A/N: Congratulations to me, I just started the new school term and already want the holidays to come. Also, I'm so going to get killed for raising your hopes last chapter. By the way, I have also changed my pen-name.
Disclaimer: Right. I don't own The Seventh Tower. And also, my mood is sufficiently rotten that I don't feel like making this sound different.
Chapter 15 – Ending
"What in Dark's name happened here?"
Violet Seven may not have been the most inhabited of levels, but for it to be completely empty of human presence was unnatural, and Milla automatically resisted the instinct to shiver. She raised her hand, and her Sunstone flared white, flooding the corridor with light. In the harsh light, the turns of the hallway stood out sharply, throwing deep shadows, shadows which faded as Milla lowered her hand, ascertaining that it was not an illusion. The whole level was truly empty, and as Milla thought back, she should have found it strange that they encountered no one on their way up.
A doll lay forlorn and abandoned in a corner, making Milla frown as she took it to mean that the hallways were evacuated in a rush. Clearly, the situation was unfavourable, from what she could make out from her initial assessment.
As Miria's outburst echoed around the hallway, a closed door further down eased open quietly, causing both Icecarls to tense and raise their weapons. Their fears were allayed as a sandy-haired head poked out cautiously. Milla relaxed a fraction and Miria followed.
Clovil gestured frantically for them to come in quickly, before putting a finger to his lips to imply that they should be quiet. Milla broke into a run, all the while making sure that her boots made no sound on the stone floor. Miria followed less gracefully, hobbling a little as she tried to ensure that her loose boot matched up to the other in the lack of noise.
Clovil waved them in and shut the door, just missing Miria's sleeve. She let out a small hiss of shock as her furs were nearly trapped between the door and its frame, eliciting a frantic glare from Clovil and another gestured order to be silent. The former Freefolk was now pressing his ear against the door, intent on listening for anyone coming outside.
The Icecarls took this chance to look around the room. Miria's eyes widened, while Milla's more controlled ones didn't betray her surprise. Most of the former Freefolk were gathered in this room. Milla looked at each one of them in turn. Clovil, at the door. Ferek, by the table. Gill, sitting next to him. Inkie, crouching beside an unconscious man that she didn't recognise. A man who was bound and gagged securely, and had no shadow. She assumed that the golden sack on the table had something to do with it. They had grown quite a bit since she last saw them.
All in all, a very welcome sight indeed.
Every conscious person in the room stiffened as the faint sound of heavy footsteps and questioning voices passed by outside. Miria didn't have to press her ear against the door to hear it. The voices were asking each other about the shout they heard. Then they passed, and everyone visibly relaxed. Clovil straightened up, which seemed to be a signal to start.
"Milla! And, er, Miria, too," Gill squealed breathily, jumping up. "How did you guys get here?"
"We escaped," replied Milla, keeping her voice down. Miria nodded, loose boot temporarily forgotten. "What happened here?"
Clovil, coming around to join his friends, gave a half-shrug and gestured around. "What you see. All Castle-dwellers are to gather in their chambers and not leave until the signal is given. All Icecarls are to stay at their respective stations and not leave until the signal is given. All profession leaders are to report to the Crystal Wood. All Shield Mothers and Crones to report to the Crystal Wood. That's where Jarnil and Bennem are now. Ebbitt too." Clovil jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the limp body behind him. "And we have Shadowlord wannabes going randomly all over the place to collect your Sunstones and make sure you behave. Dumb ones, at that. Never thought to check our underwear for Sunstones."
Gill flinched. "You didn't need to tell them that. Anyway, that's the situation here." She stepped forward and looked at the Icecarls with hope spreading across her face. "Word is that they want the Violet Keystone in exchange for your return. That it's taking place in the Crystal Wood because it's the only place large enough to accommodate all the rebels and the witnesses."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Milla asked sharply, wheeling around to face the door. But before she could take a step, Miria grabbed her arm.
