Chapter Twenty-Six: War for Samarkand
After a few hours of sleep, the Albion troops would march again at dawn then after many hours of marching the jewel of Samarkand came into view.
Reaching the ruins of the ancient city Asur-keh-la Sabine and his troop split off from the army while Ben, Anna, Page, Logan, and Tali made it to the top of the old ruins using spyglasses to look towards the city.
"We won't have much time once the watchdogs spot us," Ben spoke handing the spyglass to Page who peeked through and looked towards the large building in the distance across the city walls.
"There the Great Library! Hmm, Percy, it may be unwise to use your dragon form to take Tali there, wait for their forces to be focused on us, then turn into a horse or maybe a Balverine and get Tali to the building!" Page spoke handing the spyglass to Logan who peeked.
"Sounds like we're ready," Logan nodded as the four snuck away and down the hill where their army awaited and Anna approached.
"This is it men! We are going to breach those gates and we are going to storm the capital! Sabine and his forces will breach the outer city, our focus is the inner city! Use the Everblaze! Free as many of our people and the Samarkand citizens as we can, tonight we will banish this corruption from Samarkand! For Albion!" Anna declared as her army cheered and she pointed her hammer forward.
Marching forward the army of Albion made approached the gates to the inner city where the massive gates slowly opened and an army of corrupted soldiers and people slowly marched out with Harbingers flying above waiting for the call as on the wall high above the Empress flew in on the back of a Harbinger and looked down to the enemy army.
"Empress of Samarkand! You are guilty of crimes against the good people of Albion, you are also guilty of crimes against humanity to your own people! Surrender now and kneel!" Anna yelled pointing her hammer.
"I shall never bend to you! My subjects are ready to die for their beautiful Empress, today will prove that, attack!" The Empress yelled as the corrupted citizens roared racing out of the gates.
"CHARGE!" Anna yelled pointing her hammer as she and her army raced forward toward the corrupted army.
An explosion got the Empress's attention who turned to the outer city to see Sabine and more of Albion's army flooding in, coming in to attack her army from behind, "tch!" growling the Empress mounted her Harbinger and flew back towards the castle.
"Tali go!" Logan yelled watching Percy turn into a Balverine with Tali hanging on his back both looking into each other eyes. Logan then held out his hand to Tali and she reached out to him, their gaze still connected before Percy took off racing toward the Great Library.
"Let's go!" Saker yelled grabbing Logan and leading him and Echo around the city walls racing past the colliding armies while the Corruption above began to rain down balls of fire down on the city and both armies.
"Hurry Percy!" Tali yelled hanging on as Percy dodged a fireball jumping high in the air and digging his claws into the sand to race them faster and faster towards the Great Library.
"Leave it to me!" Percy growled racing faster while high above Harbingers spotted the two and flew towards them.
"Percy, get ready to use those claws! Firework!" Tali yelled launching the spell hitting two Harbingers that flinched midair when their corruption was burned off not giving them time to block. Percy then roared and used his claws to slice through and destroy the enemies.
Racing back towards their destination Tali turned back to the armies her gaze quickly following the wall to the inner city till she noticed a massive hole that could only have been made by a cigar-loving giant with bombs.
In the inner city after using his bombs to get them in Saker and Echo lead Logan through the city with many buildings on fire due to the Corruption attacking its own side, soldiers fighting and colliding swords with the corrupted army, "Stay close!" Saker yelled jumping over a fallen beam and looking toward Zahadar Palace in the distance.
"Look out!" Echo yelled pole vaulting over Saker to kick a Harbinger that flew toward him using her light mode to burn off its Corruption.
Grabbing its leg Saker smashed the Harbinger on the ground several times before chucking it through the window of a burning building and having it come down on it.
"We gotta get to that palace!" Saker growled and rushed forward halting when looking to the sky and seeing the six-ton Everblaze crystal flying through the sky towards them, "HEADS UP!"
Quickly moving out of the way Logan's party hit the ground seconds before the Everblaze hit the center of the two cities sending debris and smoke in all directions. Coughing Echo looked over to the size of the gem, something like this surely could win this fight. It would all be up to Tali now.
Reaching the Great Library Percy came to a halt allowing Tali to dismount and run towards the entrance where she pushed open the doors, looking up at the untouched massive bookshelves and spotted the stairs, "hurry Percy!"
