The Warrior of Light
We did it. The spirit vessels were ready to receive my friend's memories and souls. But what should have been a moment of triumph, was swiftly overshadowed by the arrival of our foe.
After we managed to escape, I found myself staring at the burning sky. Elidibus had finally made his move.
It would end today.
Then, the sound of footsteps approached us...bringing with them hope.
S'eni ran as fast as her feet could carry her, eyes focusing on the road ahead while occasionally glancing up at the Crystal Tower in the distance. Its gleaming light appeared faded, weaker, barely standing out from the clouds that darkened the sky and the fire raining down from them. Elidibus' doing.
It had begun shortly after Y'shtola and her had met with the others in Eulmore. From one moment to the next, the beautiful blue sky had been replaced by this vision of the Final Days, covering all of Norvrandt in a large-scale attempt to awaken the people to the Echo. But it wasn't the only thing that happened, as shortly after, they had been attacked by strange specters cloaked in light, summoned in a similar fashion as the spell G'raha had used to bring them here.
Warriors from other worlds.
For a small mercy, if one wanted to call it that, these warriors seemed to only be after her and the others, but it made the resulting journey to the Crystarium all the more difficult. The closer they got, the more numerous their adversaries grew, and now it was only her heading towards their destination while the others were keeping them busy. She just hoped they were alright.
The sudden sound of a groan made her ears perk up and she stopped in her tracks to look around for its source. She found it past a few trees to the left. It was G'raha!
As she ran over, she also noticed Beq Lugg lying next to him, unmoving. "G'raha. What happened?" she asked immediately, dropping to her knee to check on the fallen Nu Mou. They were badly injured.
"...S'eni...how did you...?" G'raha shook his head. "...No matter... Elidibus...he took us by surprise—argh!"
Tearing her gaze away at his sudden cry, S'eni saw her friend writhe in pain as the crystallization on his body grew. "Oh, gods..." she breathed out. If this persisted...
Beq Lugg stirred and slowly opened their eyes.
"It was all we could do...to raise a ward to hinder his steps... And so we fled..." they said. "But he took it... The vessel with the Exarch's memories...Forgive me...Forgive me..."
"Shh." She reached out and placed a hand on their tiny shoulder. "It's going to be alright."
"The vessel bears not only my memories, but my blood, the blood of Allagan royalty...granting him the means to control the tower," G'raha managed to say after the pain had subsided.
"So that's how he summons them."
He nodded, raising his hands a little. "And as you can see, the burden on the tower is beginning to show..."
Yes...if this persisted his entire body would turn into crystal before long. Looking towards the towers, she narrowed her eyes and slowly rose to her feet. She wouldn't let that happen.
"Leave him to me," she told him.
"No, I won't let you go alone. Not this time," G'raha replied, his eyes finding hers. "Elidibus has exploited the people's nobility. Twisted their purest intentions for terrible ends. I can't let that stand. As Exarch, it's my duty to protect them. To defend their hopes and dreams. So I'm going to the Crystal Tower, with or without your blessing─though I would rather it were with."
She stared at him for a few, long seconds, then wordlessly held out her hand to help him up. He smiled and took it.
"Thank you."
Beq Lugg pushed themselves off the ground and managed to sit up enough to rest against a nearby tree stump. "I'd join you...but I would only be a burden," they said. "It's best if I remain here with my gremlins..."
"I shall send help," G'raha promised. "Stay strong, my friend, and take heart. By binding Elidibus within the tower, we have done more than simply delay him."
"Do you have a plan?" S'eni asked.
His smile grew, with an almost mischievous edge to it. "Much like our adversary, I'm not inclined to show my hand prematurely. But the time has come to bring my strongest card to bear."
She cocked an eyebrow in question, but he simply raised a finger to his lips and winked. With a shake of her head, she chuckled. "No time to waste then. Let's go."
"Yes. To the tower!"
As swiftly as possible, they headed towards the Crystarium. On their way, S'eni glanced at her friend a few times, watching as the crystallization slowly began to spread again while he tried to not let the pain show on his face. They soon arrived at the Accensor Gate, where the stationed guards looked about with a mixture of nervousness, worry, and even a little bit of wonder at the sight in the sky.
They approached two guardsmen standing closest to the gate, both of them immediately stopping their conversation and standing to attention when they noticed them.