"The patrol!" she hissed. "We don't know where they are now."
Milla hesitated, but she looked ready to charge off regardless. Then the sounds of the two rebels coming back stopped her in her tracks. Clovil pushed past them and pressed his ear against the door once more, for a few seconds. Then he raised his head and whispered a single word.
"Inkie!"
The stout girl nodded, and left her perch to join Clovil. He eased the door open, just enough to let her out. Then he shut it once more.
"Inkie will lead them off elsewhere," he explained to the rest. "We'll let her lead them out of range, then we'll head for the Crystal Wood ourselves."
"But she's on her own!" protested Miria, momentarily forgetting to keep her voice down. A sharp glance from Milla reminded her again, and she hushed immediately.
Clovil glanced at Gill and Ferek briefly, before fixing his gaze on Miria. She was very much like Milla where it matters, he noted, and he said evenly, "Inkie is the only one who'll be able to fit in the servant passages now if she needs to hide. She has the best chances among all of us."
Ferek nodded. "Clovil's right," he said, though Miria could swear she detected some regret in his hushed voice.
Clovil put a finger to his lips once more, cutting Ferek off. Miria concentrated and caught strains of pounding feet and fainter strains of shouts, which quickly became inaudible. Cautiously, Clovil eased the door open, stuck his head out to check that the coast was clear before opening the door wide open.
Milla was the first out, followed by Clovil, Ferek and Gill, who all passed crude weapons among themselves in addition to their Sunstones. Miria hesitated, looking back at the hog-tied and gagged rebel. "We're not leaving anyone behind to keep watch over him?"
Clovil gave a cursory look before answering. "No, and even if he does get free, we'll all be at the Crystal Wood already in any case, so there's no point."
Milla nodded, more to speed things up than anything else. She wasn't even looking at anyone, just staring down the path they were about to take.
Not entirely convinced, Miria left it at that nonetheless. When she took a step forward, the strange sensation in her foot reminded her that her laces were untied. Bending over, she quickly tied them, feeling four pairs of eyes burn into her back, and cursed herself for being so careless. The knot wasn't very satisfactory, but it would have to do. Following that, she ran out, taking care to shut the door behind her in case the patrol came back.
The others were already sprinting down the hallway. Miria let out a breath before following suit, her feet pounding on the stone floor loudly. She quickly overtook Gill and Ferek, lagging at the back of their little party, and caught up with Milla. All the while, her hands checked systematically through her bow and arrows while her mind took inventory of her other gear.
Clovil was leading. But not for long. Milla was running faster than usual, and soon overtook him. Meanwhile, Miria had to put in more effort to keep up. She was already tired from running all the way up to Violet Seven, though she retained enough pride to prevent from showing it in her posture.
As they blew past doors making enough noise to wake the dead, they had also gathered quite a following. Rhin's subordinates, hearing the commotion, had given pursuit, but Milla's company was protected by the few Castle-dwellers brave enough to step out and confront them. Miria could hear the sounds of battle from somewhere behind them.
"We'll be entering from the back," Clovil half-gasped, not exactly winded but starting to feel fatigued. Apparently, four years of living without constant fear of capture could do wonders to stamina.
Miria nodded to show that she heard and understood, and glanced over at Milla, who seemed set on bursting into the Crystal Wood with a deadly look on her face. If the situation wasn't so serious, she might have allowed herself a smile at her sister's reaction to Tal's impending doom, but right now, she couldn't muster one up, no matter how amusing she might find it.
… Right. And she found herself starting to regret being so hasty in lacing her boots. Her sloppy knots were already starting to loosen. Again. Miria cursed in her mind, a mantra that helped her maintain the cracking pace that Milla set. …
"One last turn, to the right!" warned Clovil from behind. Miria glanced at Milla again as she reached for her bow. This time, though, Milla met her eyes and jerked her chin ahead, a sign. Miria nodded to show that understood, and nocked an arrow into her bow, holding it low while her feet slowed slightly to let Milla go ahead.
