Sorry for the long wait for an update. Had a bit of writers block on this chapter but I finally got it out! We're nearing the end of the story sadly, but I still got a few tricks up my sleeve.

Enjoy!

Alixx slowly ascended the staircase of the Fallen City. The others kept a safer distance behind her.

You have been chosen young Arisen. Step forward or retreat, and stay the coming end. Face me, or die.

She didn't even flinch, but stopped in her tracks as bright lights began to surround others readied their weapons, but Alixx held her hand up to stop them. She had a huge smile on her face as the lights swirled around her.

"They're like me," she finally said. "They're souls of past Arisens and pawns. Able to rest here peacefully together."

"Alixx.." came a soft ghostly voice. "Is that you?"

Alixx slowly turned around. Val, Riven, and Julien looked in the same direction. An apparition of a thin, brown haired woman stood behind them. Alixx looked as if she were on the verge of tears.

"Mom?" she crocked. "Mom, is it really you?"

The figure glew brighter, almost to bright for them to look at her, but then dimmed. She wore a scarlet robe and leather bindings with leather boots. Her hair dropped well past her waist, and her green eyes shimmered behind her bangs.

"Yes, it's really me." She smiled sweetly. "It's been a very long time, my dear."

"Twenty years is a very long time."

"I thought you were nineteen?" Julien asked.

Alixx laughed nervously. "My birthday was last month."

Lenoir touched the necklace Alixx wore. "I have always been with you my dear. And I always will be."

"How are you here?"

"I was your fathers companion of old."

"He gave you up? He gave you up and abandon me here on this damned island. And to do what? Marry a harlot and rule Gransys with an iron fist?"

She began to fade. "He's waiting for you. Go to him, save her and let us be finally free."

Tears poured down Alixx's face. "Wait! Don't go! I need you! MOM!"

Riven held her as she dropped to her knees. She sobbed in his shoulders, soaking his robe in her tears. He stroked her hair softly.

"We have to keep moving, Alixx," Valmiro said. "It is not safe here."

Alixx contained herself. "No, it is." She whipped the tears from her face. "This place is warded against any monsters. The beast makes his roost somewhere in here." She took a deep breath. "Lets find a suitable cottage. We'll need all the strength we can get for tomorrow."

Valmiro and Riven sat by a fire in an abandon shack while Julien and Alixx slept. It was to quiet in the hut.

"How long have you been traveling with Alixx?" Val asked, as he moved the fire logs around.

"'Tis been almost a year now." Riven sighed. "We've been through so much in this week alone, and now I find out my master is with child."

"You don't trust ser Julien, do you?"

"No, I don't," he answered quickly. "But my master believes in his innocence and said his name was cleared, and I trust her judgment. But if he hurts her, in any way, he will be answering to me."

There was a noise behind them, and the hut door closed behind someone. Both Riven and Valmiro followed a dark figure through the streets of the Fallen City.

"Mom?" They heard Alixx's voice.

A small ball of light danced in front of her. Alixx held out her hand and the lighted turned back into her mother.

"Hello again, my dear Alixx," Lenoir smiled.

Alixx's face grew hot. "Edmun is dead, mother. Julien killed him."

"I know. A woman in love always knows."

"And you don't hold it against him?"

"No." Her face dropped. "Your father abandon me."

Alixx looked up at her. "The dragon offered you. He gave you up, that's why he wanted me back."

"You were the only thing of me he had left. I followed him to defeat the dragon, and he gave me up."

Alixx remembered what Barnaby said. "I thought pawn were incapable of human emotions?"

"Why not ask your very own companion of old."

Lenoir motioned for Alixx to turn around. Riven and Valmiro emerged from behind the wall.

"Riven, what is she talking about?" Alixx asked.

He approached her. "Master, I..."

She stopped him by putting her hand out on his chest. "What.. is she talking about? Tell me."

"Emotions don't come naturally to the legions men. But they can be taught over the course of time. Sadness, anger, happiness... Jealously" He hesitated. "Even love."

Alixx's heart sank. "Are you in love with me?"

Riven nodded and Alixx backed away.

"It's very common for pawns to fall for their master."

Alixx didn't look at him. "Is this why you hate Julien? Because you're jealous of him?"

"Arisen, prey, I do not trust him, but I trust you."

"Get out of my sight."

His shoulders dropped. "Master.."

"Just go!" Tears were streaming down her face.

Val took Rivens arm, "Come on."

"You're scared."

"Of course I'm scared. Everyday I put my life on the line and the others. I can't have Riven in love with me. What would happen if I died?"

"Are you not concerned about Julien? And how he would cope if you had died?"

"I'm having his child, mother. He'd always have a part of me."

A loud roar echoed throughout the streets of the Fallen City. Lenoir turned to her daughter.

"You must go. He awaits you beyond the city."

"What will happen to you once he's gone?"

Lenoir smiled. "I will finally be free to rest." She faded before Alixx but her voice rang out. "I believe in you, Alixx. Go now."

Alixx ran through the streets of the city. Julien and Valmiro stood in front of the hut, waiting for her.

"Our time is now," she said. "Where is Riven? We'll need him."

"He just disappeared," Valmiro explained. "After he told you.."

Julien shot a look at Val. "Told her what?"

Alixx brushed it off. "Nothing. I know where he is." She began to walk towards a huge set of double doors. "There has to be a rift stone around here somewhere."

Valmiro waved at her. "Over here, Alixx!"

She turned to both of them after making it to he rift stone. "I'll be back. He and I need to talk."

