Chapter XLIV: The Ninth (Cont.)

“What do you mean? Then they’ll lose! They didn’t start with nine! I’m the only one who can complete……”

“No. Think, Adelia.”

Adelia’s eyes narrowed as she glanced down at herself and thought hard. And like floodgates bursting open from pressure, the memories of the present came to her. She had tried to kill him. Her anger had gotten the best of her. She had joined with Baen and lashed out, she had jeopardized them all. And it was not just the darkness that Baen had filled her with….that only served to grant her the power to do it…..it had been her own anger….her own rage….her own sorrow….her loneliness. And then…..all had gone dark….

“Not dark,” Maximus encouraged.

Adelia closed her eyes and thought harder, no…..there was something there. Something falling down like a great bolt of lightning, a silver glint along the edge. “Ah!” Adelia’s eyes burst open and she glanced down at the hand, the hand that had held tight to Blackheart. It was gone, blood dripping from the fresh wound. She stared at in disbelief, her memory fully restored.

“Do you remember now?” Maximus waited for her reply.

Adelia slowly looked up, “He is the ninth?”

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Blackheart opened his eyes slowly, the darkness now receding and the light of the lava bursts once more filling the caverns. Next to him lay the cold and blue hand of Adelia’s, its grip loosened. All around him, the others were unconscious, though West seemed to be stirring now that he noticed. But what had happened? He had remembered the darkness closing in and then something pass right before his eyes….something silver. He was brought out of thought by the hissing of Baen. The rogue slowly drew himself up and stared at the ninth warrior who had allied with the party. “You?”

Baen hissed angrily, “It seems I should have made sure that I had finished you off properly.”

Vigile rose slowly, his sword spinning around in an intricate pattern and then setting itself properly in the Xul’Nue’s battle stance. “I return,” his voice came.

Blackheart glanced over then at Adelia, whose body lay unconscious and near the edge of the platform, her hand missing and the darkness pooling around her, trying desperately to awake her and come to the aid of the Thirteenth Watcher. “But if he’s the ninth….then Adelia….”

“Has come over to my side, Blackheart. Didn’t I tell you it would happen? Your faith in her was not well-founded, for though she was the first crusader and the most devoted, she was also the one who could destroy the entire quest. And now she will, for she shall never wake from the dark sleep that my magic has on her. She will forever serve the darkness…and when you are dead, she shall be able to destroy the Watchers and reality shall end. My plans hold firm.” Baen smirked as he brought his sword around. “But enough discussion, I have a battle to finish.”

“You shall only finish this battle when you are dead,” Vigile’s voice rang through the caverns.

“Then help me along,” Baen hissed with a lunge. The two’s swords crashed together as they began an intricate dance, weaving in and out as their swords cut through the air with speed and strength. Neither could land a true hit, as Vigile’s blade bounced again and again off Baen’s armor and Baen could not even make contact with the wisp of wind that was Vigile.

Blackheart watched in awe as he rose to his feet and scrambled towards the darkness, clawing his way through with sword and hand. Finally, he drew close to Adelia and knelt beside her, ignoring the shadow that tried to swallow him, tearing it up in fistfuls. “Adelia! Can you hear me? Wake up! You have to come back to us!”

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“How can he be the ninth? I was the ninth!”

Maximus paced around the small circle of light that remained. His interference was angering the balance and his power was beginning to fade. The Universe was always watching, and it was slowly draining him now of his magic. He had little time before the darkness would swallow them both. “I do not have much time….”

“Your time? What about me? My purpose….the sole important thing that I had found to devote my life to is not for me! Why? How could he be the ninth? How could I be nothing more than a guide, a stepping stone, a nothing.”

Maximus turned, his eyes crackling with magic, “YOU ARE NOT A NOTHING!” The boom hurled back the shadow and froze Adelia in her tracks. Maximus caught hold of himself once more, “You are very important to all that will happen. For it is you that will shape what happens yet. The nine have gathered, but they will not win without you there. They need you still, for already they are weakening. Eza is gone. Vigile grows tired. The others do not know how to defeat Baen and without their leader Blackheart, they will lose. And he will not fight until he has saved you–he loves you.”

“Ha, sees how much you know,” Adelia said with bitterness. “Seph and humans can’t love each other. It’s not right.”

Maximus glared at her, “Now is not the time to sulk.” He glanced out at the darkness as it drew near, “Every bad, miserable thought you have strengthens the darkness in you, and you cannot give in….yet.”

“Yet?” Adelia turned, “You want me to give in? To the darkness? To the evil?”