(Start of Part 4)
It was a time of peace. It was a time of prosperity. It was a time of progress for humanity as a whole.
Frankly, it was all quite boring. Well, at least compared to the events that happened prior, anyway.
To one Eddie Riggs, the past was filled with pain, loss, and scarring experiences. But, it was also filled with vigor, excitement and was frankly just epic.
But, that was the past and this was the present, and in a sense this was what he was working towards all along. And, seeing all the work his' actions throughout his' life created, he wouldn't trade either the past or the present for anything.
Still, he couldn't help but think back to the days when things were so much more interesting and different…
It all started when he started working as a roadie... for a band known as, Kabbage Boy.
That's…when things really started to take a turn. Through a peculiar set of interconnected events, elements of this one peculiar concert he was maintaining ended up allowing an entire prop set falling on him, crushing and nearly killing him while allowing blood to freely drip onto a paranormal belt buckle he had inherited from his dad. And in that buckle, a strange and terrifying power belonging to an eternal fire beast called Ormagoden dwelled. And through that involuntary blood sacrifice, an epic and terrible power was unleashed and sent him into a medieval-esque era of humanity that existed in an all-metal (read: metal genre of music) world.
And that is when his' journey truly began.
Along the way to discover where he was and what he could do, he was recruited by a small group of resistance fighters to help liberate humanity against a pompous and opulent dictator known as General Lionwhyte. After pushing the general's forces back with the aid of his' fellow compatriots and friends: Lars and Lita Halford, Mangus- a stage hand, the love of his' life-Ophelia and many others he recruited along the way.
Once Lionwhyte was slain, suddenly the demon emperor that the general was serving under appeared, and in doing so promptly killed their dear friend Lars, who was the King of humanity at the time, in an almost anti-climactic manner. Once they initially escaped from the demonic forces, collectively known as The Tainted Coil, they unfortunately had to exile another one of their dear friends, Ophelia, for retaining secrets from them that had wound up leading to Lars' death. And thus, the rest of humanity's forces left their initial homeland and went into hiding in a snowy tundra to the north. In which, after 3 months of inactivity, they were faced with a new and forsaken forces of The Drowning Doom, which as they would later find out, was led by none other than their old friend, Ophelia. However, the day was won thanks to the help of the Fire Barons, an indigenous, if you could call them that, people who previously dwelt within the frozen tundra, known as Death's Clutch, in which humanity had been living in these past few months, but left during General Lionwhyte's luxurious reign from months earlier.
As time went on, and humanity's forces grew, they fought through to the Sea of Black Tears (A/N: As in crying, not ripping) (Or in Mangus' words, more of a lake of black tears.) and fought the last forces of the Drowning Doom, and where Eddie eventually faced off against Ophelia. Though, fortunately or unfortunately, The Tainted Coil's leader and demon emperor, Doviculus, interrupted them before they could truly fight, and after explaining some overlooked details of the past, explaining Eddie's ancestry as well as clarifying a few other facts. In the end, Doviculus terminated the dark form of Ophelia by literally ripping out her heart.
Eventually, after defeating Doviculus' forces and monstrous creations, Eddie went to face Doviculus himself, and after a small yet tedious battle with Doviculus as well as some of his' final followers, he won. However, one small detail they overlooked was that the remains of Doviculus' severed head fell into the Sea of Blacks Tears, and would eventually make its return, someday. Before that, however, Eddie at the time had other, more pertinent, issues to deal with and winded up landing and swimming into the dreaded Sea of Black Tears before soon spotting and rescuing the dormant form of Ophelia at the bottom of the Sea, and after a harrowing escape from the black essence, both Ophelia and Eddie reconciled along its shore and finished the harrowing moment… with a kiss, sealing the reestablishment of their relationship at last. Afterwards, they rejoined with the forces of humanity and with them, celebrated their true, firsthand freedom once and for all. Everybody honored the memories of the fallen, especially their deceased King, Lars, but fortunately for them Lita took the mantle of leader in her brother's stead, something that her brother would no doubt have been proud of her for. And for a time, there was peace.
However, the peace wouldn't last, and the world of metal would once again be thrown into conflict.
After a significant amount of time passed, humanity's knowledge grew and their creations evolved, so much so that they were noticeably stronger and much more formidable than they ever were before; and as they would soon see, they would need every last bit of strength they could muster for the dark days ahead.
During this time of peace and prosperity, mankind wasn't the only force of existence that was evolving. In that time, the demon turned tear-drinker, Doviculus, once again arrived to overthrow and enslave humanity, this time with much more formidable horrors of war. With tear-infused demonic forces, Doviculus came and laid siege to the lands of humanity with his' countless armies of nightmares.
The war for the world of metal was long and arduous and did not come without cost for either side. On one end, the forces of the Veiled Helix (Doviculus' new faction) suffered loss after loss with the humans who were led by their esteemed leader, Lita, along with the legendary Eddie Riggs at their vanguard. Unfortunately, old friends were lost in the struggle for humanity, one being Rima, queen of the Zaulia (a tribe of beast-taming amazons), who was lost in the early blitz of the war in defense of her kingdom. The other major casualty for the heroes came near its conclusion, and was in the form of the sacrifice of The Fire Baron, leader of the Fire Barons who were the indigenous people of the previously mentioned icy tundra known as Death's clutch.
