Leman smiled with glee and gripped the haft of his weapons. The chains wrapped around his forearms connected his body with the weapons, allowing his weapons to never be disconnected from his own form. He could feel that his father was in the exact same mood and began to twirl his hammer and soon the wind picked up. Leman howled to the wind, casting aside his discipline from the legion and embraced the wolf who clawed at his soul. He howled once more and used the gales to release the young woman trapped in the grips of Loki. The gust o wind caused the god to be battered to the ground and the young woman moved away, blasting eldritch magic against the encompassing shadows.
Leman launched himself at Loki, face twisted into a hideous snarl. Loki was caught off guard by the attack and tried in vain to parry it. Leman snarled and using his gladius, he thrusted forward and used his other one after bringing it over his head. The thrust was a set up blow having Loki move in for the real damage. The plan worked and Leman drew blood across the chest, causing a deep dark crimson trail. Loki growled at the insult and lashed out with his own dagger. The edge caught itself on the tip of Leman's armor, though it was only that. Leman looked to his father for the briefest of instances, the old man was holding off the princess with the help of the man she was holding in her arms.
Leman smiled sourly to himself and returned his attention to Loki, who was now on his feet and snarling. Leman twirled each of his blades and leapt and Loki again, the blades forming an X as he was ready to slash out against the one who caused all of this. Loki chuckled and slammed an open palm into Leman's chest. The runes around Loki's hand flared to life and the blast sent Leman flying on his back. The wolf lord slammed hard into the ground and was sent tumbling over the edge. He released the grip on both of his swords and held on for dear life at the edge.
His vision was now clouded because of the blast and Leman could feel the cold air on his exposed muscles. He snarled and looked up. His father and the other two were fighting together not as individuals, but as a pack. Loki's and Zelda's desire to kill left them open to counter. Thor, the Dragonborn, and Alyssa fought as a single body. Each cut and blasts exploited the enemies' weaknesses and shoring up their defenses. However, try as they might, they were facing one god and then one who was almost to his standard of power.
It was only a matter of time before they were defeated, Leman and Thor knew that the moment they stepped into the battle. Loki was at his prime, and Thor was weakened by the magical auras around the mansion, as it had hindered Leman from using his full abilities. Zelda feinted a blow from Alyssa, and used her own blade to impale the young sorceress. Sigmund howled and lowered his guard to attack Zelda, allowing Loki to plant a dagger in the back of his neck, felling the hero of Skyrim. Thor was defeated a heartbeat later, as the Lords of Giant's entered the fray of battle.
Leman felt tiredness nip at him and he felt his grip weaken on the edge of the roof. Zelda noticed this and picked up Alyssa's staff and walked over to Leman. She smiled darkly and raised the staff. "This little shadowrunner died for no reason." She followed the statement by slamming foot of the staff on the fingers on his right hand. Pain flared across his entire body and Leman growled. "This little fool was blind to my powers." She finished her statement about Ike and/or Link with another blow to his right hand, causing it to retract. "This little prick was useless and this little bitch stabbed me in the back." She brought her heeled boot down on Leman's left hand. Instinctively, Leman let go of the stone and he tumbled backwards, howling to the wind. "And this little god went wee-wee-wee all the way to his death."
Ike felt his heavy eyelids try to force themselves open but he couldn't. He sighed tried to get back into a nice sleeping position. His pillow was a little hard and was moving even when he wasn't. Odd, he thought to himself. Goose feathers aren't this hard. He then felt the wind on his back, though it was warmer than it should be. He then realized that it wasn't the wind, but breathe… someone's breath! His eyes now shot open and he realized he was lying down on the sheets onto of someone's chest. His vision was instantly flooded with the sight of a half-naked Lithia.
His first reaction was to scream but he muffled that so no one was able to hear it. His mind was then racing, trying to find and piece answers together. His head was spinning, how much did he drink, did he do this willingly and if so, did they actually do it? He sighed in frustration and rose from the bed. He was fortunate to see that he was still wearing his pants with the belt around it. That brought some relief to his mind. He tossed on his shirt and reattached his weapons to his body. He exited his room and breathed yet another sigh of relief that o one else was awake at this time. His luck had been god to him thus far.