They rounded the turn and Milla's Talons flashed, leaving slashes in the dull metal that the large double-doors was made of. Milla followed that with a kick that blew the right side of the door half off its hinges, and pushed the left side open. She immediately retracted her hands and took a step back to allow Miria a clear shot with her bow.
Miria swung her bow upwards with her momentum, and quickly scanned the crowd for her target. Dimly, she noted that the people sitting near the back had turned and were staring at them in shock, while Light played across crystal and created the horrible noise that passed for music in the Castle, and had also covered their entry. Her eyes scanned across the front of the Crystal Wood, dismissing target after target.
Her eyes found her target at last, just beginning to take hold of the Violet Keystone. Her lips tightened, along with her bowstring as she released her arrow, even as her mind finally registered the size of the Crystal Wood and screamed at her that it was a long shot.
Tal wasn't thinking too much when Rhin finally finished his overly-grandiose speech about succeeding him as Emperor and restoring the "true ways". He wasn't really thinking about what impact it might have on the Veil, on his people, when he mechanically ascended the platform with his Keystone, with pretentious music sounding all around and two Spiritshadows flanking him. In fact, he was trying not to think about it at all, because it made him feel sick inside.
But he really couldn't let two people die just like that, with many more slated to follow. Even if none of them were Milla, he had to admit that he would have made the same decision eventually, where fewer people were in danger. It was just that with Milla thrown into the mix, he came to the decision faster.
He tried not to think about her too, as he mechanically held out the Violet Keystone. He had the feeling that she would scream at him and try to kill him again. Why did that thought seem to comfort him somehow?
The Keystone had just left his hands and into Rhin's… And in the next moment, it had fallen to the floor and clattered away awkwardly. Tal saw Rhin's eyes widen and he let out a howl of pain. Tal didn't hesitate. He dove after the Keystone, rolling as he hit the ground. Righting himself, he immediately flipped around and cast a Violet Shield of Discontinuity with the Keystone. He made it just in time as several Red Rays of Destruction came flying in his general direction, nearly removing his arm.
What he saw, as he got to his feet, was an image of chaos. His people, and Milla's, had risen and were openly fighting against the Spiritshadows and their masters. Light rays from hidden Sunstones flashed all about the Crystal Wood, and the clear musical sound of the trees sang as the occasional stray beam hit them. Faintly glowing knives, extricated from sleeve pockets, sliced through the air, leaving afterimages. And in the middle of all this, fighting their way down the aisle, were two Icecarls with white-blond hair. One held a bow of bone, sending arrows of the same material into the fray while a halo of light danced around the other.
Behind them, more armed Castle-dwellers poured into the Crystal Wood through the open doors, even as non-combatants were carrying the wounded and the frail out to safety.
Tal couldn't help but feel his lips start to curve upwards in a slightly insane grin. This was the first chance he had to vent his frustrations in years. Rhin had disappeared once the battle started. Tal started into the mess after him, after sending thin beams of Violet at the two Spiritshadows rushing him.
Oddly enough, it was Miria who spotted Rhin first. He was directing a Light spell at a young woman, a mage running awkwardly with her back turned. Miria swiftly changed her target from one of his lackeys to him, sinking the arrow into his already-bloody forearm. She screamed to Milla that she had found him, although she had no idea if she could be heard at all in the cacophony.
Miria pushed past the Light mage, dimly aware that the pretty mage barely protested or looked up from her endeavour to cast a healing spell on one of the casualties being transported out. She found herself abruptly face to face with Rhin and his monstrosity of a Spiritshadow near the front, on the aisles.
His face told her that he was none too pleased to see her around. "I should have killed you," he spat, Light swirling in his Sunstone.
"Your mistake," she replied calmly, discarding her bow and drawing her broken sword to defend herself at close-range, all the while keeping an eye on his Spiritshadow, an Aeniran creature with no shortage of spikes and from the way it snapped its jaws, fangs.