As the forces of humanity came to the last fortress of the Veiled Helix in a land much larger than the one they started from, they faced the intimidating and incredibly daunting defenses of the new demonic empire of their enemy. Upon coming up with a plan to breach the final defensive barrier surrounding their enemy, the armies of man initiated their attack for their final assault before the end. However, upon one of the mechanisms for their primary explosive siege cannon failing from taking significant damage, they came to the harrowing realization that the machine would have to be delivered and detonated manually.
The only one with the skill and capability to do so was, of course, the Fire Baron, who selflessly volunteered himself for the task, shocking many of the people who had grown to know the man over the years and along the course of the war. In the end, he faced this task with a love of battle in his' heart, steeled eyes behind his' shades, a cocky grin on his' face and a big middle figure to the enemy as he sped towards a one-way gate to hell. In the end, the plan worked and through his' sacrifice the forces of mankind confronted their ancient enemy in one last stage battle for the fate of the world.
Eventually, after a long and difficult battle, humanity's armies were finally victorious and Eddie Riggs once again faced off against the leading force of the ultimate evil in the world. The clash between Eddie and the horribly altered form of Doviculus was without equal and would be described in legends for generations to come. Eventually, the battle ended and only Riggs was left standing. Upon making sure all traces of Doviculus' remains were well and truly gone, Eddie along with the rest of humanity made their way back to reclaim their lands and recover all that they had lost during the war…
Well, everything except for the precious and finite lives of those who went into the harrowing dark… and did not return…
Thus, this would bring us up to this current age of prosperity, peace, and progress for humanity everywhere. During this time, all of Eddie's friends moved on with their lives: Lita finding a man that brought her nothing but happiness while she continued to act as the Commander-in-Chief for all of humanity-even making plans to develop a council composed of the heroic group of comrades amongst other capable individuals throughout the land, Kill Master having his' own group of eager minds that he taught the art of bass-guitar healing to, Eddie and Ophelia living a happy life together as well as raising a family and even Mangus living a life of luxury after all the revenue he made from his' occupation in providing concerts and tours across the land, most of which took place at Bladehenge as well as other major cities across the land.
In spite of all this, there was one last loose end that had yet to be resolved.
The Sea of Black Tears.
At the conclusion of the war, the Sea of Black Tears was once again sealed, hopefully forever more. However, there is always the lingering risk that someone, somewhere, sometime, would heed its call and bring about the resurgence of another tear-drinker rebellion, and without a way to bring about its eradication it would forever remain a constant danger to the world of man.
And with no apparent danger in sight, most of humanity continued to exist in blithe ignorance of this dormant threat. But one Eddie Riggs still struggled to find a way to permanently resolve this issue, and despite speaking to all of his' friends, searching far and wide for any type of relic that could help and even going to the Guardian of Metal for help, he was still no closer to finding a solution to this problem than when he first started.
(Location-The Land of Metal, near Bladehenge.)
At the moment, Eddie was playing on his' guitar while he continued to watch the night sky, which was lit by the beautiful blue and green rays of an aurora borealis, hoping that the heavens themselves would show him mercy and provide him with the answer that continued to elude him for all this time.
It was at this time that he heard the sounds of footsteps as someone grew near. Reacting to the sound, Eddie slowly turned around to face them, wondering who would look for him at this time of night.
"Eddie, it's getting late. Why don't you come back inside and get some sleep already?", Said the voice of Ophelia as she approached him, raising an eyebrow questioningly at him while leaning her weight on one leg and placing a hand on her hip, waiting for his' reply.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be inside in a minute…" He said, trying to mollify her as he casually waved a hand over his' shoulder before turning back around to look at the night sky.
She looked at him for a few moments before her face shifted to a look of worry as well as concern before she went and walked over to Eddie and placed a hand on his' arm. "Eddie, I've known you long enough to know when something's bothering you. What's wrong?"
Eddie looked at her over his' shoulder before sighing in resignation. Turning around fully to face her, he calmly looked her in the eye and told her, "It's this whole problem with the Sea of Black Tears, Oph's. I mean, we still don't know a way to stop it and I've looked everywhere, from ancient scripts in distant lands to asking ancient beings for some way to at least seal it away permanently, only for all of them to come up empty. I've even asked the Guardian of Metal and even he doesn't have a clue! I just…I want everybody to be safe. And with it still around, who knows what may happen." His' tension simmered down somewhat as he told her this before he continued, "I know I've asked you about this before, but do you remember anything, anything at all from your time in the Sea of Black Tears that could help us?" He said, looking at her imploringly. Hoping there would be one overlooked clue they could use to put an end to the dwelling threat.
Ophelia listened to his' worries and by the end the end of it she gave him an apologetic look before stating, "No, all that I remember during that time was arriving there and jumping in. After that I just remember there being dark whispers and hazy images from what I guess my other self was seeing. Then, I just remember feeling something touching my chest and waking up to you almost being taken by the black tears before going to save you. Besides that, I don't remember anything else from my time down there. Sorry, Eddie." She said apologetically, saddened by the fact that she couldn't give much further insight into the issue.