But as usual, he had spoken way too soon. He felt a finger tap his shoulder and when he turned, he was greeted by a balled fist. The blow sent him off balance , but he regained his footing in a matter of moments. Ike looked at his attacker and saw Sheik with tears rolling down her face. Ike drew his hand across his mouth and tasted the iron in his blood. "One day after the fact Zelda betrayed us, you are already in the bed of another sharing your affection you promised her?" Her voice was quiet yet the malice was still very evident in the tone. Ike narrowed his eyes and shot back the fact he had no idea what the hell happened.
Sheik was about to swing at him again, but Ike caught the fist before it struck him. Sheik countered with a side kick, causing Ike's world to go ringing. Ike then delivered a bone cracking upper-cut, which caused the ninja to fall on her back and out of the door. Again, cold wind hit Ike in the face as he unsheathed Ragnell. Sheik spun to her feet and began to pull out her knives from her coat. Ike charged at her, connecting the haft of his sword to her gullet. Sheik went spinning backwards, gasping for air. Ike followed through with his attacks, but shortly then after, Sheik regained her senses and unleashed her own powers against him.
The two traded blows for a long time; Sheik was being battered aside when she left an opening her attack posture. Sheik also exploited Ike's lack of agility with Ragnell and delivered strikes and daggers where his clumsiness left him open. He growled in furry and continued his attacks with relentless fury. It was natural for him to feel this angry, he reasoned with his calmer part of his mind. She had insulted him more then she had intended and he was determined to show her the error of her ways. Ike saw an opening in her defenses and thrusted Ragnell out, the tip brushing against Sheik's neck. He then realized that he had allowed himself to do the same. He felt cold realization and steel against his own neck. She smirked under her cowl.
The two looked as if they were about ready to kill each other before a new force separated the two. The stranger separated the two with a fine mistletoe staff. Each of the two felt a hard blow on the back of their skulls, separating the two from each other. Each one of them rubbed their sore heads and looked back at the stranger, who even under the darkness of his hood was glaring death stares at them. The stranger then coldly and calmly explained to them what had happened. He mused that the walls have eyes, he just gave them ears. His voice was rather something felt then heard, causing shivers to go down their spines. Lithia, he explained, was the daughter of the goddess of fertility. As such, her powers revolved around lust. She could with nothing more than the power of a touch, reduce men to her slaves. The power is only daily thankfully, but still it was very potent in its power.
Sheik still glared death at Ike but pursed her lips together and shook her head. Ike narrowed his eyes at her but with the stern voice of the Stranger keeping them in line; they both sighed in defeat and turned away from each other. Ike sat down on nearby stone and buried his face in his hands. What the hell was going on with him? He had almost killed Sheik, was seduced by Lithia and almost killed by her in the span of a few days. What the hell was happening? He took his face out of his hands and spun the tip of Ragnell down on the ground. He shook his head in disbelief.
He heard a pair of footsteps coming up behind him and he looked back. Link was there, dressed in his green tunic and assortment of other clothing. He sat down next to Ike and shook his own head. "I take it you heard it all?" Ike asked the Hylian, who merely nodded. Ike sighed and held the metal edge of the blade to his head and tried to focus his thoughts, but nothing seemed to be helping him.
Link spoke up, flexing his new mechanical arm all the while. "Listen Ike, I may have no idea how the hell you are feeling right now, but it seems just. You confessed your love for Zelda mere minutes before she was taken away from you and twisted into whatever she is now. Love is a strong emotion and it can cloud others such as reason." He smiled sadly, shaking his head as if recalling a bad memory. "That was one of the many reasons we stopped in the first place." Ike looked perplexed at the Hylian, who began to explain. "We never could have done it, you know? Being a couple and everything. She was a princess and although I saved the kingdom on more than one occasion, she wasn't for me. We tried it once and it became to much of a hassle. Ganondorf was exploiting it and more and more she was being taken away. As always, I rescued her, though it was becoming more and more of a hassle or both of us. Eventually, we called it off and though we still remained friends, I still miss that feeling."
Ike nodded his head in respect to the Hero of Time. He knew the story behind him and Zelda, the others talked about it from time to time and Ike just listened from afar. It was natural, he told himself as he gripped Ragnell with a renewed conviction.
