Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Indolentor

Running up the obelisk Connor watched the massive enemy throw the floating obelisk towards him the massive structure rolling and bouncing towards him.

"Go time! SLOW TIME!" Connor yelled slowing time to allow him to slide under the bouncing structure and continue to charge at the enemy, "LIGHT BLADES!"

Throwing the blades the Indolentor spun one of his remaining obelisks using it to block the swords, "TAKE THAT!"

Creating a blinding light Connor found himself at the end of the obelisk he stood on and the Indolentor then slammed the tip spinning the structure and knocking Connor off.

Spinning in the air Connor glared to see the Indolentor summon four of the massive structures and sent all of them flying towards Connor.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Kyler yelled flying past Connor, using his hammer to smash one of the structures sending chunks of the structure flying.

Grabbing onto one Connor looked around to see his friends all jumping and landing on different boulder chunks.

"What the plan?!" Kyler asked landing next to Connor.

"The hourglass on his chest!" Roscoe growled, "I sense his magic coming from that!"

"Then we know what to do then! Everyone we need to clear Connor a path so he can hit the bastard!" Seth yelled drawing his cutlass.

"Alright then! Everyone move!" Connor yelled charging forward through the air while the others all began spreading out.

"Little worms, this realm will be your tomb!" the Indolentor yelled lifting his arms and making more obelisks rise.

"Merlin with me!" Neo yelled running across a floating island with Merlin floating at his side.

"Rodger!" Merlin nodded flying at his side dodging the Faithful that tried to stop them.

"HAAH! RAAH!" Ash yelled punching and kicking a Faithful away and looked to Neo who was racing towards her, "need a lift?"

"Ready!" Neo yelled charging towards her and watching her hook her fingers together and catch his boot when he jumped launching the soldier in the air.

"Take this!" Neo yelled firing his rifle at the Indolentor who growled and glared in his direction.

"Out of my sight!" the Indolnetor yelled launching an obelisk at him while he was stuck floating mid-air.

"Now it's my turn!" Voltage yelled getting boosted by Ash and reached out to Neo who took the other hand.

With several powerful spins, Neo threw Voltage who sliced his axe down on the obelisk shattering it and creating a thick cloud of dirt.

"Inferno Maxima!" Roscoe yelled running across an island high above launching several fireballs at the enemy who used his arm to shield the fireballs.

Running below Tercero pointed his phantom blade using the grabbling mode to shoot a floating island and jumped holding onto the string and swinging around till he landed on another island.

"Over here!" Seth yelled standing next to a boulder he and Jaya were tying with ropes, "think you can use that grabbing to throw this at the bastard?"

"Sure can!" Tercero nodded attaching his grappling hook to the boulder.

"After you jump, we will push this boulder, use the gravity to spin it, and launch this at the brute!" Jaya advised.

"Got it!" Tercero yelled running and eagle diving off the island he stood on.

Seth and Jaya then pushed the boulder off watching Tercero spin in the air and grab the rope both he and the boulder then began to spin in the air.

Waiting for the right moment Tercero cut the rope free sending the flying boulder slamming into the Indolentor back and sending him crashing into another floating island.

"Kyler now!" Connor yelled taking the hero's hand who then threw the hero who curled into a ball and spun towards the Indolentor who was slowly pushing himself up unable to stop Connor from getting close.

Spreading open midair Connor formed the combination spell, "LIGHT BLADE MAXMIA!" Stabbing the blades into the Indolentor hour glass Connor flew in after stabbing his sword into the glass after the corruption was burned away.

"RAAAAAAAAAH!" the Indolentor roared smacking Connor away and clenching his chest floating backward and crashing into his floating obelisks.

Flying in the air Connor was caught by Ash who tackled him out of the air and both crashed onto a floating island.

"You, ok?!" Ash asked looking over her shoulder to the Indolentor seeing the realm around them start to form cracks.

"Ow ow ow! Yeah, I'm good! We need one more hit!" Connor groaned looking to the others in the distance, "Together!"

"Then get going then!" Ash smirked taking Connor's hand and threw him towards the next island where Voltage jumped off his island taking Connor hand.

"Go get him!" Voltage yelled throwing Connor faster to Mika who boosted Kyler.