Racing up the stairs Tali and Percy quickly made their way to the many floors above, time was of the essence every second wasted was a life that could be lost, and Tali was determined to get to the top.
Back in the city Saker and Logan punched and sliced through more Harbingers nearly reaching the gates when a massive gust of wind sent the three flying back slamming into the ground where a massive Bat-like agent landed and blocked their path roaring.
"Out of our way!" Logan yelled about to attack but was stopped when Saker held out a hand to block him.
"No Logan, this one is ours!" Saker growled approaching forwards with Echo who spun her staff.
"We will deal with this ugly bastard! You need to get to the palace and save your brother! It must be you! Go now!" Echo yelled charging at the bat who swung its tail at the ground only to have its tail blocked by Saker allowing Echo to jump onto its back and stab the taser end into its back making it roar.
"GO!" Saker yelled grabbing the tail and swinging the bat dragging it across the ground and smashing it against a building.
Nodding Logan raced past the fight with the monstrous bat reaching the bridge to the palace where he looked up to the balcony where the Empress looked down to him and walked away into the throne room.
Narrowing his eyes Logan raced up the stairs to the palace, there was no turning back now, he needed to confront the Empress and save his brother.
Running up many flights of stairs Logan finally reached the hall where he had met Tali so many years ago, past this hall was the throne room. Panting Logan narrowed his eyes and swallowed walking down the hall where he could hear the sounds of war outside, the explosions, the yelling, and screams, all soon drowned out as he walked past the memory of a child Tali and Logan.
Looking over his shoulder for a brief moment Logan kicked open the doors to the throne room where Logan walked towards the Empress who sat seductively on her throne draping one leg over another.
"You've arrived, Logan, my chosen King," she smiled licking her lips.
"Empress, I don't really care to ask what your true name is, I am here for one thing and one thing only," he spoke pointing his cutlass towards her, "by order of her majesty the Queen of Albion and the right heir to the throne Princess Tali, I will have your head!"
Letting out a sigh the Empress slowly stood up, "Well in that case."
"We will destroy you and everything!" The Vexator's voice boomed as the throne room shook and the roof of the throne room was sucked off into the sky where an entrance to the void loomed over from the massive hole two large clawed hands grab the crumbling walls and before them, a figure of over 104 feet began to rise.
Clad in Black robes with red trimming the Vexator rose with two wooden marionette planks that hug on his back and from under his robes where it cuts off at the waist was a ghostly stream of millions of strings as if his entire body was made of puppet strings.
His mask had four red marks from his eyes to his side and his clawed hands dripping blood red, narrowing his eyes Logan took one step back he couldn't let either get the jump on him, "So that's your true form."
"Come, Hero of Brightwood, let us dance," the Empress spoke pointing a katana in Logan's direction.
Charging at Logan the Empress swung her blade with an unhuman-like speed that Logan barely had a chance to block, pulling out a gun Logan fired at the woman who dodged allowing for strings to wrap around Logan's body lifting him off the ground and smashing him through a collum before slamming him into a wall.
Grunting Logan quickly got one hand free, "Inferno!" Logan growled burning off the strings and quickly dodged in time from the Empress attack who stab her blade down towards him using his cutlass to block the Empress attack.
Meanwhile at the Great Library Tali finally reached the top of the library panting, slowly walking towards the balcony she looked out in the distance to the war below and her city in flames, "ok this is it!"
Reaching to her side she pulled the bag and dumped out the three Divinity Gems and the single Everblaze crystal in her palm, placing her hand over the gems Tali closed her eyes, 'this is it! Please work! I am praying with all my heart!'
Waiting a few seconds Tali opened her eyes to see nothing was happening, "I don't understand! What am I supposed to do!?"
Falling to her knees Tali looked out to all of Samarkand, with tears coming down her face Tali opened her hands to stare at the gems in her hand seeing her reflections, "Is this it? Is this the end?"
Closing her eyes Tali saw an image of Logan who smiled and said "It must be you; I know you will know when the time comes how to free your people, I believe in you, Tali."
Taking a deep Tali held the gems over her heart and closed her eyes, "light glimmers in a flower, like jewels in a dream, the sky breathes life, love to everything," Tali sang as the gems began to glow under her hands and Percy watched from the entrance to the roof seeing Tali take a nervous breath and resumed singing.
