Chapter XLIV: The Ninth (Cont. V)
“Blackheart!” Samden and Thyrus raced quickly towards Blackheart, only to be restrained by chains of shadow.
Adelia smirked, “You all see…..you have hidden behind each other, hoping that one of you might sacrifice yourself to save the world…but you should have worked together….now it’s too late.” Shadow chains burst from everywhere as all around the platform the shadows began to rise, forming slick black walls covered with the writhing faces of the damned. “I shall build a castle for my dark lord and I to dwell in, but for you it shall be a tomb!”
“Octrius Influmaray dioden!” A bolt of pure white light cut through the chains that tried to wrap around Laura, the chains recoiling in fear of the magic the healer could hurl at them with ease.
Adelia turned back as Laura burned another set of chains with white light, “And I shall start with you.”
Laura brought around her staff, “Come then. If you have abandoned all your good, all your love, than you have fallen far. You think you have gained power? All I see is the nothing that you are now, when you used to be amazing.”
Adelia’s eyes narrowed, “How dare….”
“No! How dare you! Look at your friends! Restrained and dying because of you! We’ve all risked our lives to be brought this far…..lead by you! And now you’re taking and destroying us all! What happened to your morals! What happened to the quest you set out on! Have you forgotten!?”
Adelia’s eyes flickered for a moment, a strange sort of voice echoing through the very walls of the shadow castle. It was the cry of Adelia fighting back. Laura heard it, too. But the Seph recovered quickly, “NO!” She hurled a bolt of energy towards Laura, sending the healer crashing back against the wall and shattering it. “LAURA!”
Adelia turned to brag to Blackheart as he struggled, only to falter again. There, writhing in the shadows, was a wreck of a man. His clothes were torn and he was bleeding as he fought away the clawing hands of the shadows. They began to weaken in their attack as Adelia’s mind began to break again. Blackheart broke free with great speed as the tide began to turn and rushed towards Laura, only to be struck aside and sent hurling over the still open edge of the rocky platform. He caught hand hold and tried to haul himself up.
Laura brought herself up and glanced over at Adelia, who was once more succumbing to the darkness within. She made a break for the edge, grabbing Blackheart and hauling him up as she hurled a bolt of blinding energy at Adelia, stunning her and bringing her out of her inner struggle. For a moment, the two stared into each other’s eyes as Adelia reeled. “Blackheart….”
“What is it, Laura?”‘
“I just wanted to say,” Laura hesitated and then stared into his eyes with a frightening firmness, “I’m sorry.” And with that, Laura rose, leaping straight at Adelia and catching the stunned Seph, the two spiralling over the cliff together, falling headlong towards the lava.
“LAURA! ADELIA!”
The shadow walls began to weaken, dropping the remainder of the heroes. Donovan rubbed his wrists and drug Grail aside, “How are we supposed to kill these guys? They’re the only ones who can keep us alive?”
Grail motioned for Donovan to stay silent, “We’ll kill them after…..ok? That’s our way, all right?”
Donovan sighed, dragging her away as the rest rushed to the edge to try and figure out how to save Adelia and Laura who hung halfway down the rock side. “You know, normally I wouldn’t care….but these people are risking a lot for us. And we’re strangers. There are sometimes when you have to do what’s right.”
“This will not be the time. We have our instructions, right?”
Donovan glanced back at the others, “Fine. I just…”
“Do not give in to your better nature, now. We’ve made it this far, and trust me, Forte will do far worse to us if we fail.”
Donovan thought about the assassin and shuddered, “You have a point.”
“Now come on,” Grail said marching back to the side and staring over. “What’s going on?”
“They’re hanging down there and we have no way to get to them!”
“BLACKHEART!”
The group turned to see Vigile fighting with Baen, his sword shattered in half by Baen’s swings and his armor shattered by several blows from the furious sword of the dark watcher. Vigile leapt backwards and lashed out, cutting a mark across Baen’s chin and then driving his sword into Baen’s gut, a small portion piercing the armor and cutting into Baen. And then the dark watcher grabbed the Xul’Nue and lifted him from the ground hurling him backwards where he landed with a painful crunch and lay weak and defeated.
Blackheart turned to run towards Vigile, only to be stopped by a wall of shadow.
“Not this time!” Baen turned, his eyes flaring with dark fire, “Now I’ll finish this bastard without getting interrupted by you disgusting maggots!” Baen turned, spinning his sword and marching in for the fatal blow.
Vigile turned towards Blackheart, “Blackheart….do not give in. You can fight well, too. I know what is in you. He grows weak with every swing….remember what I have done and do not give in. The world is already erasing itself and there is little time. The girl must survive……you must find a way to bring the Seph back…. bring her back!”
“ENOUGH!” Baen stood before Vigile, bringing his sword up and driving it down. There was no scream, for Xul’Nue did not have voices. But for a moment, all felt the sudden stop in their thought process…their mind almost shifting for a moment.