Chapter XLII: Cion Sky (Cont. VI)
Blackheart glanced down into the forbidding darkness below, the screeches of tortured souls and the faint struggling voice of Adelia floating up. He quickly glanced at the other seven allies, his eyes settling finally on Laura’s. There was a thought that passed between them and she stepped forward and glanced down into the darkness, her eyes searching the swirling shadow. “I say we go after her. We are her friends….we love her, don’t we?” She glanced up and over at Blackheart.
“Yes,” he said at last. “It may mean we die and never enjoy the great things that life may yet offer us.”
“I for one, wouldn’t want those things knowing that I let someone I love slip away from me,” she said after a moment, her eyes focused on Blackheart’s.
“I suppose you’re right,” he said with a light and almost unnoticeable smile.
“You suppose she’s right? She’s damn right!” West said after a moment. “Let’s not waste our time. Let’s go after her!” Blackheart and Laura smiled at him as he adjusted his uniform and prepared. Donovan cleared his throat, breaking the silence.
“Didn’t he say nine? There are only eight of us?”
“And Adelia….”
“Whose given in to the darkness, isn’t that right?” Donovan glanced throughout the group. “I don’t think we should rest all our hopes on her….”
“We have no choice,” Blackheart said.
“We have plenty of choices,” Donovan said. “That Watcher just said we did!”
“There’s no other choice for the honorable….”
Donovan sighed, “Sure sure. But what good is honor when you’re dead?”
Blackheart drew his sword, “What good is living a life of shame?”
“Well, you’re still alive at least,” Donovan muttered and glanced over at Grail who beckoned towards the tunnel. “Yes, well you can just go and do it yourself…..” Grail made another motion, this one more firm and a knife was revealed in her other hand. Donovan stared down at it, “Ah. I suppose you won’t then, will you?” He sighed. “Let’s get this over with then. I’d rather not have time to dwell on my death.” He marched up to the tunnel and stared down into the void, “Are you sure we really…..”
Grail slammed him on the back and sent him head first into the darkness with a wild scream and a drawn out curse. Grail looked at the others and made a motion that everything was taken care of, then leapt off the edge herself. West watched her disappear into the darkness. “Are you sure we can trust them?”
“If we can’t, does the one really look like much of a fight?”
West smirked, “I guess you’re right.” He adjusted his uniform again, “Well, no more time wasting, then.” West, bunched up at the knees and leapt off into the darkness with a warcry. Eza fluttered after him, disappearing in her natural zig-zag flying pattern.
Samden marched up to the edge, then glanced back at the remaining three, “What do you think awaits us?”
“Not sunshine and smiles,” Blackheart said with a comforting pat on the back.
“Ah,” Samden said slightly discouraged, “Well, here goes it then.” The elf took a deep breath, then leapt down into the darkness, Thyrus marching up next. The wizard glanced down into the swirling darkness.
“Fascinating, really. I’m going to have to write a book about all this when I’m through.” He smiled, nodded, and leapt from the edge, disappearing into the darkness.
Finally, it was Laura and Blackheart alone, standing amidst the roaring wind and rubble, staring at the darkness. “No turning back, now, hey?”
Laura chuckled, “No.”
Blackheart sighed, “Well then, if I don’t ever get to tell you….”
“I already know….and I do, too.” The two smiled at each other for a moment, then leapt into the darkness.
The room remained empty for a few seconds, and then Maximus appeared within the room, sitting upon a pile of rubble and waiting for another to arrive. Creator appeared a moment later. The two sat staring into the darkness for a moment, then Maximus turned and glanced over at Creator. “What do you expect will happen?”
Creator stared into the darkness for several moments, “If nine do not stand, then they shall all die. We shall see what happens.”
“Do you not know?”
“One can never know for sure.”
“But everything so far has happened as….”
“Do not even think it. Let us wait and see if all appears as planned. Even we are not infallible. Only God, only God.”
Maximus stared down into the darkness, “Should we have told them that the world has begun to unravel at the seams because of Baen’s actions?”
“No. The choice had to be made out of love and perceived sacrifice. If they knew the world would end if they didn’t, they would have had no choice. They have been brought this far because of that, but now they chose to continue solely out of love and friendship. All is as planned, all is as it should be.”
“But they do not understand. We are manipulating them. Is that not evil?”
“Is there not necessary evils? Is this not what God meant Baen to stand for?”
“I do not know.”
“Neither do I, but I try to understand. Can you fault me for this?”
“No. It is the way we were made.”
“Perhaps,” Creator said still staring into the darkness. “Perhaps. Come,” he said at last. “Let us focus our efforts on slowing the unravelment of time and space.” And with that, the two disappeared.