"At times I thought, I'm not enough, the chains that tie my heart, but there's still a path that lies ahead for you and I," Tali sang the light under her hand growing brighter and she pulled her hands away from her heart the Divinity Gems spinning around the Everblaze as they became consumed in a light that grew as her song continued and her voice began to travel all across Samarkand.
Down below Ben and the others noticed the corrupted warriors all stopping, the corrupted had halted their attack as a song began to be heard and all eyes turned to the Great Library where a light slowly began to grow brighter like a beacon to the Samarkand people trapped in the darkness.
"Memories fade away, clouds of yesterday, with no one to love, is this life worth living?" Tali sang opening her eyes looking at her people and began to lift the light over her head, the magic of the gems also making her float off the ground, the light growing brighter and brighter like a sun, "come back to me, and stay by my side, I feel my heart shake, come ease this ache, I'm standing over here, reaching for you, a million miles away, come back and stay, no matter how far, the memories may be, when I close my eyes, you're all that I see, come back to me! A million miles away, come back and stay."
A light then burst from Tali's chest and into the gems that shot into the air like a golden firework that exploded and made it rain down spinning balls of lights each one hitting a Corrupted Samarkand and Albion citizen burning away the corruption and freeing them as all who were set free had tears streaming down their faces.
"Princess Tali!" a Samarkand soldier shouted as more of the freed people cheered her name.
Colliding blades with the Empress, Logan's fight was halted when they looked in the distance to see Tali's light shoot up into the sky like a flare, with this distraction Logan punched the woman across the jaw, rolling out of the way from the Vexator fist smashing down.
One Light then hit the massive Everblaze in the middle of the kingdom making the enemy Saker and Echo were fighting burn away as they both collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.
"You did good!" Saker smiled at Echo who smiled back and both quickly got back to their feet when more Harbingers flew in.
"Not gonna beat us that easily small fries!" Echo growled spinning her staff.
Floating back down Percy in dragon form caught Tali who both turned to see the massive Vexator roaring as he slashed his claws down in the throne room at the palace.
"Logan! Hurry Percy!" Tali spoke jumping onto Percy's back who took off and flew towards the palace.
At the palace Logan skidded across the ground whipping blood from the side of his mouth, "that the best you two got?! I am just getting started!"
Inside the tower Adam could hear and feel the battle outside with his eyes closed they shot open glowing blue turning white with his Will marking and hair, he slowly tried to stand, "I will not stay here a second longer! RAAAAAAAAAH!"
With a loud shout the collar around Adam's neck shattered his body erupted in a white light that flew down the stairs and burst through the doors where the Empress had no time to block as she was punched in the jaw and sent flying, smashing into the wall directly under the Vexator.
Gasping Logan turned to see from the light his brother emerged in the new Heroic Angel Form with his sword appearing in a flash of light in hand, concentrating Logan's eyes glowed white and he transformed into his form both brother wings spreading and both went into battle stance.
"This ends now!" the Vexator yelled holding out both hands and sending thousands of strings to the brothers who both vanished, "what?!"
Looking around the Vexator had no time to react when Adam used a Force Push punch to his mask face while Logan came from the side with a light spell he slammed into the mask.
"GAAAAAAH!" the Vexator shouted stumbling back and glaring up at the brothers who flew in and slammed into his gut then with swords in their hands, they uppercut into the monster mask and dragged him across the ground.
Landing in the throne room Logan easily dodged the Empress's sword swings before he quickly disarmed her and punched her hard in the gut before headbutting her and breaking her nose.
Stumbling back the Empress was not ready when Adam appeared with an uppercut sending her into the air where Logan appeared grabbing her face and slamming her hard into the palace floor cracking the floor.
"Damn you!" the Vexator roared appearing above them and stabbing his claws down to have the two brother block and deflect the attack then both formed spells in their hands for their first four-way spell.
Forming Light in one hand and Blade in another Logan collided his hands and held up the light above his head while Adam formed Force Push and Inferno in his hands following Logan's movement in unison.
Grabbing the lights of magic Logan and Adam slammed their spells together creating a guild seal under their feet they both glared up at the Vexator and shouted in unison, "Light-Blade-Inferno- Force Push Maxima!"
Declaring their spell Logan pulled his left fist and Adam his right both punched forward sending the combined spell flying fast and hitting the Vexator in the face creating a massive explosion that from a distance the throne room could be seen exploding in an explosion of light and fire.