Eddie, seeing her despondent and withering demeanor, knew that it was his' fault that she became like this and immediately attempted to find a way to cheer her up. "Hey, it's alright! I mean, we both got out of there no worse for wear. Besides, it was pretty incredible of you to come in and save me like that! Kind of hot, actually." He said to her genuinely, mumbling the last part mostly to himself though Ophelia was barely able to hear it under his' breath- which once she heard it brought a grin up to her face, before he suddenly gathered her in his' arms and brought his' lips to hers in a searing, passionate kiss, one which Ophelia happily returned.
After the kiss ended, they both leant back from each other but still remained in the comfort of one another's embrace before Ophelia looked back up at him with a large smile and said, "Yeah, I guess I was pretty incredible, wasn't I?" She said amusedly, before continuing in an affectionate tone. "But don't forget that it was you who came back and saved me in the first place remember? So, I guess in a way, we saved each other." She said warmly before continuing in a much more somber yet endearing tone, "You're a smart guy Eddie, I know that you'll find some way to solve this. But right now, I think you may be getting a bit too tired to do much more thinking tonight."
"Ophelia, I'm fine. See? I'm not even tir-" Yawn Though just as he was going to reply, an abrupt yawn interrupted him midway through the statement. Giving her a sheepish look, a look which she responded back to with a look of profound amusement, he finally relented. "Fine, you're right. I guess I could use some sleep already and put off thinking about it until tomorrow." With that, he started to make his' way back home while Ophelia herself opted to lean against his' massive form, with Eddie instinctually bringing his' arm up to rest along her back, guiding them back to the confines of their home a short ways away.
"Oh, I forgot to ask. Are Hunter and Delilah in bed already?" Eddie asked curiously, bringing his' gaze back down to his' traveling companion and lifelong partner beside him.
"Yes, they were already tucked into bed before I went to get you. They should be well asleep by now, just as you should be." She then playfully shoved Eddie before squealing in surprise as Eddie gathered her in his' arms.
Eddie let out a chuckle in response before he went on carrying his' wife the rest of the way to their home, his' troubles forgotten for the night.
As he went to bed that night, embracing his' lover, his' dreams were filled with the same, nonsensical images and experiences anyone else would have and by morning, most of them would long be forgotten by his' conscious mind, as they were on almost every day.
On that night, he would get some of the best sleep he had gotten in weeks.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, in a distant shrine of bones, a figure stepped out of a portal and quickly scanned the area, the portal silently closing behind him. With a reserved nature that betrayed his' internal giddiness, the figure went from the raised platform to the ones below through a small set of stairs and from there went down to another location below, known as the Temple of Ormagoden.
After examining the area, the figure once again went off and flew down the winding path filled with the various remains of demonic road-kill and human and animal sacrifices.
(A few minutes later, Location-Feeding Pit)
The figure arrived at the end of the winding trail and stopped at what seemed to be a feeding ground of sorts, if the bones of the previous victims were anything to go by.
The figure, now identified as the Crusader, set down onto the ground on the opposite end from the winding trail and inspected the area, coming to the conclusion that the rubble before him which blocked the way by foot was in fact the remains of what was once a grand and impressive bridge.
As the Crusader looked upon the discovery, he heard a very distinctive growling sound coming from behind and above him. Turning around to the source of the noise, he saw something that would have shaken an average man to his' very core.
But then again, this man was anything but average.
Looming in front of him was a serrated centipede which he estimated, as far as he could see from the amount of the creature's body which was sticking out of its fountain of blood, to be the better part of a few hundred meters in length and several dozen in width. It also seemed to be heavily scarred and calloused in certain parts of its anatomy, namely several nasty looking scars around what one would consider its neck, or basically just the nape of the head segment of the monster.
The ghastly beast growled with an unsettling tone, dripping both blood and malice in equal measure, and seemed to be measuring up its prey before sniffing him. After it had gathered a couple of whiffs of the man, the beast suddenly roared in the face of its adversary and reeled all of its length back to a looming height above the Crusader.
As it reached the apex of its height, the Crusader meanwhile had gathered the weapon off his' back and readied it in his' arms, activating its blade as well as giving his' body a threatening aura as he simultaneously activated his' main ability, channeling his' Oblivion ability throughout his' whole body, known simply as his' Oblivion form, and channeling the Annihilation half of the ability into his' weapon, specifically the blade. In doing so, his' body became transparent with an edge of darkness surrounding him and his' blade and weapon becoming translucent in the same manner as well. Other than that, the Crusader did not move besides taking a wide stance with the weapon, ready to swing the weapon upwards to meet the soon-to-be descending enemy.
For several moments, neither moved, and for a moment it seemed as though the world itself had ceased.
Then suddenly, the beast descended upon the location of the man, eager to make quick work, and an even quicker meal, of the man below as it had done with so many others before him.
Waiting until the final moment to act, the man tensed in anticipation for the arrival of the beast as he watched it descend upon him. At the last second, and as it seemed that the beast would devour him whole, the man swung as the beast slammed into the ground on top of him.
