Chapter XLV: The Thirteenth Watcher (Cont. VIII)

With a quick flourish, Adelia caught Baen in the leg and then brought her fist up and struck him in the jaw. Baen reeled as Adelia brought her remaining hand around and brought it down, cutting Baen’s hand off, his sword crashing to the ground with it. Baen stared down at the smouldering wound, then to Adelia’s opposite hand which was missing, then up at Adelia. “We are so much alike….”

“Yet we are not at all the same.” Adelia turned, “Each of you must strike him with your blade and bury it in him. Only then shall he fall for good. One for each of the nine.” Adelia stepped inside to reveal to the heroes Baen kneeling in anguish and pain, his eyes fixed on the ground. West glanced at the others and marched up, hefting Blackheart’s original sword, now his own.

“I’m not going to stand on ceremony then….” West kicked Baen in the jaw, bringing his face up so that his chest was exposed. The Preston stared into the eyes of the Watcher, “For Azurat.” He drove the blade down into Baen’s chest and stepped aside. Thyrus drew up next, removing a pike from his weapon and standing before the Watcher who stared at the dark void above in agony and stunned silence.

“For my ship, and for Prore….” Thyrus drove the pike down into Baen’s shoulder, the Watcher screaming out, then letting the scream slowly strangle itself away.

Donovan slowly drew up and plucked a dagger from his belt, “For Grail.” He plunged it into Baen’s gut next to Vigile’s own blade, the Watcher making little noise now, his body weakening, the shadow slowly forming around him, pooling around his body like blood.

Samden drew up next, bringing around two blades, “For Eza, and for me.” He drove both blades into Baen’s chest, stepping aside to reveal the thoroughly impaled but not dead Baen still breathing in agony, his gasps coming in short bursts as blood rolled from his lips and blood-red tears poured from his eyes and stained his hair, skin, and the ground around him.

Laura pulled out a small dagger from her boot, “For the one I love.” She drove the blade into Baen as Blackheart came next, “And for the one that I could not.” He glanced over at Adelia and smiled weakly as he drove the blade into Baen. He started to walk away, then turned, “That was also for Gobudo.”

Adelia stepped in front and observed the figure of Baen, nine blades lay within him. One for each of the warriors who had struggled to battle against his evil. Baen slowly brought his head around to stare at Adelia who looked down at the pathetic ruin that was the once great Watcher. “And what…..of….you? What shall your blade….my death sentence be for…….for revenge? For peace?”

“No,” the Seph said with slow and sad stare, for she remember what Baen had been, she had seen his greatness and now felt the sorrow that this twisted, writhing, mass of blood and death was once the great figure that had roamed Cion Sky for all too short of a time. “This blade,” she said poising herself to strike, “Is for your freedom.” She brought the sword down, driving it straight into Baen through the throat and down into his body until the hilt touched against his collar bones.

Baen gasped for a moment as Adelia leaned down and kissed him, the pool of shadow around him slowly flowing into herself.

“Adelia! What are you doing!?” Blackheart went to move forward, only to be stopped by the sudden beam of light that rolled down and struck Baen. Adelia stepped back as the shadow filled her eyes and surrounded her. The others watched as Baen gasped again and again, his body shuddering and tearing itself apart. The

blades shuddered and began to melt as Baen let out one last, breathless scream and then fell away, the light bursting forth and washing over the entire scene.

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She has accepted it.

It is time to finish what has begun.

Existence shall continue.

Go now, Maximus, and reveal all to our heroes.

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Blackheart opened his eyes to find himself standing in the middle of the sands, in front of him stood Adelia, at her feet, the corpse of Baen Fior. He was pathetic now, his body shrivelling to a twisted, bloodless mass of flesh and bones that stared no more.

Adelia knelt next to his corpse, “Go rest in peace, Baen.”

“Adelia,” Blackheart said, beginning to march forward, “What the hell were you thinking doing that!! You took the darkness…….”

“WAIT!” Blackheart stopped and turned to see Thyrus.

“Don’t any of you wonder why it is that it’s over?” He glanced around, “Weren’t only two supposed to remain?”

And with that, a bolt of energy shot down from the sky and enveloped Thyrus, Laura, and West, hurling Donovan, Samden, and Blackheart to the ground. Only Adelia stood as she watched Maximus slowly float down from the sky.

“What the hell is going on here!?” West tried to move, unable to as he was paralyzed within the energy.

“Excellent, my heroes,” Maximus said slowly. “But now it comes time for everything to be mended, and we ask of your services once more.”

“What’s going on here?” Blackheart marched towards Laura, only to be repelled by a burst of energy. The rogue turned to see Adelia and Maximus standing next to each other.