OoO( 41 )OoO
The minions in Bowerstone didn't stand a chance. Alex's archery and Briar's sword skill were too overwhelming for the dragonites. As they flooded into the gates, Alex pulled back an arrow on her giant black bow and let it loose. The dark shaft flew and completely discentigrated the first two before sinking into the the thirds skull. No matter what armor they wore, the arrows ran through them like they were parchment.
The attackers that came from Bowerstone Quay were met with a large black cleaver as Briar Rose spun like a cyclone, severing and hacking away at the dragons. She stopped once she had cleared that wave and turned to Alex. "Funny, I thought they were tougher than this." she said.
"They are weaker now because they are more hesitant. Jack is slowly loosing his hold on these creatures." she said as she fired another devestating arrow into the crowd. "Jack has the power now. But once he loses it they will follow the orders of the bloodline of Archon. They were originally under his control, and were thought to be extinct when he died. How Jack got ahold of them I will never know." she said finishing the last of her own opposition. The beautiful blonde turned to the warrior woman and looked at her.
Briar Rose looked back at her and couldn't help but admire her beauty. "Is something the matter?" she asked.
"No. But do you think you can take the rest if anymore show up? I have business to attend to." she asked.
"Business? At this hour? Jack is on the brink of destroying Albion and you need to 'take care of some business'?" she asked half believing it to be a joke.
"It is very urgent that I complete this task." she said.
"Don't worry miss, we can handle this ourself." said an older man who had just walked up to the two. They both looked and saw him carrying a mace over his shoulder. Others from the weapon shop approached as well carrying various weapons from pickaxes to crossbows.
She smiled at him as the other defenders approached as well. "Thank you all. This means a lot to me." she said. He shook his head and waved her off.
"Nah, this is our town and if anyone should be defending it, its us." he said. Men and women carrying weapons in the back of him cheered. Alex and Briar both smiled at the crew.
"Think I'm gonna like this place more often now." said Briar Rose. "Who's up for a drink after the war!" she shouted, getting more cheers from the audience. She turned to look at Alex and saw the blonde woman walk down the street through the town. She approached the cullis gate and found herself staring into its light.
Suddenly, her back started to burn lightly at first, then she cringed as she felt the pain. But she never took her eyes off the cullis gate. Nobody was around right now, so this was her chance. The cullis gate became brighter until finally it burst into the flames of a hellgate. Fire ripped the ground away around her and she stepped into the gate, leaving the mortal realm for her last quest. One that she knew she wouldn't come back from.
OoOoO
All the heros had gotten together again in front of the bridge to Bowerstone. Talon and Van were the last ones to arrive, as they ran up on the others. "What's the status?" asked Thunder.
Van reported. "One pompous arena reject, one unknown creature fromt he abyss, and countless minions dead." he said, getting a nod of approval from Thunder. "Wait, where is Theresa?" asked Van looking around.
"She said she knew where Jack was going next, so she was going to go there. You think Lyle and Theresa together will be able to stop Jack?" asked William.
"According to his sister, Lyle is the only one that can defeat Jack. So why she would go there I don't know. Maybe there is more to it than we know." said the dark knight. Then he looked around again. "Where is Alex?" he asked.
"She said she had some very important business to take care of. She left town." said Briar Rose. Thunder sighed and took his helmet off.
"This is getting ridiculous. Can nobody follow simple order anymore?" he asked. Then he looked up at William. "Did she say where she was going? Where Jack would go next?" he asked.
"No...but what does that matter. We aren't to get in the way." said the knight.
"True, but it never hurt to have backup." he said. Then, he looked around again. "Now where the hell did that girl go?" he shouted. They all looked around and noticed that Talon was also missing from the group.
OoOoO
Lyle walked through the portal and found himself inside the guild again. This time however, the guild no longer held that feeling of home that he was so used to. It felt as if the life was sucked out of the walls and sent into oblivion. Fires were burning everywhere, bodies of minions and heros alike were scattered about like used pieces of a game.
He looked around for Jack, but couldn't find him. Suddenly, he heard a grunting noise from beyond a cracked door. Running over to the door, he slammed it open and saw the guildmaster gasping for air. Lyle immediately ran over to the man and knelt down. "Guildmaster! Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.
The guildmaster however pusbed him off. "I'm fine all things considered. It's a good thing you were chasing him or he could have finished me off." he said.
"So Jack went this way?" he asked. The guildmaster nodded and Lyle went to run for the door. But the older man grabbed his arm quickly, pulling him back.
"Lyle...Jack is a very dangerous person. Don't let your thirst for revenge guide you in this battle. You need to let your spirit guide you, not your heart. Do you understand?" he asked. Lyle suddenly had a flashback of his father in the Temple of the Dead. A strong spirit can conquer worlds.
Lyle took the guildmasters hand and patted it. "Don't worry. I'll not let Jack take even the smallest part of Albion. I will make sure he is cast into hell where he came from." said the warrior. The guild master nodded and Lyle began walking towards the door. He knew what lie behind the door, and knew that his fate lie in everything he learned since he was a child. There were no more bandits, there were no more dummies, there were no more practicing. This battle, was the battle of his life.
OoOoO
He stared at it. It was beautiful. The crimson blade protruding from the stone as if it were a geyser of blood. The handle wrapped tightly with animal skin soaked in the blood of many battles. The hilt showing unreadable runes from a time even before his own. For so long, he had quested for this one object, and now, it was his. Suddenly, he heard the door open and looked up at the figure that stepped inside. Finally, this was it.