For a moment, nothing happened, and as it seemed to look like there was no clear victor, the beast moved. Its head tilted to the side, and this movement continued degree after degree until its head completely turned over and landed upside-down on the ground with a thud, decapitated. From the space that the head once occupied, the figure of the man rose from the bloody aftermath of the execution, after shoving the giant creature's head, no worse for wear and deactivated his' abilities, becoming wholly visible once again and setting the deactivated scythe on his' back with a flourish.
At the end of the other side of the bridge, a wayward scout noticed the commotion from the beast and observed the clash through the scoped lenses of his' standard issue binoculars. After witnessing the entire event transpire, the scout finally collected himself and ran towards his' outpost to radio it in, hurrying so that he could inform his' friends and colleagues of the situation in case things suddenly went awry.
Back with the Crusader, he decided to let the beast's carcass remain as a sign to let any others know that the way here was now clear to be traversed if they decided to repair the bridge and reclaim the temple for themselves. And with that he summoned forth his' three ethereal pairs of wings once again and took flight, deciding to cross the bridge at a moderate pace, seeing no real need to hurry.
Approximately ten minutes later, he arrived at the other end of the bridge. And after landing on solid land and taking in the details of the local area, he set out on foot towards the towering form of what seemed to be an enormous stone sword which seemed to be buried in the distance, occasionally having to slay a nocturnal beast or two along the way.
(Several Hours Later)
Eddie woke with a start, having been shaken by some external means for several moments. Turning to see who had awoken him, he gazed into the serious visage of his' wife, Ophelia. He was just about to ask what was going on, but she interrupted him before he had a chance to say a word.
"Eddie, something's happened. We need to get ready to go to Bladehenge as soon as possible. I'm going to have the kids taken care of by a friend in the meantime. I'll explain the situation on the way, let's hurry." And without waiting for a response, she went over to her modest walk-in closet to pick out an outfit to wear. Deciding to follow her example, he got ready to leave as well, eager to get some answers about the situation at hand.
(Several minutes later)
After getting ready, Ophelia informed Eddie that earlier that morning, a messenger came by the house to bring news of a new and mysterious individual that showed up on the steps to Bladehenge who was blocked by a sizable force of sentries who were informed about the individual and their victory against the Lamprey in advance. Despite this intimidating display of force, the figure didn't so much as flinch nor take any hostile action against the guards whatsoever. With no immediate danger found, one of the guards asked why the figure was at the capital of humanity, to which the figure, which was realized to be a man, said that they wanted to speak to the leaders of mankind, stating that the he was familiar with them and if he could have a discussion with them about a lingering danger that he sensed when arriving at the mainland.
Continuing the story, Ophelia also mentioned that while the guard was apprehensive in doing so, seeing as the warrior was able to defeat a beast that none of their forces had yet been able to deal with, saw fit not to provoke the individual as well as give him the benefit of the doubt for eliminating the dangerous creature that was blocking them from claiming that section of the land. With that they told the figure to follow them to a secure facility, in which the figure complied silently as he was escorted there by the guarding forces of the capital. With that, messengers were sent out to inform those who were requested by the figure. The leader of humanity at this time, Lita, after hearing about this developing situation, decided that if this matter was indeed as imperative as the man made it sound, had other, notable figures of mankind show up as well to get their opinions and inputs on the situation.
So, after explaining the news to Eddie, Ophelia and him made their way through to the facility the person was being held at, continuing to wonder what news was so important to bring the both of them out of retirement, relatively speaking.
After a largely uneventful drive in The Deuce, Eddie and Ophelia arrived at the facility holding the man, they themselves being escorted through the building by the Chief of security, whom they had met right outside the building.
As they went deeper and deeper into the halls of the building, they both took notice of the increased security that seemed to heighten as they traveled further and further into the depths of the building. After traveling for an indeterminate amount of time, they arrived at the section housing the interrogation rooms of the building. As they went along, they could hear a muffled voice loudly raising itself to some unknown listener. Coming around a bend and entering into a hallway with numerous doors, the chief lead the duo down to a fairly insignificant looking door and quietly opened it. Standing inside were four guards, each standing at their own respective corner of the room and facing the center, all of them being at ease at the moment but also slightly tensed in preparation to move at a moment's notice to restrain the lone individual sitting at the table.
Standing in front the interrogated person was a woman well into her years with medium length blonde hair. Currently, she had a stern look on her face as she gazed at the mysterious stranger before her. This woman was known as Lita Halford, the current ruler of all of mankind. Standing to the left of her, and on the opposite side of the room from the door, stood an aged biker known simply as The Kill Master who, unlike his' colleague, had a rather indifferent look on his' face as he watched the man before him.
As the door opened, both of the standing individuals turned to face the new arrivals while the figure continued to silently sit in his' chair, casually leaning back. Both groups nodded at each other in acknowledgement of the other's presence before gathering around the figure in the center of the room, with the two new arrivals gathering what they could from the man's superficial appearance. All in all, they found the man to be armed with a very peculiar weapon (which he would not part with), a scythe of all things, as well as what some would consider heavenly armor which was covered with robes that seemed so clean and white they almost seemed to glow. The man's hood was down and they could see that the man had tanned skin and a full head of black hair along with brown eyes. Other than that, there wasn't anything else that was particularly interesting about the man in front of them, aside from his' cool, calm collectedness which he seemed to constantly carry himself with… if he were standing, that is.