Ulfric awoke again, his vision foggy but he was alive. There was a splitting pain ripping across his entire body. His vision was blurred white, and the even the sound of a butterfly flapping its wings would have made his eardrums rupture. He tried to move his arms, but he felt resistance when he tried to. He used the fingers of his hands to tell the story of what ailed him. Fabrics, tight, chords, definitely rope. He felt spread out as if he was tied between two trees, as his arms were spread across in a T like setting. His chest was exposed to the bitterly cold air and he smiled despite himself at the familiar feeling of home.
His vision slowly began to come back to him, and he could tell he was somewhere dark, murky, and damp. He could hear the sounds of water droplets fall into puddles, and breathing of someone next to him. He craned his head in the direction of the breathing. He saw a robed figure, wearing silken gloves and a table of various tools, all of which were designed to inflict massive amounts of pain. He calmed himself down, not willing to show his instigator any fuel. He closed his eyes and began to pray to Talos and the Divine for protection.
"Ulfric Stormcloak, it is time for you to realize that there is forces in this life that desire your death. A drunken Nord with a lust for battle could do little to steam the skills of the Thalmor. " The voice was familiar to him, like a familiar nightmare one would wish to forget. He craned his head ad his blood froze in his veins. The Thalmor, and not just any High Elf. It was Elenwen, the elven bitch who went out of her way to make his life painful. This couldn't be happening, he thought to himself . This had happened many years ago.
His mind raced for answers. He remembered the Mansions and he remembered a cloud of black smoke he was forced to take by the hands of the Giants. He heard them say something about pain was necessary for the ritual. If it was so, then why not chain him to a post and flay the skin from his body? Memories were painful, and while this one was the most painful, he knew it wasn't real
"Where shall we start? At the beginning, or will you confess to the crime and I can assure you a quick and painless death. A dagger across the throat like any other brute we come across. Speak them not and you will burn." Again, Ulfric said absolutely nothing. This had to be a nightmare, the Great War was long over and it was not happening. "Speak Nord!" She bellowed and slammed a fist into the wall.
Again, he said absolutely nothing.
Elenwen then regained some of her previous calm, "Are you familiar with the perimeters I have to fallow during the interrogator?"Nothing came from Ulfric's mouth. He remained silent through the entire process and was not willing to give the devil-woman more power then she deserved."I have just been verbally interrogating you, no physical damage done to you." Her hands slid down and picked up a scalpel, gem encrusted, this man obviously preferred the finer things in life. "Now comes the threat of physical damage, but I think things are going at to slow of a rate."
Ulfric laughed loud and hard, causing Elenwen to be taken back for the briefest of instanced.
No sooner had those words left his mouth, and then Elenwen plunged the scalpel into Alexander's flesh. It was a painful bow, but by no means lethal. Ulfric grimaced suddenly, clenched his teeth but showed no physical emotion to the pain. Elenwen then began to twist the blade, exposing the muscle and new skin to the raw air. Ulfric breathed in sharply, as the inquisitor with drew the blade. She reached over for a bottle of cloudy white liquid. Salt water, Ulfric knew the stinging sensation it brought with it. Te pain was as clear as he ever remembered and gritted his teeth so hard he thought that they would break under the pressure.
"Now, are you willing to confess and tell me everything that you know, Stormcloak? There is no one here to protect you." Elenwen asked as the pain lessened. Ulfric knew this wasn't real, but the pain was still there. It was almost unnatural.
Ulfric chuckled, "Talos is always with me; so long as I believe in Him, I shall never parish. He protects. Your words are meaningless to me elf. I have been through this before and you have nothing against me. Bring the vanguards of Oblivion and I will stand against them."
"Oh, we will see how well he will protect you." Elenwen plunged the scalpel in again, repeating the same painful process. Ulfric could do absolutely nothing; he could only pray and wait.
After a while, the pain was dulling down and the Thalmor with drew. "Tell me, Ulfric. Do you truly think you can outlast our skills in the art of torture? Your father is lasting longer then you are and I have seen you fall and begin to blubber like a child who lost his coin. You simply are delaying the inevitable. So why don't you make it o and save us all the trouble?" She cooed to him.
Ulfric was still slightly confused on what he was asking, but it slowly came around in his mind, slowly at first like the babble of a brook. Ulfric simply said nothing and spat in her eye.
Elenwen grunted and held out her hand, "If you fear no pain, then perhaps power will make you talk." A wild arch of lightning shot out of the interrogator's finger tips and the bolts of energy found their way to Alexander. The volts of pure, raw energy flew through him, causing Ulfric to flap around wildly. The energy wasn't made to kill him outright; rather it was to cause enough pain or to make him experience his heart overload from the extreme amount of energy coursing through his veins.