She touched the rift stone and was sucked into another world. It was dark and looked as if they were walking on water. Riven sat at the edge of the realm; Alixx joined him.

"Shouldn't you be on your way to save Olra?" he asked coldly.

"Yes." She placed her hand on his, "But I cant without you."

"You have Julien," he reminded.

"Riven." She sighed. "What brought this on? We traveled together for, what? Almost a year now? You never showed any romantic interest in me."

"I did not know what it ment." He looked into the nothing in front if him. "Every time I looked at you, my heart raced. When you touched me, the world just seemed to melt away. The way you treat me. I began to feel human, Alixx."

She looked at him. "You used my name."

"When we went to defeat Grigori.. You said you loved me. I became hopeful, until he brought out Lord Julien. I saw the look of distress upon your face, and it was then I knew. I could not compete for your affection, if I did not posses it in the first place."

Alixx took his hand. "Riven, I'm sorry that I don't hold the same feelings for you as you have for me. I love Julien, and never in my life did I think myself capable of that. But the fact is, I need you Riven. I need you by my side, to help me through things even when Julien isn't there. And if it ever came down to it, I would choose you over him because you're like family now. Like a brother I never had."

Riven smiled. "I suppose acting as family isn't that bad." He jumped up. "Come, Arisen! We have a demon to damn!"

Alixx took his hand and the two left the rift. Julien and Valmiro both sat in front of the stone awaiting their return. A black cloud appeared and the two emerged from it.

"My love!" Julien exclaimed, getting up. "I was beginning to worry. Are you two okay?"

"We're fine, Jules." She exhaled. "Okay, we need a plan. We're fighting the devil, so we need means of weapon enchantment."

Riven's face brightened. "You are talking to a mage, you know. I can enchant our weapons with a boon of light."

"Great, we're off to a good start." She looked at the others. "From what I've read the devil has means of flight. I don't know if thats entirely true, but we can never be to careful. Any ideas?"

"That trick you used when we snuck past the garms," Julien said. "Use the ropes to attack from above."
She grabbed a stick and they huddled together. "Okay this is what we're going to do."

Alixx and Riven pushed the doors of the sanctuary open. Julien and Valmiro proceeded in first with the upmost caution. Alixx scanned the room as her and Riven entered, all weapons at the ready. There was a loud boom, and the doors slammed shut behind them. A growl grumbled through the hall and they all look to a dark figure in the distance. It stood, and wings stretched from its back. Gaining hight and landing in front of them. A great beast stood before them, the floor cracked beneath its feet.

"Well you were right about the wings," Julien tried to joke.

"Just remember the plan!" Alixx yelled as they all went off in different directions.

Alixx shot ropes onto the low hanging ceiling and Valmiro climbed to the top to attack from above. Both Julien and Alixx rained down a large number of blast arrows to keep him from attacking as Riven conjured up giant ice spikes. One of the spikes caught it's left hand, and he recoiled in great pain. A lightbulb went off in Alixx's head.

"Focus your attacks on his hands! Their his weak spots!" she called.

They continued their assault. He tried to suck them into a vortex, but Valmiro was able to stagger him, rendering his magic useless. Alixx took aim at his head, and fired a perfect arrow. Landed right between the eyes, and the beast dropped. Julien and Riven cautiously made their way to it's head.

"I think it's dead," Riven said.

A bright light laid across the beasts chest, and a ghostly apparition came from it. A man with long brown hair, wearing similar armor to that of Alixx. He looked at her.

"Still-hearted kinsmen, you have my thanks."

"You're Ashe, aren't you?" Alixx asked.

The man nodded. "To destroy is simpler then to create... and harder still is to see aught to frustration. To end it rightly. The infinite chain is yours, Arisen, to grant measure. To give what shape you will. And I, at last, can step beyond its span... My Grette... Dearset Olra..."

He started to disappear and Alixx called after him, "Wait! Where is Olra?!" A gate opened next to them. A small whisper carried through the pass. "This way!"

Bursting through the door, they found themselves back at the entrance of the isle. Olra's limp body lay in the middle of the way. Alixx was at a loss for words. Her mother figure, her best friend lay dead in the open. tossed away like trash. Two souls appeared in front of her body. Ashe, and a woman who looked like Olra.

"Olra!" Alixx called.

Julien held tightly on to her shoulder. "I don't think they can hear you, my love."

"I fancied myself a strong man," he said. "Strong enough to protect someone. Strong enough to love someone. I longed to prove it. To myself, as much as any other. Longed to show that I could give aught back, and not simply take. And yet, in that moment,I chose to cast it all away. Though I cursed the world, what was writ true in my soul was an apology, to you and our master who fostered a soul within you."

The woman took his hand in hers. "You have naught left to prove, my sweet. For I have known your love, and know it still. I have e'er wished nothing more than to share in your world, be it within the endless chain or beyond. Let us find our place, together."

There was one last bright white light, and they were gone. Alixx dropped to her knees and sobbed. Their was a small cough and she quickly jerked her head up. Olra had awoken and was slowly pushing herself up.

Alixx scrambled to her feet and aided her, "You're alive!" She threw her arms around Olra. "I thought you were dead."

"W... What happened?" Olra looked around. "Who are they?"

"Daimon is gone," Alixx explained. "We killed him. You are free."

"Free?"

Alixx looked up at Julien. "We should have her come live with us. In Volda."

Julien was taken aback. "My homeland?"

Olra took ahold of Alixx cape. "Your journey is not yet finished." There was a look of fear in her eyes. "You must return to Gran Soren. There lays your final trial."

Riven held his masters shoulder. "Ready for one last battle?"