Once everyone settled themselves around the individual, Lita then addressed the lone, seated person in the room. "So, now that everyone is here, why don't you tell us the reason for why you've requested for all of us to be here?"
And so, the man went on to explain how he arrived here through a portal summoned by a being of ultimate power as well as his' reason for being here: confronting a dark presence which seemed to be hidden somewhere considerably far away which could possibly threaten humanity as a whole. Now with that said, the Crusader (Which he preferred to be called in the meantime), asked if there was anything they knew about whatever it was that could be causing the disturbance. The group all gave each other a knowing look before going on to explain to the Crusader their history as well as the heroic feats of none other than their resident time-traveler and roadie, Eddie. After everything was explained by the room's occupants, the Crusader then went into detail about his' world, jogging up old memories for Eddie as he did so. With that, Eddie asked the Crusader if the world that he left behind had went through any significant changes since he'd been gone. The Crusader went on to explain that the world was mostly the same since Eddie left (around 2009), the only significant thing that he could really tell Eddie was that metal had yet to hit the mainstream populace like it did in its prime during the '80s, causing Eddie to visible deflate in disappointment at the fact.
They then went on to explain the chain of events leading up to their current state of peace and prosperity before finally delving into the topic they had all been waiting to address, The Sea of Black Tears. Once the story of the Black Sea was told, along with its influence on various events throughout their history, they told the man that even now they have yet to come up with a permanent solution in dealing with this plague, though they did reiterate that as of now it was not an active danger to them but could be unleashed upon the world at any moment, given the proper means.
With that in mind, the group of heroes then asked the Crusader if he could help them find a means to permanently resolve this issue once and for all. The Crusader, however, had another idea in mind in which he reasoned that if the world of metal was unable to resolve such an issue on its own for all this time, then perhaps it was up to a warrior of light to be the one to bring about the end of the last darkness in this age of man. When they asked what the figure had in mind, he just simply responded that he had a way to deal with this kind of threat in the way nobody else here could. Obviously, this hardly reassured the crew at all, but they decided to at least let the man attempt to find a solution to this issue and decided to put their faith in this man just this once; though, they'd obviously be keeping a pretty big eye on him at all times, just in case.
With that all sorted out, the group of heroes, once again went on an expedition to a place they hoped to never see again, but ultimately knew they would have to return to eventually, the realm of the Sea of Black Tears.
The trip wasn't nearly as eventful as when they first ventured into this once-dreaded area, with patrols and outposts guarded by heavily armed and trained individuals, little to no predatory wildlife was seen along the way, let alone rammed into; And any dark forces that once seemed to seek mankind's destruction was all but extinct, or at least very well into hiding, never to be seen or heard from again.
After passing through the muddy lands of the Amazonian forest of the Zaulia, the soggy marshes of swamps and into the gloomy atmosphere of the realm surrounding the Sea of Black Tears, they eventually made it to the sealed gate that guarded the sea itself.
Once the gate was opened, due in no small part to the concerted efforts of both man and machine, they continued along in their journey into the cavern with an escort of armored vehicles, cumbersome yet powerful flying siege units and disciplined infantry forces. After making their way inside the candle-lit cavern, the tour bus which carried them through the trip and to this realm smoothly pulled to a stop near the exit. Once parked, everybody piled out and a perimeter to guard against any unexpected dangers was set. After the area was secured and deemed safe, relative to this place anyway, the group made their way to the nearby shore.
Upon reaching it, the heroes decided to stay back and let the Crusader examine the dark waters along the shore, prepared to act if the man were to be consumed by the tears as so many had before. However, it was during this time that things began to get…interesting.
(1st person P.O.V.)(Music Track: Dark Music- Queen of Thorns)[A/N: It kinda helps to set the scene a bit, but if you don't want to listen to it, or can't, then you are more than free to not do so. Anyway, enjoy!]
As I looked into the waters along the shore to the lake of Black Tears, I suddenly heard an enchanting voice enter my mind, but to me, the words were anything but comforting.
(A/N: I know it was Tear-Drinker Ophelia who said something akin to these lines originally, but I decided to use these it to set the tone for the essence of the black tears. Also, I like poetry. ;P)
In a rip through reality, did a warrior appear.
Eager to prove his' life had purpose.
He walked a path unbeaten.
Alas, one built upon tragedy, just like the rest.
Up my way the man came forward.
Once again, the casket was opened.
I hoped to stop the pain festering within his' soul.
And through these heroes, you came ashore.
In the end, the loss of life will ruin yours.
Something I know you see.
So drown your sorrows in me, my dear.
