Chapter XLIII: Baen Fior (Cont. IV)

Thyrus stared in awe, “I don’t believe it. She’s going to try and counteract the forcefield with her own body!”

“WHAT!?” West stared as Eza drew within a few feet of the field.

Then, with a crack of thunder, Eza Liddalia, the quiet fairy den-mother, crashed into the forcefield blade first. Her body absorbed the ring as energy rolled over her and the field became even more visible. Baen’s eyes opened wide as he stared at the little fairy who was held in mid-air, sucking up the dark energies. White light rolled around her as the field began to crackle and turn white, bolts of energy arcing off towards the roof and shattering the rock above, sending cascades of small rubble down on all below. Still, Eza endured, not being erased from existence by the energy that continued to swirl around her and pulse. More bolts began to pour out from the field, some striking down near Baen’s feet and sending him jumping back as Eza’s scream began to rise above the sound of the vibrating energies. Soon they could hear her yell of anguish and pain as the energy finally all spilled into an intensely blinding ball of white light around her. There was great crescendo of thunder as the explosion hurled all standing to the very edge of the rock island they stood on. A focused bolt of white energy caught Baen as he flew back from the the explosion and hurled him over the edge towards the magma.

Blackheart slowly drew himself to his feet, the pain spinning through his head as just behind his eyes he could feel a thousand white sparks flickering and hopping around in his mind. He shook it off as his eyes once again tried to become accustomed to the dark world around him. Adelia’s body lay near the center of the platform, unaffected by the massive explosion that had just ripped through the entire underground. He glanced over at his colleagues who were also trying to regather their senses after the amazing lightshow. Baen remained out of sight, or at least out of Blackheart’s sight.

Thyrus slowly drew himself up next, steadying himself on Blackheart’s shoulder. The mercenary glanced over at the wizard, “What the hell happened, Thyrus?”

“Eza sacrificed herself. She embodied love…..she gave her life to raising other fairy children and making them good. She was the absolute good, the absolute peace….”

“That little fairy overpowered Baen?”

“Size does not matter, anyone may change the world, anyone may turn the tides of battle. Any one can be a hero, Blackheart,” Thyrus said, glancing over at him and then to Adelia.

Blackheart nodded after a moment, “I didn’t mean it like that….it’s just….”

“Hard to believe such a little pest lacking all battle prowess could hurl me to my almost doom,” Baen hissed, pulling himself up over the edge of the rock platform. His boots were dripping with magma down by the soles and his eyes were slightly white around the edges where they had been burnt. The tips of his hair were singed and his entire countenance looked like he had been hit with a comet. “But only almost,” he hissed with a smirk.

Blackheart drew his blade and charged, “Well let me make sure that her work doesn’t go unfinished!”

Baen’s hand waved and his blade once more materialized in his hand, his great staff appearing in the other. With great speed, Baen caught Blackheart’s swings and parried them, delivering a blow to Blackheart’s gut and uppercutting him, sending the rogue backwards again. “Not even now can you hurt me? This seems like an endless spiral,” Baen hissed with mirth. “But let us end this for good, and no easy finishes, it seems….the Gods, or whatever haunts my fate does not desire it to be so.” Baen smirked and then brought his sword around, leaping through the air with great speed.

“Incoming!” Blackheart leapt through the air, catching Baen and tackling the Watcher to the ground. The others scrambled to their feet as the rogue rose to his feet and began to spiral around, his sword catching Baen’s. “You will not take my friends down. We remain seven strong, and though we are one short of the prophecy, I make my own Fate.” Blackheart leapt back, catching Baen’s blade perfectly and bringing his blade around, backing Baen up.

“Ah…finally you begin to present a challenge. Have you been bluffing, trickster?”