
"No, most of the buildings are occupied," Echo spoke looking at Whisper staff, "my home, my ancestor's home, a sacrifice needs to be made so we can burn down my home."
"Are you sure? Surely there is another option?" Tali asked seeing Echo shake her head.
"It takes too long to find another option, Saker, bring your bombs and we will head to my home, Logan, Tali, you wait for the explosion and head to the archives here, we will regroup there," Echo spoke watching the others nod.
"Very well, everyone, keep low, stick to the buildings, and wait for the signal," Logan spoke with the others agreeing with the plan.
"Let's go!" Echo spoke leading Saker to the entrance where the two crouched and made their way to her home while Logan and Tali split off and waited.
"Look I am not against blowing up shit but this is your home, wouldn't you rather burn down some temple or enemy home?" Saker whispered following Echo down an alley the two were ducking when the shadow of a Harbinger flew above.
"We have no choice, Saker," Echo whispered leading Saker to a small stone house where she led Saker into the back door.
Looking around Saker watched Echo touch the wall covered in pictures before walking over and grabbing a bottle of cooking oil and pouring it on the floor, "place the bombs, keep the explosion to a minimum I don't want any of the other homes to get caught in the crossfire."
Nodding Saker began to place some bombs noticing on a wall a large family tree that slowly began to shrink leading to Echo.
After placing the bombs Saker and Echo left the home leaving a trail of oil on their way around the building where Saker removed the burning cigar from his mouth dropping it on the oil and watching the fire move down the oil trail and into the house.
Waiting in an alley Logan and Tali sat waiting for the signal, peeking around the corner Logan watch a Harbinger carry off another statue, while another left a home dragging another statue and lifting it into the sky.
"Should be any time now Tali," Logan spoke turning to see Tali writing in a pocketbook while mouthing words, "What are you doing?"
"Well in one of my unsent letters I told you that I was writing a song when the words 'a million miles away' spark something, with recent events and what I went through it went from a love song to a sad love song," Tali spoke closing the book.
"You know if your brother hadn't taken our letters you would have gotten my invitation to the Holiday Winter Ball, I remember being excited at the idea of showing you the snow-covered castle when I was a naïve boy," Logan chuckled.
"I still would very much like to see this castle in the snow," Tali smiled both turning their heads when they heard an explosion.
Ducking they watched Harbingers flying towards the source of the explosion giving them an opening to run across the city to the city's archives. Once inside they waited for Saker and Echo who would arrive when night fell on the city.
"Are you two ok?" Tali asked closing the doors once Echo and Saker were inside.
"Oh yeah, nothing like running to get ya going," Saker spoking coughing a bit.
"You really should stop smoking, it's horrible for the lungs," Echo advised going to the archives where she pulled out a blueprint layout of the capital building and placed it on the table before them.
"The building is quite large," Logan spoke looking at the different levels, "here the auditorium, that's where she gonna set up her stage!"
"Up here are where the spotlights are controlled, perhaps I could reactivate them to try and hurt the bitch?" Echo suggested.
"I see a pit here, for storage I would assume? Saker could make his way there and lay out bomb traps under the stage," Tali suggested.
"Looks like a tight squeeze," Saker spoke observing the layout, "I see a back entrance and the main entrance, Tali can get the jump on the bitch from behind while Logan can distract her in the front."
"We need to get her to reveal her true form if we wanna hurt her, hopefully, I can push the right buttons," Logan spoke rolling up the schematics, "so we in agreement?"
"Divide and conquer, right let's move!" Echo spoke as they heard a thud above them and heard Harbingers trying to open the door, "shit! This way!"
Leading them out the back door Echo led them to the capital building where they watched Harbingers carrying statues inside, motioning to the others Logan spoke, "She getting ready for her performance, let's not keep her waiting."
Splitting off the group made their way into the building with Logan sneaking in through a window where he snuck through beautifully decorated rooms peering through a stair railing to follow the Harbingers carry the last of the statues through large doors.
Approaching the doors once the close was clear Logan hopped down about to open the doors when he heard a beautiful woman's voice sing.
"Come little children, I'll take thee away, into a land of enchantment," the voice sang as Logan's eyes glowed with the spell where he opened the doors to a large auditorium that had turned into a theater stage, walking down the steps Logan passed rows upon rows of statues all present for the performance of the Dejestress in her disguised form who stood on the stage, her hand reaching out to Logan who walk mindlessly to her song.
"Come little children, the time comes to play, here in my garden of magic," the Dejestress sang beckoning Logan who slowly came closer to the stage, "Come sweet children, I'll show you thee way, through all the pain and the sorrows."
As the Dejestress sang Saker who had been under the stage planting bomb also fell into the trans crawling to a trap door opening it and crawling out walking to present himself in front of the Dejestress with Logan who walked onto the stage, "Weep not poor children, for life is this way, murdering beauty and passions."
Coming down the stairs Echo who had also fallen into the magic trans walked down the rows of statues towards the stage, "Hush now dear children, it must be this way, to weary of life and deceptions."
With Echo on stage she, Saker, and Logan stood in a line before the Dejestress whose mask began to cry black tears, "Rest now my children, for soon we'll away, into the calm and the quiet."
Removing her mask, letting it shatter on the ground, the Dejestress's body began to transform the black hood transforming with the Corruption to form a Victorian-like red dress around the womanly figure who floated in front of the hypnotize heroes, a new mask then appeared under the black hood with a sadden expression appearing on her face, with her song nearing an end she touched Logan cheeks with burnt like skin and claws, "come little children, I'll take thee away, into a land of enchantment, come little children, the times come to play, here in my garden of shadows."