As you drown, my dear, in me…
After hearing these foreign thoughts within in my head, I wasn't quite sure what to think. As the cool essence trickled through my mind with its cold, withering grasp, in order to maintain the focus I needed, I decided to speak to whomever it was that was talking to me and edged closer to the shore and decided that if I wanted to carry on my self-appointed duty, I'd have to make contact and deal with this lingering presence and it'd have to be done through establishing a medium with the essence of the spirit itself, namely the black tears. So, with heavy reluctance, and to the astonishment of the rest of the crew of heroes, I sunk a hand into the water to contact the being and attempted to have a mental conversation with her.
'So, you're the one that has been worrying everybody? What is it that keeps you here?' I asked with whatever confidence I could muster, trying to keep the apprehension out of my voice…thoughts? Whatever.
In the beginning, I lived to sing my beautiful music.
Nature itself heeded my voice, providing sustenance for those above.
In the end, there had been one who used this love against me.
And through it, my singing became both life… and death.
My love that sustained life had been used to end another.
With such pain in my heart, a hole did grow.
And through it my tears did flow.
As my body withered away like a blackened rose, my tears become all that was left.
Then, in time, my tears were used by those with no more.
Who continued to flow onto my shore.
Through this cycle of anguish I have no rest.
As in my tears, bore only pain.
And in my pain, bore only tears.
It was terrible, sad really. Hearing all of this happen to her knowing that her love of singing was used against another, Ormagoden-the eternal fire beast, and brought his' demise. But through it, this world was made, and in a sense it made it possible for there to be further life.
As I gazed into the shimmering depths of the void, I decided what my course of action would be.
'I know how to end your pain, Aetulia. I'm sorry, but I need to rid this world of the Sea of Black Tears or else this agony will continue to linger needlessly.' As I said this, I channeled my Oblivion ability into myself and submerged both my arms into the inky liquid. 'So, just let me-' I was about to say more, but was quickly interrupted by Aetulia.
No! I will not surrender so easily!
With you warrior, through their destruction, I can end the suffering of all!
All you have to do… is give yourself…to me!
With that, dozens of her dark tendrils shot through the water and gripped my arms and chest with a vice-like grip, even being felt through my armor and clothing. So, with that I activated my divine armor to help me combat both her influence as well as its effect on the dark thoughts that were festering within my own soul. And as the moments passed, the effects of the armor were quickly allowing me to regain control of my mind once more and I felt all the more confident I could finish this, until…
No!
From out of the lake rose a figure made completely of black tears. It seemed that it, a she from what I could tell, was the form of a very tall and beautiful figure of a mature, humanoid woman. However, her visage held a tone of pure contempt which was aimed squarely at me. As soon as her gaze met mine, she quickly glided over the surface of the sea, heading right towards me.
The others behind me, after getting over their initial shock, realized the danger at hand and quickly rushed towards me. However, before they could get any closer, I jerked my head back to them and quickly said "No! Stand back, I can handle this! You'll only get captured, just stay out of the way and wait!", which seemed to stop them in their tracks, albeit hesitantly, though many of them, as well as many of their guards, kept their weapons trained on the direction of both the spirit and I, just in case.
In the meantime, the form of Aetulia continued to glide towards me, and soon enough she was upon me. As she reached me, she hunched forward and with her form gathered her semi-solid hands and placed them on both sides of my head in an attempt to further subvert my mind.
Listen only to the sound of my voice.
Let your mind relax.
Let your thoughts drift.
Let the cold memories of old embrace you.
Let this lingering peace be upon you.
Surrender yourself to an endless slumber.
Let it wash over you like gentle waves of the coolest sea.
Let this feeling envelope you, comfort you.
Imagine somewhere calm, imagine somewhere peaceful.
Imagine yourself…in a Sea of Black Tears.
Just allow yourself to drown in our sorrows, my dear.
As you drown, my dear, in tears…
My mind was clouded with conflict. My own resistance to such influences coupled with the strength given to me through the enchantments in my armor came into conflict with my own subconscious sorrow and anguish. It soon became a battle for who would have control of not only my mind and soul, but even the world as I knew it if I let it claim me.
So, with all the strength I could muster, I gathered myself and forced myself to take control of my own selfish desires and focused on the task at hand.
'Okay, I am in control! Be calm. At Peace…alright, I can do this. I just need to let her know that I understand her, even if it's only a little bit. Well, here goes.' I thought within my inner-mind, before mentally conversing with the presence coursing through my mind.
'I understand your pain, as I'm sure you know, my life before all of this held little meaning for me, that I was just a burden on others and that perhaps I was better off just ending it all.' I thought, melancholy seeping into my thoughts as I remembered those times.
'But I didn't, as much as I thought that I wasn't doing anything meaningful, I had to find a way to change my life on my own. I decided that if my life was worth ending over nothing, then it was worth dying for something as well. Back then, before my journey, I decided to place myself into the hands of fate itself and waited until the day that I could be of use to whatever I felt was worth fighting for… or die trying. Luckily for me, he came for me.' I thought, waxing nostalgic about a moment in time that seemed so long ago.