The warrior stepped forward and stared at the sword planted in the stone in the center of the room. And in front of the alter was Jack of Blades, his red cloak showing like blood on the wall. His eyes dark and piercing, staring strait at the warrior in front of him. He had waited almost ten years to come face to face with this man. And now was his chance. Lyle noticed his mother lying on the stairs at Jack's feet, unconscious. His mission right now was to rescue her.
Jack smiled under his mask. "This is the day hero." he said.
"This is the day you die Jack. The day that you repent for every soul you have taken, for every life you have wiped from the pages of history, and for everybody who you have manipulated to get where you are now. I fight for Albion, not just for myself. I fight for my father, I fight for Whisper, and I fight for all those who were felled by your foul blade. And I swear by my honor and my title as a hero that you will not set foot outside this chamber." he said in a deadly tone.
Jack smiled and stepped down the stairs towards the hero. Drawing his longsword, he held one gloved hand forward towards the warrior. "Let us test your valor Lyle the Saber. Let us see if you are worthy of the use of a weapon as great as the Sword of Aeons. And let us see, whether or not you can save your mother from having the same fate as her husband." he said. Lyle glared at him and wanted to attack immediately. But he held his ground.
"Jack of Blades, this is your final hour. Now is the time when you pray to try and save whatever is left of that pitiful thing you call a soul." he said threateningly.
"Lyle my boy, you should know by now. I don't have one." he said laughing. Lyle smiled and flourished his blade.
"That was your last chance. You should have taken it." he said as he stepped forward.
Jack smirked. "I've waited for this day..." he said. Then he flashed forward in an instant. Lyle moved to the side just as Jack's blade went for his weapon hand. Swinging his sword, it was blocked by the swordsman. Jack jumped and kicked Lyle in the back of his head, sending the warrior stumbling forward. Lyle spun and went to strike again, but Jack had vanished again. "I'm afraid you will have to do better than that." he said out loud.
Lyle looked for the voice, then felt a sharp pain from behind. Spinning he swung his fist at Jack, but felt another pain behind him. He kicked out behind him, but found air with it. Jack was like a ghost. He flew circles around Lyle, cutting him with the blade as if to mock him for his slowness. No matter where Lyle attacked, he was completely surrounded by one person...a shadow. He fell to his knees, bloody and beaten.
Jack smirked. "Lyle Lyle Lyle...what happened to Albion's greatest hero? Seems he can't cut it against a real champion." he said as he walked towards the alter. He picked Scarlet up off the ground and hefted her up the stairs. When he stepped up to the sword, he grabbed his blade and held it to her throat so Lyle could see her face. "Watch your failure boy." he said. Lyle slowly got to his feet and focused as Talon taught him to do. His will energy went into his body, into his arms and legs, into every fiber of muscle in his being. He dashed forward and time seemed to have stopped.
Jack never saw it coming. He stood smirking at the hero, about to end his mothers life, when out of nowhere what felt like a meteor smashed into his face and sent him sprawling. He stood to his feet and looked at the hero now standing on the alter with his mother over his shoulder. Suddenly, Lyle's face turned to shock. He stared down at the swordsman in awe.
"What the hell are you looking at?" asked Jack harshly. Then, he suddenly realized something. He reached up and touched his face with his hand. His mask was gone. "N...No..." he said. "This can't be...after so long..." he said. Glaring up at Lyle with utter hatred, he yelled, "You will not live to see the sun!" he shouted. Lyle tossed his mother to the bottom of the stairs safely, but wasn't able to dodge the next attack. Jack slashed across Lyle's face with his blade, sending blood spattering onto the alter and the sword. Lyle grabbed his face in burning pain as the next slash blew him off the alter.
He hit the far wall hard and fell to the ground coughing. He stood to his feet again and noticed that his mother was gone. But, the sword on the altar was glowing a dark red color. "That doesn't look good." said Lyle painfully. Jack stared at the sword, which illuminated his handsome face. His hair was long and down to his shoulders, being the same pure white as Lyle's. His piercing red eyes stared down at the blade glowing before him with Lyle's blood.
"Finally..." he said as he reached for the blade. Grasping it firmly in his hand, he pulled it out and lofted it, before turning to Lyle. Smiling, Jack put his mask back on and laughed. "Now I am invincible Lyle. You have no chance against me!" he said as he pointed the blade at Lyle. Jack raised the sword and slammed the blade against the ground, causing the earth to split in a strait line towards Lyle. The warrior dove out of the way and rolled to his feet again with his bow in hand. He fired an arrow at Jack.
But the swordsman merely sliced it out of the air with one swing. He saw Lyle string his bow again and smiled. "When will you learn?" he asked. He slashed the arrow out of the air again. But this time he felt a stinging pain in his leg. He looked down and another arrow had pierced his skin. Jack roared loudly and charged at the warrior. He swung at the warrior with the legendary blade, but missed and instead cleaved a large fissure in the wall. Lyle smashed out with his leg and scored as he kicked him in the back. Jack grunted in pain, then jerked the sword free from the wall.
Lyle jumped backwards, and fired lightning with both hands. Jack held up the sword and it caught the lightning, then began absorbing it. Lyle gasped and tried to pull away, but the sword had grabbed him somehow and forced the will out of him. He fell to his knees as his energy was massively drained. Finally, Jack released his invisible grip on the hero and laughed. "You should know better than that boy. It's your history after all. This sword is made of magic, so its immune to it!" he yelled, then kicked the warrior across the face, sending him sprawling.
Lyle got to his hands and knees. Jack walked up and aimed the sword at him. Now, what say I give you your magic back?" he asked with a grin. Raising the sword, Lyle looked up in time to see a massive lightning bolt flash before his eyes.