"W-Warrior of Darkness! Exarch!" The especially nervous-looking one almost shouted. "Forgive us this paltry greeting. We weren't notified of your arrival!"
"It wasn't planned," G'raha said. " I need you to assemble a rescue party. Our friend Beq Lugg lies wounded in a clearing to the west. Please go to their aid with all haste."
"At once, my lord! M-May I ask how they came to harm? There've been reports of enemies in our midst, specters who appeared after the starshower. Do they have something to do with it?"
"Yes. The man who attacked Beq Lugg is also responsible for the starshower and the appearance of the specters. I have no time to explain, but know that the individual in question does not seek to do indiscriminate harm. If you do not bar his servants' path, they will not turn on you. You are to leave this foe to us, understood?" the guards nodded. "Good. Meanwhile, I ask that you alert the rest of the guard, and focus on maintaining calm in the city."
"Understood," a voice from up ahead said, and S'eni turned her head to look at its owner.
"Lyna!" G'raha exclaimed.
"I shall take charge of matters in the city. Find Beq Lugg, now!" Lyna ordered the two guardsmen, who both saluted and hurried off in the direction of Beq Lugg. Coming to a stop in front of G'raha and S'eni, she looked at the former and crossed her arms. "'No time to explain'... Hmph. The graver the matter, the less inclined you are to speak of it. Even when it is plain for all to see, like what is happening to you."
He followed her gaze towards his arm, then lowered his eyes. "Lyna... This time there truly is no time."
The corners of Lyna's lips rose.
"I know, my lord. Were matters different, I believe you would even be willing to speak of your past if pressed." Now it was her turn to lower her gaze. "Yet I remain afraid to do so. Afraid that what I might learn would make you a stranger...Forgive me. There is no time."
Looking over at her friend, S'eni couldn't help but smile at the absolutely shocked expression that had formed on his face, and she took a step closer to put a hand on his shoulder.
"Just talk with her," she whispered.
"I...Yes, you're right. Time must be made," he replied.
"I'll go on ahead then." Giving his shoulder a pat, S'eni began to head in the direction of the city, stopping only for a moment to send Lyna an encouraging nod before continuing onward.
The Crystarium for its part was thankfully relatively calm. There was unease in the air, but no outright panic. The people were more busy staring up at the sky and those few that did approach her to ask what was going on she told to remain calm and head home just in case.
Coming to a stop at the center of the Exedra, she looked up at the tower. It wasn't too long ago when she had first set foot into it, fighting her way up with other adventurers that had signed up for the expedition. They hadn't known what awaited them inside, yet they still braved it. It had been exciting to say the least.
And now she once more stood in front of its gates, ready to venture into it once more to face another foe, with a possible army at his beck and call. Sure would be nice to have some backup...
Almost out of its own volition, her hand began to move towards the pouch where she kept the crystals—
"The ward holds. Excellent. Elidibus will still be within the tower."
—and dropped it again when G'raha joined her.
"With Lyna everything alright?" she asked.
"I have told her something I should have said a long time ago," he replied.
"Good."
He turned towards her. "Elidibus' sole purpose is to destroy you, empowering himself with the hope of the heroes he summoned. By any measure, the odds are now stacked firmly in his favor."
"No one said that it was ever going to be easy." S'eni looked at him. "Let's go."
"I shall lift the ward then," G'raha said. They took the steps leading to the gate and he raised his staff to begin the process of undoing the spell.
"You know, it wasn't so long ago when I watched you seal up this place," she said while watching him.
"Hm?" he looked at her questioningly. "Ah, before I began my slumber, you mean. Hah, it seems it was a bit longer to me. And now I'm breaking the seal and have no intention of locking myself away again."
The gates glowed once and he lowered his staff once again.
"Come, my friend. Let's be about!"
They shared a nod and rushed inside.
Their first stop was at the Ocular, where G'raha had last seen Elidibus. It was empty of course, which meant he could only be further up. But wherever they looked, he wasn't there.
"Not here either. We must keep climbing," G'raha said as they ran up the flight of stairs leading up to one of the many giant platforms scattered throughout the entirety of the tower, having served as convenient arenas back when they had first entered these halls. A sudden cry escaped him and he fell, the clattering sound of his staff hitting the ground making her stop. Whirling around, S'eni saw him clutching his leg.