'It isn't just about me or what I want anymore, it's about fulfilling the promises of those left behind and the fates of those that I have yet to change. In the end, ensuring that they can fulfill their dreams gives me purpose, and I can't give up on them now! There is still too much for me to do in order to just give up now! Even if I have to shoulder the pain of loss for the rest of my life, their hopes and dreams and happiness all make it all worth something! I choose to believe that tomorrow holds a better day for all of us, that is what I work towards! Not myself, but the dreams and fates of others! That is why I continue to live! That is why I will not die here, because there is still so much more for me to do! I have to be the change that I wish to see in the world, because I. Am. A. Crusader!'
With that, all the power from my oblivion abilities that I could muster flowed through me and into the sea, causing it to start receding towards me.
No! I will not let anyone to further harm me, not again!
'I know that, and that's not what I'm trying to do. Just let me take your pain and I will put an end it to it once and for all. I can already shoulder all of my own anguish, and if you let me, I'll shoulder yours as well. I promise to end your cycle of pain here, you've looked through my mind and seen my thoughts and intentions, and know that I would never betray you like what happened in your past. Trust in me, please…' As this is all happening, the presence she had on my mind started to lessen with each passing statement, allowing me to have regain more and more focus for the task at hand.
Eventually, the Sea of Black Tears receded upon itself to the point of the shore in front of me, and all that was left was the dark form of Aetulia before me, her arms having left my head in place of leaving one on my left hand, which I raised to meet her own grip. I could see the uncertainty in her dark eyes as she gazed at me uncertainly before it soon changed to a look of reluctant acceptance.
Fine, if it's you, I think I can place my trust into somebody else's hands one last time…I'll be looking forward to what fate has in plan for you, my dear…and thank you…
And with that, her darkened form along with the last of her sea of black tears disappeared, and the phenomenon that was once known as the Sea of Black Tears was gone, forever.
With that encounter concluded, I reflected on the fact that I just accomplished the first ever significant feat of my journey. I felt…fulfilled, granted it wasn't my own world, but still, I made the lives of the people here safer without this temptation tormenting their lives any longer.
Leaning back as I sat down on what was once the shore of the Sea of Black Tears, I felt a strange trickling sensation and looked to my left hand, and for a brief moment, there seemed to be the oily wisps of something other than my abilities. Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone again.
Convincing myself it was just the lingering dregs of my encounter with Aetulia, I stood up and turned around and went past the group, who were all slack-jawed by the experience before quickly composing themselves and following along, and went into the bus, intent on getting some rest. Though my plans for rest were quickly put on hold as I was promptly bombarded with questions from both the group of heroes as well as their escorts.
Soon enough, we left the cavern, the candles that illuminated the cavern extinguishing themselves as we left and closed the entrance behind us, thus signifying the end of a long era of desolation at last, and perhaps marking the beginning of a lasting peace for this world.
(One month later)
Over the course of the month, I asked Eddie if he could teach me the secrets of metal, to which he agreed he would, but only if I could pass his' one test. I agreed that I'd take the test, to which he simply, 'Who is your favorite guitarist?', to which I answered: Steve Vai. He gave me a long, hard look before smiling and nodding, telling me that I passed his' test. And though it wasn't his favorite, it was an acceptable answer nevertheless.
Throughout this time, I had a custom guitar made for me, which I named Jasmine, and learned various techniques of metal as well as making a few of my own, but explaining them all could wait until another time.
My guitar "Jasmine" was an ivory white guitar with golden strings. The guitar seemed fairly standard in shape overall, but that's because between both Eddie and I, we were able to make the world's first collapsible acoustic/electric guitar, in which in its default state looked to be a regular electric guitar, however that could change as it was able to expand through the use of several internal mechanisms activating which enlarged the depth of the guitar to create a chamber for sound to play in the event that electricity was unavailable, or just plain preference for an authentic acoustic tone.
Just like Eddie's guitar, Clementine, the guitar had the capacity to electrocute enemies, setting them alight with flames or even being able to create an earth-shaking knockback effect.
I also didn't improve in just guitar handling, but in melee combat as well. When Eddie introduced me to a man called the Guardian of metal, I learned that Eddie himself had learned various combat techniques from the Guardian. I myself asked if he could teach me a few unique techniques that I could use for my scythe as well as some combos between it and my guitar, and he agreed to teach me, but only in exchange for fan tributes, which I learned was a sort of supernatural currency used in certain areas of this world. Luckily, between slaying the Lamprey (the tapeworm/centipede creature from the beginning), meeting Eddie and the group as well as dealing with Aetulia and the Sea of Black Tears, I had plenty of fan tributes to spare.
Meanwhile, during this time, I spent my time hanging around with the others that I came to know in this world the most. My time outside of training was spent in a number of ways.
For instance, I spent a good amount of time, if not learning about the metal spiders and their uses, just relaxing in a chamber of bass riffs along with jamming in Kill Master's lair with said individual and his' bassists. Though I politely declined their offers of indulging myself in some beer, as I wasn't one for drinking; though they weren't particular offended by it, being as laid-back as they were.