Rhin didn't take too kindly to her matter-of-fact tone, and he unleashed a barrage of Light spells on her. At the same time, his Spiritshadow sprang into action. Miria screamed, whether a wordless reflex or a trained battle-cry she did not know, but she swung blindly in the direction of the shadow while throwing herself to the side to dodge the Indigo Cutters.
She breathed a little more easily as she saw a whip of Violet light form a noose around the shadow, and she rolled back onto her feet, focusing on the man in front of her. Miria shifted her grip on the hilt sword and thrust forward, consciously compensating for the length of her sword.
Milla was besieged by shadows. Being one of the few people in the entire Crystal Wood with an effective weapon against Spiritshadows and Light magic, she found that she had to be everywhere at once. She barely managed to hook Rhin's Spiritshadow and keep it off her Miria. Now she had to balance keeping it occupied and keeping about ten other shadows equally occupied.
Having pushed them all back for a moment, Milla spared a glance at the opponent she should have been fighting. He was presently engaged in battle, and Miria did look like she was holding her own, but she didn't specialise in close combat. On the other side of the hall, Tal and Ebbitt were fighting back to back, holding off Spiritshadows and rebels alike. Clovil and Ferek were down to using knives against a large group of Chosen. She could not rely on help from any of them either.
The Spiritshadows were ready to attack again. Milla turned her gaze back to them, resolving to finish it off quickly.
The fight was not going well. The Merwin horn was reduced to nothing, her weapon just a hilt that she threw at Rhin as he wove in and out of the trees. Somehow they had managed to move into the actual Wood itself, and it had greatly enhanced Rhin's advantage, since she couldn't tell where the spells were coming from and the musical notes singing in disharmony distorted her sense of hearing as well.
In the trunk of a tree Miria saw a reflection of a Red Ray and ducked. The Ray whizzed above her head and hit the tree, producing harmless refracted rays around her as well as a clean, resonating note. Not that Miria noticed any of it, as she flipped her bone knife out of her sleeve and dove low in the direction of the Ray.
Out of sheer luck, she didn't hit a tree trunk but got Rhin's knees instead. He went down with an "oof!". Miria pushed herself up and drove the bone knife at his throat in one move, but she slipped and the knife missed, only getting his shirt.
Rhin grabbed her clenched fist and threw her off in one fluid motion. Miria's back hit the tree and she slipped to the ground, winded and dazed. She could only watch as Rhin towered over her, Sunstone swirling with Violet in a spell that she didn't know but assumed was immensely destructive. He smiled sadistically as he brought his hand up, getting ready to release the spell.
On her back, Miria swung her leg up and tried to kick him in the face, that he would easily dodge. Still laughing, he pulled back slightly to let her boot miss. But her laces were loose, and the boot slipped off… And hit him in the temple.
Everything seemed to happen very slowly then. Rhin seemed to stumble, his smile sliding off his face as her boot thudded to the ground. His hand fell, and his Sunstone with it. But she didn't know why, as her eyes fixated on the Sunstone, the light didn't dissipate, the spell didn't unravel like all other Light magic did when the caster lost concentration.
Instead, it left the Sunstone as a fully-formed Violet spell.
And burned a hole right through Miria.
A/N: Ahaha, if the ending sucked… Well, it's about midnight here, I'm exhausted from weird activities… I did check through, but the basic quality of the writing isn't there so I can't make it that much better. Anyway, I made it by my deadline, so congratulate me on this too lol. It's short, yes, but oddly enough, this was one of the places I planned to stop years in advance. When I first thought of the additions to the original story I planned, this came up quickly. There will be one last chapter, and I can finally post this as 'Completed'.
This chapter is part of the mass upload of 18/02. Why 18/02? Because it's my 18th birthday, and I suppose I'm obliged to give out presents. I would love reviews too, so would you please make me a very happy person and review? xD