Chapter LXI: (Cont. IV)
Baen marched through the sands, watching the sand swirl around his feet and slowly turn black. The power….the victory was his…. His eyes flared as he drew closer and closer to the great golden doors of Cion Sky. He could feel the pulse of weak magic rolling out the doors….the Watchers trying desperately to reinforce the very walls of their great citadel. But he would crack them like twigs….like the bones of the twelve who thought they could punish him without consequence. He set Adelia down and smiled up at the sky.
“You see GOD!? You see what your callous foolishness has caused? Do you weep for the thousands, the millions….the billions of creatures that shall be slaughtered by my wrath? Will you feel the pain of my sword or will you just bow before me you coward! RISE UP! SPEAK!? NO? You shall all pay for your impudence….for your belief that you had the right to give me the burden of shadow and darkness and then became afraid that I may not hold it within! You gave me evil to hold within and then told me that I was the devil for having it! You foul wretches! You have bent my once beautiful form into this…THIS!” Baen raised his hands into the sky and screamed, flames roaring from his every pour and scorching the sands, flames roaring up in every direction and bouncing off the walls of Cion Sky. “GAHHH!” Baen collapsed after a moment, panting with the excruciating pain that filled his every bone. She had given him that pain….had tortured his very soul with that cursed question….and now he had to deal with the never-ending twisting of his organs and the roaring flames that seared into his mind and heart. “All of you shall pay….and only she shall awake to find everything as it is. I know your expectations….but you’ve failed….and to spite you….I shall make you fail by using her for the very purpose you intended for her….” His words hissed through the air and slowly died away.
“No. Baen rose slowly, turning to see the armored figure of Rah standing before him, his great bladed battle-staff held at the ready. “It is not your place to question the will of the council, as no member questions another. All consider and all respect the will of the majority.”
Baen laughed contemptuously, “And what if the majority is wrong?! Is it right solely because more people believe it is?! NO! I shall not be condemned to this hell because they believe this is the fitting purpose for me!” Baen drew his blade, “You will try and stop me nonetheless, I shall enjoy this.” Rah wheeled around, bringing his halberd-like weapon around, slicing the air with ferocity as Baen moved from place to place with ease. Every so often, the Watcher would swing again, his sword coming around and catching Rah’s blade and deflecting it.
“Come now! Is this all you’ve got? I would have expected more from you!” Rah swung again and again, concentrating, his eyes flaring with rage as he brought his staff around again and again. Baen leapt through the air, vaulting off the flat of Rah’s blade and landing behind the warrior, striking him in the back with a well-placed foot and sending the servant of war crashing into the sands. “This is an awful bore, you know. At least give me an eventful delay to my entrance to Cion Sky!” Baen leapt through the air, his cloak crackling with energy as he landed on Rah and drove his sword down into the chest of the servant, smiling as he twisted it deeper. The eyes of the warrior did not stop glowing.
“You lose.” The warrior brought his hand up and caught Baen around the neck, lifting him up into the air as Rah got to his feet, Baen’s sword burning and hissing within Rah’s mid-section. With great strength, Rah hurled Baen through the air and watched as the frail figure of Baen Fior rolled through the sand with a scream. “I am far stronger than all before.” Baen rose and lunged for his sword, only to be caught several times in the face by Rah’s iron gloves, the sound of bone crunching echoing from in the dark lord’s cheeks. Baen stumbled aside and crashed to his knees as Rah marched towards him again.
“Good….” Baen panted, spitting blood in the sand. “This is more like it.” His left hand slowly went into his cloak and unhooked his great staff, the howling head beginning to glow. “But let’s just see you handle this!” With a quick movement, he brought the staff around and watched as the flames began to well and then were spewed out. Just as they launched from their place, their was the crash of steel and Baen stumbled back, the bolt of fire flying into the sky and exploding like a firework. Baen pulled himself up and looked to see the servant of Death standing next to him, his sword drawn. “You?”