Sometimes, I spent time talking with Lita about her role as the queen of the land, and what her responsibilities consisted of as well as her privileges. Ironically, they had turned the pleasure gardens of Lionwhyte's domain back into a lavish resort, though it was now enjoyed and maintained by both genders, much to the relief of the women who were around during that time; though many of the women were still reluctant to go back to the place that held so many terrible memories for them. However, during one particular visit with the ruler, having gained a bit of her trust and respect, she took me to her most cherished place in the world… the tombstone of her late brother, Lars. At the time, not much was said and we both just waited there, neither of us saying a word to one another as we conveyed our silent respects to the fallen. And if nothing else, my understanding of this old notion of humanity grew: "The only ones who have seen the end of war, are the dead."
I even visited Eddie and Ophelia at their home a few times, meeting both of their children, Hunter, who was the eldest of the twins, and Delilah, the younger sibling, who were both wonderful and exuberant children, both being around 10 years old.
Mangus…well he didn't do too much, but we did talk a few times with him explaining that he officially 'retired' after his' stints with Eddie and now just ran concerts and tours on the side while living a rather lax, if luxurious, life.
So, after an arduous amount of training and refining my skills, I was finally ready to leave. Despite all that this land presented to me, there just simply wasn't any real need for me to be around here anymore. So, I decided that it was time to continue my journey elsewhere.
Eventually, as the day of departure came, so too did all the people I had come to know over my time here. What surprised me was that beforehand, Eddie planned a departing concert to celebrate the start of true peace for the land as well as my departure from it; the concert itself consisted of Mangus on the stage-controls, Kill Master providing some soothing bass riffs, Lita on the drums surprisingly, and Ophelia on a microphone, strumming on the side with her own modest guitar. At one point during the congregation, Eddie and I had a guitar duel which turned into a guitar duet with Eddie singing, as my voice wasn't suited for it, and a whole afternoon filled with nothing but fun times and heavy metal.
By the time evening arrived, it was time for me to be on my way. After the gathered crowd shared their goodbyes and thanked me, I shared my last moments in this place with those I came to appreciate the most, starting with Lydia.
"Watch yourself out there, and try not to blow up a world or anything, alright? Good." Lydia asked, to which I gave a nod, and then gave me a quick hug before letting go, almost looking crestfallen that I would be leaving so soon. Her husband stood next to her and simply gave me a nod and a quick handshake.
"Don't do anything we wouldn't do, it's gonna be rough out there, wherever you go." Kill Master told to me as he pulled down his' shades to look me in the eye for a moment before pushing them back up while also giving me a stiff nod and a genuine smile. Then, the next person to say goodbye to me was Mangus.
"Hey man, this portal of yours isn't going to blow us all up or anything when you leave, right? I still have to live here dude." Mangus said worriedly, and despite me telling him that they would all be just fine once I left, he still didn't look particularly relieved but did manage to say "Good luck, man." Before stepping back.
"Give them hell for us, alright?" Ophelia said, before I replied with "Sure, thing." She nodded then gave me a wicked grin and stepped back to let the last of the group through, as I had already said goodbye earlier in the day to the Guardian of Metal, who as I left yelled "Go F***ing CRAZY!"
The last of the group, Eddie, walked over to me before giving me a hard look for a few moments before giving me a quick bro hug, one that I promptly returned. "Just take good care of Jasmine, and make sure to get a case or strap for her, I can't tell you how many times I've almost dropped Clementine during my trips. Look man, it's been a blast having you here, but if other people out there need your help, then who am I to stop you?" He smiled to me, knowing more about this type of situation than anyone else here.
"Just make sure not to have any regrets, and live your life the way you want to, alright?" Eddie asked me, to which I nodded back to answer him. "Good." He said as we shared one last firm handshake, with him almost breaking my hand from the nearly overwhelming grip that he had, before I waved goodbye to his' kids as well as everyone else in the crowd behind my friends.
We decided it would be fitting to have my journey at the place where it started, for both me and Eddie, and had the celebration there. So, once everything was done and our goodbyes were said, the group and I went up the newly accessible mountain of bones and went to the podium where it all started. I took a look back at the group of friends that I made during the time here, deciding in that moment that I should leave them with some inspiring words.
Letting out a reserved, yet slightly louder than I intended, cough, I was quickly able to gather the undivided attention of everyone here, and once I was sure of that, I stood in a stoic pose and said to them, "The threat has passed, the danger is gone. If you all could get this far with the risk of devastation looming over your heads, think of what you can accomplish now that it's gone. I've done my part, now you lot have to do yours. Though take heed, you are not alone in this task. You will face the future together, and you will fully claim this world as your own. Though not just for yourselves, but for your children, and their children born after them. Now and forevermore, metal will be your tool and your ally, and it will never die! Make me proud, but more importantly, make yourselves proud! Peace out and Rock On!"
And with that, the crowd went wild. Their cheers and applause so great, even the titans themselves would have been impressed by such a display. And as their voices and hollers started to quiet down, I took the moment to myself and whisper:
"Lord, I'm done here. Could you let me know where I might be needed next?" Granting me a brief vision, he updated me on my next assignment and what I needed to do. I nodded in appreciation of the information before turning around one last time and waving back at the friends I made here, the portal opening up behind me as I did so. With my peace made, I turned around once again and stepped forward, the portal pulling me in and fading away anti-climactically as I entered into it.
And then I was gone, leaving the world of Brutal Legend forever.
(End of Part 4)