"Finish him!" Kyler yelled throwing Connor towards the Indolentor who with Avo's Tear his eyes glowed white and began to spin in the air turning into a spinning light missile.

About to swing at Connor's attack the Indolentor hand was hit with a boulder by Neo.

Seeing white feathers flying from Connor's light the Indolentor was about to block to protect his hourglass but instead of blocking he held his arms out and his red eyes closed.

'Fighting such a bother, I think I deserve to rest,' the Indolentor thought allowing the light attack to pierce through his hourglass shattering it and impaling him and coming out of his back.

The dream realm then shattered and back in the real world the crystal gems the heroes had been trapped in all shattered and they all began to fall from the top of the high building.

Waking up Connor eyes widen looking to see his falling companions, "SLOW TIME!"

Casting the spell Connor used the Whip spell to grab the building and spin grabbing each friend to then reposition them to fall on a roof or a haybale below using the last of his magic till he made sure his friends would land safely.

With time resuming Connor began to fall fast toward the ground only to be caught by the Indolentor's massive hand.

Still weak Connor slowly looked up to the Indolentor who corruption was slowly burning away and gently set Connor down and laid on the ground looking to the sky.

"Living was such a bother, fighting is tiresome, I deserve to really dream again, I am not too proud to admit when I've been defeated," the Indolentor spoke holding up a hand and watching his claws tips slowly turn to ash and blow away in the wind, "Wrath will go after the sword, you know."

"Ngh!" Connor grunted getting into a sitting position to look up at Sloth, "it in Bowerstone Castle?"

"Well, I was vague on its location, I think you'll know where it's really hidden, don't you?" the Indolentor hinted.

"I don't understand, isn't Wrath your ally? Why lie?" Connor asked hearing the Indolentor chuckle.

"We may be considered 'siblings' but the reality is we all hate each other, Wrath may be our leader but that never made us friends, besides," the Indolentor spoke looking to the sky, "I still remember what it was like to really dream, a cruel punishment I kept from my human years, I am ready to really sleep again."

"Goodnight Sloth, I don't know where you'll go after this but I hope you can truly dream again," Connor spoke watching the Indolentor fully vanishing leaving only his mask.

Looking around Connor watched the people who had fallen asleep where they stood slowly waking from their deep slumber.

"Jeeze Connor!" Seth groaned jumping down from a roof and rubbing his lower half, "Couldn't send me landing in the hay like some of the others?"

"Not as comfy as you think," Mika spoke picking hay out of her hair, "is everyone ok?"

"Think so," Ash spoke looking around to see the people waking up, "where is Merlin?"

"Here," Merlin spoke joined by Neo in her Wisp form.

"You ok Merlin?" Jaya asked approaching.

"Thank you for your concerns, I'm ok, is anyone injured?" Merlin asked wishing to avoid talking about losing the sensation to feel.

"Nope everything looks good from here," Voltage spoke seeing the Indolentor mask shrink and was about to pick it up but it got pulled by an invisible force, and like before the Vexator stood on a building catching the mask.

"We can still fight! Come at us!" Kyler growled watching the Vexator.

"Hmph, you're not ready to fight me, boy," the Vexator spoke.

"Wanna bet?!" Seth yelled pointing his pistol and firing several rounds at the Vexator who lifted a hand and before their eyes something visible sliced the bullets sending them splitting in half and darting past his body.

"Dodge this then!" Roscoe growled launching the Blades spell at the Vexator who dodged all but one of the blades catching it by the blade with two fingers.

"Your magic strong, however," the Vexator spoke shattering the sword spell into magic dust, "I'm stronger."

"Careful guys, he's the leader of the Sins for a reason," Ash warned narrowing her eyes at the enemy who placed his brother's mask onto his side.

"Such anger I sense, it empowering," Wrath smirked from behind his expressionless mask his eyes glowing red.

"You gonna come down here and fight or do we have to come up there and kick your arse too?!" Kyler growled pointing his hammer.

"The time will come for us to do battle soon, good things come to those who wait as they say, and I promise this, each and every last one of you will suffer dearly, I promise your deaths will not be quick," the Vexator spoke before turning away from them and vanishing, "that time will be soon."