"G'raha!" She shouted and ran over to him, a gasp escaping her as she watched his leg turning into bright glowing crystal. Another summoning.
No sooner did those words go through her mind, a summoning circle appeared not far from them. Three more followed in quick succession. Elidibus finally must have realized where she was.
"Shit!" S'eni swore and stepped in front of her fallen friend as another circle appeared.
"It was only a matter of time anyway..." G'raha said, exhaling deeply. "I can't keep up with you like this, nor will it help us to make a stand here. Go on without me. Find Elidibus, and stop him."
"What!? No!" she turned back towards him. "You're in no shape to fight!"
He smiled at that. "Don't worry. Though I'm not a warrior like you, I have learned to hold my own over the years." Grasping his staff, he used it to push himself back on his feet. "When we first explored this tower, you and your fellow adventurers formed the vanguard, while I was left to follow in your wake. Suffice it to say, I was not pleased with the arrangement. Oh how I wished that I could join you..."
His eyes found hers, and for a moment she saw him like he had been back then, mismatched eyes and all. He had downright pouted when Rammbroes had forbidden him to form the rear with the rest of the expedition.
"And now I have," he said. "Here, where it all began. I was right to trust in you and the power of your legacy, of your name. To let them guide my every deed."
She mirrored his expression at his words, but it fell just as quick when unbidden words suddenly surfaced in the back of her mind. "For Elidibus is my name. And my mission. Guiding my every deed."
"G'raha, tell me...why me?" she then asked, taking him by surprise.
"Why you? Why not you? Had I chosen someone else, we would have never made it this far. Or do I mistake your meaning...?"
"Elidibus spoke in similar terms. That it was his name that guided him."
"Hmm, how curious..." he rubbed his chin. "To answer your question then, I made my choice for reasons which seemed obvious to me. There were the expectations I placed upon myself before beginning my slumber. And the expectations of those who roused me. Of course, I had the choice to turn my back on everything. But in the end, it was no choice at all."
As if he had just realized something, his eyes widened and he raised them to the ceiling above, before closing them. When he spoke again, there was a clear hint of nostalgia resonating in his voice.
"I cherish the time I spent with you and the others. What I wouldn't give to return to those days...Chasing ancient secrets, overcoming trial after trial with the aid of like-minded comrades...And what remarkable comrades they were. In such company, I felt as if I were a character in the epic tales that had stirred my heart as a boy. As if my dream had come true..." opening his eyes once more, he lowered them to her and chuckled. "It hadn't, of course, for I was no hero. Neither then nor after. Though the world to which I awakened, and the First were beset with a myriad of problems, I rarely knew how to play my part. There was, however, one thing of which I was certain: that I could not bear to let those dear to me meet a tragic end."
More circles began to form rapidly, and soon after, the specters of heroes from different worlds emerged from them. With a sigh, G'raha stepped forward, clapping her on the shoulder as he passed by her. "I'm afraid our time is up. Go!"
"But—"
"Rest assured you haven't seen the last of me," he said, offering her a reassuring smirk. "I wouldn't dream of playing my trump card in your absence."
Gritting her teeth, she averted her eyes. Gods, what a stubborn—
"I'll hold you to that!" S'eni spun around and resumed running up the stairs.
She ascended the tower, higher and higher, always on the lookout for Elidibus, until she had finally found him at the place where she should have expected him to be. The very apex of the tower: Xande's throne room.
"Elidibus!" she called out while running towards him, stopping a few feet away from him. "Stop this madness. Now!"
"The Waking...Sands? ...Yes, that was the place. The place I first made myself known to you," he said and turned around to face her. "The seventh Rejoining had left the realm leaning dangerously towards Darkness. And events were unfolding that threatened to push it over the brink. I approached you, in my capacity as Emissary, thinking that you would make a useful pawn..."
"Guess that didn't go as you wished it would."
"No. It did not. And for my error Lahabrea and Emet-Selch paid the ultimate price. Leaving me the last of the unsundered. My remaining brethren, fragmented as they are, cannot hope to see our mission to its end. It falls to me alone." He clenched his fist, heated anger filling his eyes soon obscured by his Ascian glyph. "Defeat is not an option. I will strike you down. I will resurrect Lord Zodiark. And I will bring back those who sacrificed themselves to call Him forth. Though it may take a thousand thousand years, upon my honor as Elidibus, Emissary of the Convocation of Fourteen, I will see this done!"