"SPEAK, DAMN YOU!" Elenwen yelled and intensified the bolt's power.
"Knowledge..is…power, and it is clear…who has the power." Ulfric shot at the inquisitor. He was laughing now. Elenwen couldn't harm him more then she had many years ago. He howled with laughter and embraced the lightning from her finger tips. He had survived her one, and he would do so again
The bolts of energy stopped, and the inquisitor fumed. "Take him away. He will meet his end soon enough. We only need him for much longer. The Dominion will preserve, Stormcloak. Remember that when you will join you false gods." A pair of unnatural hands took his bindings off and dragged him to a dark cell. Ulfric landed in there with a hard thud, and heard the gate slam behind him. He brought himself to his knees, prostrates himself, and bowed his head.
Zelda clicked her tongue again in annoyance and looked over to Loki, her hands on her hips. "Can't you do anything right?" She shot at him, and the trickster only growled. Ulfric was under the smoke of insanity, his most horrible memory playing over and over. However, he had resisted it thus far, a testament to his will power. "I told you that it wouldn't work and you ignored me." Loki snarled and back handed Zelda, sending her sprawling to the ground. She was shocked that he would do such a thing. She turned back to him with a low glare as the same one he gave her.
"Watch your tongue, princess." He said in a low and mocking tone. "Be thankful that you are not the one taking his place. Besides," His lips curled back into a smile. "I know that it will not be long before they come to us for him. They will come, and when they do they will be cut down, enslaved or which other fate they deserve falls upon them." He smiled and dismissed her from his sight. She shook her head and walked slowly to the center gardens. She felt her mind come back to her slowly and she watched all around her at what she had done. She felt her breath hitch in the realization.
She wanted to scream at her self for being so foolish, so blind. To the onlooker, Zelda's crision red eyes slowly changed back to their own. Tears fell from them in rapid session, though she wept only to herself. Clarity came to her mind and soon she realized what was needed to be done. She would have to redeem herself, no matter the personal cost
The smashers finished the last of their preparations for the battle ahead. They were given warning that there were magical runes that would hinder their approach and they would be separated once they got on the ground. Cherry Bomb slid a fresh magazine into the pistol she had and looked around at the other smashers. They were calm and knew the stakes that were ahead of them. If they lost, it would be very, VERY bad. She tried not to focus on consequences. She had a score to settle for Tobey's sake. When she thought of him, she heard his calming voice and remembered a prayer he said before the eve of every battle. It was from the book of Psalms, chapter one hundred fourteen verses one through eight. And when she recalled it, his voice was heard with it.
Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: My goodness, and my fortress; Ike twirled Ragnell one last time in preparation. Next to him stood Link and Marth, those who he had to trust with his very life now as he did back in Subspace. All of the pain, death and sacrifice had come down to this. For Ulfric, for Tobey… and for what was left of the Zelda he knew. It was time to finish the fight.
My high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me. LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him! The Stranger took the children to his side. He swore he would watch over them till the last ounce of strength in his body was spent. He griped his sword and ooked to the three he would be protecting. The Ice Climbers were strapped on to both of his legs shaking slightly in fear. Lucas was holding on to a pair of sunglasses with runes etched on to their sides. The Stranger smiled and gripped the haft of his sword in greater vigor. It was time.
Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away. Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them. Zelda blasted Fox aside with another bolt of her magic. She didn't have long but it would do something for a while. She looked at the massive sigil in the middle of the garden emitting a glowing green aura around the mansion. He heard the thud of giant footsteps coming twords her but it needed to be done. She slammed her hands into the runes. Pain flared across every shard of her being as she blasted away the runes etched onto the glowing stone. The force shield around them was weakening and she saw lightning overhead. She had done it. She was smiling even as the mace connected to the back of her head.
Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children; Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood. Lithia sharpened the end of her spear and looked to Ike. Not to his face, but his back. She smiled a low smile and was about to relish what was to pass.
Cherry bomb shook her head as she finished the prayer. Tobey would not die un-avenged. And along with Peach, Samus, and Snake, the ran through the open portal. It was time to fight.
The final battle is coming up soon. I will try to get it out as soon as possible.
Remember to review,
Flame Falcon