"Coward," Kyler growled placing his hammer on his back.

"Hey Connor, were you able to retrieve the sword?" Jaya asked handing Connor a health potion and watching him chug it down.

"I did but..." Connor spoke looking at his sword hilt and looking to the new Augmentation, "Zane his spirit..."

"Oh!" Voltage gasped quickly searching a bag attached to his side.

"I'm so sorry Connor," Ash spoke seeing Voltage approaching with an urn in hand.

"Hey uh Connor," Voltage spoke holding out Zane's urn to Connor, "here."

Taking the urn Connor felt it still had some weight and opened the lid to see some ashes remained, with a chuckle Voltage looked to the mountain, "I think it time we let the great Hero of Oakvale finally rest, don't you?"

Later that day with the sun setting the night Connor climbed the mountain alone, reaching the summit where he looked out to the distance looking across the South Island and to the beautiful sky.

Opening the lid of Zane's urn Connor reached in holding some of the ashes in the palm of his hand, "I'm sorry you had to wait so long to be reunited with your family, but thank you for your sacrifice, now go, be free."

Watching the ash in his hand blow in the wind Connor watched the ash fly towards the setting sun, reaching in Connor let out another scoop of ash blow in the breeze.

Closing his eyes Connor opened them to see ahead of him was a bright light and in front of him stood Zane, both then heard the bark of a dog who came running out of the light towards Zane who fell to his knees hugging the dog that tail waved happily while licking Zane's face.

"Sparky! I missed you too my good handsome boy!" Zane chuckled petting his dog looking up to the light to see Ace and Leo standing and waving.

"Always late! Come on mate! Your wife is waiting!" Ace chuckled.

Standing up Zane walked into the light where Connor smiled seeing Zane hugging his wife before being greeted by his parents Scarlet Robe and Brom.

Smiling at his family Zane slowly turned his head to look at Connor nodding, "Thank you."

Throwing the last of the ashes into the wind Connor watched Zane and the others vanish into the light that became the setting sun.

"You're welcome," Connor smiled brushing his hands of any ashes that remained before he began his hike back down the mountain.

At Bowerstone Castle the Vexator entered a room where he placed the mask of Sloth right next to the mask of Pride all in a row with the masks of Sorrow, Gluttony, and Lust.

Approaching the hooded figure of Envy, she looked at her fallen sibling masks, "Another fallen brother, I sense that Greed and I will share their fates as well dear brother."

"If your sacrifice is demanded for our Master's return then I will see to it," the Vexator spoke coldly looking to the sin of Envy the Discontentress.

"Of course, what our Master wants he gets, best see to it brother dearest," the Discontentress spoke before leaving, the Vexator watching her with narrowed eyes.

"Hmph it's no secret what you seek sister, It's best to nip those ambitions in the bud before that jealousy manifests into something that will jeopardize the mission," the Vexator spoke looking to the fallen masks of his siblings.

"Will you be the one to destroy her if she steps out of line?" Lord Tirich spoke sitting in an armchair in the darkness of the corner of the room.

"I will not hesitate to if that is what I must do," the Vexator spoke looking at the man and seeing the moving shadow of darkness that was behind the man, "have you fully taken over that puppet my master?"

"Took a while to weed out that last bit of resistance but I have," Tirich spoke removing a glove on his hand and seeing the tip of his fingers starting to turn black, "but this host is rotting away, we must act soon."

"We already have our representatives of Skill and Will, as we speak our chosen of Strength will be ready soon," the Vexator spoke picking up a file from a nearby desk, "Twin Blade."

"The Hero turned Bandit King, I'd say he would indeed be a suitable host of Strength if he can obey," Tirich spoke taking the file from the Vexator, "have you dealt with Lady Grey and Reaver scheming?"

"No need, the fools think they're outsmarting me, let them continue their plans, when the time comes they will submit, I've already planted the strings to ensure that," the Vexator spoke forming a red and yellow thread around his fingers that each beat with different magical pulses like two different heartbeats.

"Ohhh," Tirich spoke with a raised eyebrow, "are those what I think they are?"

"Yup, leave them to me, they will obey one way or another," the Vexator spoke making the strings vanish.

"See to it Wrath," Tirich spoke watching the Vexator leave the room.