With their final attack, Logan and Adam ended up powering down and collapsing to the ground both panting, Adam then looked over to his brother and smiled with tears almost in his eyes.
"I knew you'd come; I knew you would keep your promises this time, big brother," Adam smiled at Logan who smiled back.
"It's a big brother job after all, sorry I was so late," Logan chuckled and for the first time in so many years they both laughed, their joy coming to a halt when they looked up to see the bloodied Empress stumbling towards them with katana in hand.
"YOU STUPID FOOLS! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!" The Empress growled while Logan tried to reach for his sword.
'Shit! My body can't move! I gotta protect Adam!' Logan panicked seeing the Empress approach and hold her blade over Adam's head.
"No one disobeys the Empress! NO ONE!" she shouted ready to slice down but came to a halt when a katana was stabbed into her back and popped out of her chest.
Grunting the Empress coughed blood, dropping her katana to the floor she slowly turned her head to see Tali standing behind her with Percy turning into a wolf and growling, "That was for my brother!"
Stabbing her katana deeper the Empress cried out as Tali yelled, "That was for my family!"
Pulling out her katana Tali waited for the Empress to fall to her knees before grabbing her by the hair and pulling her head back, "AND THIS IS FOR MY KINGDOM!"
Punching the Empress across the jaw Tali panted kicking away the tyrant's weapon and turning to Logan and Adam and quickly rushing over to them.
"Logan! King Adam! Are you ok?!" she asked dropping to her knees and touching Logan's face who smiled up to her.
"I heard your song, I knew you could do it, Tali," Logan smiled up at Tali who gently smiled back.
"Only because you believed in me," Tali spoke with tears in her eyes, "thank you for everything Logan, I never could have done any of this without you, thank you."
Hugging Logan tight Tali felt the room shake, looking around the three turned to see the Empress's body flailing around against the ground as her body began to glow with black and red corrupted smoke where from the corruption emerged a seven-foot masked serpent-like monster rose.
"I will now allow you to win! No one disobeys the Temptress!" she roared sitting up and glaring at the group.
"She one of the generals!" Tali growled standing up and pointing her Tali putting herself before Adam and Logan with Percy at her side turning into a Balverine, "I will not allow you to lay a finger on them!"
"Let us end this fight! Just try and get past us, you vile witch!" Percy growled extending claws and was ready to defend his friends.
"Little worms! You will suffer!" the Temptress hissed ready to attack but was stopped when the Vexator's large claw blocked her path, "Brother?! Why do you stop me?! We must destroy them!"
All looking up to the Vexator Logan could see his and Adam's attack had done some damage, his masked had a massive impact crack in the forehead where from the cracks red corruption slipped out.
"Look around you fool, the war isn't ours to win, for now," he spoke looking in the distance where the sun slowly began to rise burning away corruption, turning his attention to Logan and Adam he pointed a clawed finger, "hear me now heroes of the light, enjoy this small victory, however, one day all of these kingdoms will belong to our master and you and the rest of your miserable bloodline will suffer at our hands! We look forward to the day when you will rive in blissful agony, that day will be soon!"
With his sister in hand, the Vexator stood high above them before flying away into the vortex in the sky above, with the two generals having fled the corruption all across the city began to burn away with the light of a new day hitting the destroyed throne room.
Shielding his eyes Logan looked over to Adam and Tali before letting a laugh escape his lips, "We did it, we bloody did it! WE WON!"
Standing up Logan picked Tali up and spun her around, Tali then laughed along with Logan hugging him back as Adam sat on the ground watching the sight with a smile before looking at the light of daybreak.
"Beautiful," Adam spoke basking in its warmth looking down when he felt something on his chest and saw a ferret version of Percy, "Percy?"
"That's me!" Percy smiled up at Adam getting a pet on his head.
"Always full of surprises aren't you my friend?" Adam chuckled returning his gaze to the light of a new day.
At the Sanctuary Gabriel smiled at the map table watching the last of the corruption vanish, freeing Samarkand of its nightmare. Looking at his hand Gabriel could feel it, his time in this time period was nearly here.
"Jasper, it was a pleasure to work alongside you, I do have one request to make, don't tell anyone of my leaving, I have some things to do in this timeline to ensure that my future is secure," Gabriel spoke vanishing in a beam of light.
A.N. End is nearly here, what do you think the price Gabriel had to pay to come to this era?