Staring at him, S'eni narrowed her eyes. Faces began to spring up in her mind. Hythlodaeus telling her about Elidibus' devotion, the unknown Convocation member chuckling in amusement at his dedication, Lahabrea shortly before he was destroyed by Thordan and, lastly, Emet-Selch after she promised him to never forget. Everyone that Elidibus knew, whom he fought for, was gone.
"You will never bring them back, no matter how hard you fight," she told him. "They're gone!"
"What of it!? I have my mission! I am Elidibus! And it is my duty to steer mankind and the very star upon their true course. This I swore to..." the Ascian hesitated, growing unsure with every word. "To someone. We spoke, and I swore...what? What did I...?"
"You can't even remember them, do you?"
For a moment, she could see his face filling with doubt, but it was quickly replaced by a grin as he began to laugh. His hand went to his chest and when he spoke, his unsureness waned with renewed resolve and his voice began to echo ominously. "This pain, this torment...is nothing! No more than must be suffered to deliver the world from its doom! No more than any of you malformed creatures have known! Even should you lose all that is dear to you. Even should it cost you your life...You bear the burden and fight on, kicking and screaming until your last breath is spent!"
"It's true. We've lost much and more. Known unimaginable suffering," a voice, no, Ardbert spoke from deep within her. "But through it all, we never, ever forgot what was dear to us. And that's what gave us the strength to carry on."
That's right.
"You've got no fight left to fight," she said and entered her combat stance. "I'll put an end to this all right here, right now!"
"No! NO! It will not end here!" Summoning circles formed all around him and he began to float high into the air. "Champions from beyond the rift, heed my call! The time has come to deliver your brethren from darkness!"
One by one, the heroes appeared, ready to fight the darkness they were called for to defeat.
"My heart's sole desire is a world free of sorrow. Join with me now in hope and prayer..." Their spectral forms fell apart, leaving nothing but gleaming spheres that represented the unadulterated desire to fight for what was good, for what was right... "...for the salvation of all!"
As soon as the words passed his lips, the spheres shot high into the air before descending down upon Elidibus, merging with him and draping everything in blinding white light that forced S'eni to shield her eyes. When she could open them again, she was greeted by a sight that made her gasp. She had seen it before, in the book Moren had shown them.
"If you would usher in the end, then with my all shall I oppose you..." No, not only there. "As the avatar of those mortal heroes who fought unfalteringly, in all their imperfection!"
The horned helmet, the caped armor. She had seen it within Elidibus' memories. It was—!
"As the Warrior of Light incarnate!" He shouted and brandished his sword and shield. "Come, Warrior of Darkness! Let us finish this!"
Before she could even react, he spun through the air and shot a wave of light from his sword towards her. Her hand shot up.
An explosion shook the entire throne room, creating a cloud of crystalline dust where S'eni had stood. A smirk danced across the Warrior of Light's dark lips, but it quickly fell and his eyes began to widen. "What...?"
The dust settled, revealing S'eni unharmed, standing in an arcane circle and holding the crystal Hythlodaeus had given her in her palm. The crystal began to glow, revealing to her the words hidden within.
"Herein I commit the chronicle of the traveler. Shepherd to the stars in the dark," Emet-Selch's ancient voice rang deep within her and she closed her eyes. "Though the world may be sundered and our souls set adrift, where you walk, my dearest friend, fate shall surely follow."
A sense of familiarity began to rise within her very soul, like the gentle brush of a warm wind on skin; a memory and yet not...
"For yours is the Fourteenth seat. The seat—" Her hand closed around the crystal and her eyes opened again as he spoke the name she found she already knew. "—of Azem."
Portals opened up all around her, guiding those to her that heeded her call.
"An invocation...though not of Hydaelyn's making...What are you?" the Warrior of Light wondered aloud. "No─it matters not! You are the enemy, and you will fall! Even should it cost me everything, I will not forsake my duty!"
Raising his sword over his head, he summoned a pillar of Light that turned everything to white.
From the portals her allies came forth, and the final battle began.
[To the Edge itensifies]
Joking aside, I seriously regret that I find myself unable to really do this battle the justice it deserves, especially a certain moment during it, so I hope you can forgive me for that. :)
Anyway, only two more chapters after this and it's off to the Source for our heroes once more. Hmm, wonder what'll await them there.