"Poor little children," the Dejestress spoke, "my heart aches for thee, but you can not be allowed to live, a greater stage awaits this world and it can not be outshined by your fading lights."
Taking a moment, she noticed the count was off turning to where the back entrance was seeing Tali come out with katana in hand and wearing earmuffs over her ears, "Release them, now!"
"Ohhh this one is different," the Dejestress spoke floating closer to Tali who was ready to fire a Fireworks spell but saw the claw finger shake and gesture to the audience of statues, "now my child, we don't want to hurt the audience with our performance."
"Tsk! Cowardly witch!" Tali growled trying to figure out a way to snap her allies from the Dejestress spell.
Tilting her masked face, the Dejestress studied Tali's appearance, her red eyes glowing, "You're from Samarkand, yes, I can sense your sorrow, you poor child, the pain you have suffered, look into my eyes, my child."
Tali's eyes then glowed having not anticipated that it wasn't just a siren song she could use to control others, "poor sweet little child, I'll keep you close, let go of your fears, and give into your sorrows.~"
Removing her earmuffs, the Dejestress approached Tali closer both her hands touching the side of the woman's head, "Let us drown, in the sorrows."
Grabbing Talis temples she dug nails into Tali's head making Tali scream out in pain as the Dejestress forced her way into Tali's mind.
Finding herself in the palace Tali noticed the palace was gray, like an aura of sadness had flooded her home, walking down the hall she saw her brother Zarak enter the throne room.
"Zarak! Brother!" she called out running down the hall and pushing open the doors only to find herself in the family crypt and her brother lying in a sarcophagus that slowly began to seal up.
Reaching out Zarak's eyes opened and shouted, "YOU LEFT US!"
Being thrown back Tali hit the ground to see members of her family all with black eyes and black tear marks floating around her.
"You abandoned us!" the royal family spoke in unison.
"N-no! I had to leave! She would have killed me too!" Tali spoke feeling tears streaming from her face and her heart aching painfully.
"Traitor! Monster!" the family spoke with Tali covering her ears falling to her knees closing her eyes.
"Lies! Please stop!" Tali yelled sobbing a bit then felt a warmth of light and heard a loud hiss, opening her eyes she looked up to see Logan who held out a hand.
"May I have this dance?" Logan asked holding out his hand to Tali who reached out and took his hand, in that moment Tali found herself pulled and stumbled into the throne room where the entire ceiling above her got sucked into a red vortex above and a large Dejestress floated next to the wall.
"Damn, you were so close to dying of a broken heart, that hero power is astonishing, I can't allow any of you to leave this kingdom," the Dejestress spoke forming a fireball that she tossed at Tali who quickly dodged noticing her royal attire was now her battle attire.
Drawing her sword Tali launched a fireworks spell that hit the Dejestress but didn't harm her, "dammit!" Tali growled seeing Harbingers fly at her while the Dejestress vanished out of sight.
Using her magic Tali jumped stabbing her katana through the back of a Harbinger followed by slicing off another head, the palace then shook and began to lean making Tali slide down the floor and almost off the edge where she saw the Dejestress below hold out a hand where a vortex formed in her palm trying to suck her in.
Seeing the opening Tali's gauntlet glowed reaching a new level of power then with a charge Tali snapped a powerful Firework spell into the vortex where it exploded in the Dejestress hand.
"GAAAAAAH!" the Dejestress cried out falling back with Tali jumping and falling after her where she then stab the blade of her katana into the mask of Dejestress.
In the moment outside Tali's mind, the Dejestress screamed out releasing Tali from her spell covering her face, "You little bitch!"
Snapping out of the spell Logan and the others quickly acted and rushed, "Saker! Master lock her!" Logan yelled watching the man grab the Dejestress from behind holding her in a submission lock where Echo grab one of the woman's hands and Tali the other to keep her from breaking free.
"Hurry! Kill the bitch!" Saker yelled trying to keep the Dejestress from escaping.
With a glow of his gauntlet, Logan's magic increased, and charged a light spell he slammed into the Dejestress's face, "LIGHT!"
"KYAAAAAAAA!" the Dejestress cried out with the light hitting her mask and burning away her Corruption then in a flash of white light her mask alone hit the ground with the citizens in the stands turning from stone to human again.
"Is it over?" Echo panted reaching for the mask only to flinch when a small portal to the void opened up and sucked the mask in.
"Let's hope so," Logan panted looking at Tali and smiling at her, "amazing job Tali, you really saved us."
"Huh? No, I just got lucky," Tali spoke blushing from the compliment.
"Take the glory lass, you deserve it," Saker spoke relighting his cigar.
In a flash of light time froze and Gabriel appeared rushing out of the portal, "Finally! Is everyone ok? Where the Dejestress?"
"Dead, we killed that bitch," Saker spoke seeing Gabriel look relieved.
"Thank goodness, when she pulled you here, I couldn't use my magic to reach you, I am glad you are all ok," he smiled turning to Echo, "and welcome Echo."
"Huh? How do you know my name?" Echo spoke waving her hand in front of the blind man's blindfold.
"A seer knows things, like when someone waves a hand to see if they are really blind," he spoke watching Echo stop slightly embarrassed, "you all accomplished an impossible feat, you defeated one of the Ark of Sins, the South Islands are in your debt and also gained a new ally to join your efforts to stop the darkness, meet me in the Sanctuary when you are ready to continue your hunt for the remaining agents."
Vanishing time unfroze and Logan turned to Echo, "he is right, we could use someone like you to help us stop the darkness that threatens our homes."
"I would be honored to join your fight against the darkness, I can't sit by while monsters like that Dejestress hurt innocent people, you can count on me!" Echo spoke shaking Logan's hand.
A.N. Now there are four~ Hope you're enjoying the story so far!