Chapter 36
Fade into Darkness
“I will swallow my pride; you’re the one that I love, and I’m saying goodbye.”
~A Great Big World~
Facing Ezekias was always an idea, a plan to be carried out someday, but as Caris stood there now, she realized that the day had finally come. It filled her with fear for failure, but she composed herself enough to not let it show. If Ezekias saw her turmoil, half the battle would be lost.
“Caris, what have you brought me?” He was different somehow. She didn’t know what exactly had changed, but there was something off.
His clothes were torn, and his dress pants were far from clean. Ezekias was never the type of man to wander about like a slob, even during a battle. However, as Caris looked into the brown-eyed old man, his demeanor calm and composed as usual, she found that it was not the clothes on his back that irked her. Aside from not having his cane, the air around him felt ominous—more than the norm.
Was it possible that Ezekias had somehow gotten stronger?
Cautiously, Caris stared at him as she took the unconscious secretary by her hair and threw her to the ground. Without speaking, Caris knelt down, feeling Ezekias’s eyes on her as she touched the body of the woman.
“Perdo.” Quietly, Caris unleashed her Active Power onto the secretary’s body.
An odd miasmatic cloud released itself from her palm and enveloped the woman’s body, eating away at her skin and bones. Only there were no bones behind her skin, nor were there any muscle tissue. Her body was hollow, driven by a particle wave of light that emanated from the source that was Caris’s target.
Skylar’s key, the objective of the mission, was located in the center of the secretary’s hollow body. It animated the now dissolving corpse, making it the equivalency of a human soul for a Doll.
“Ah, a Doll, it has been years since I last encountered one. Margery was quite the crafty one,” Ezekias said, as he watched Caris take the key.
Standing up with the rusty old key in her hands, Caris’s Egyptian eyes went stern.
“Yes, it was genius to hide the key within a Doll.” An idea popped into her head and she played with the possibilities, until realizing that she could not go through with it.
Destroying the key would foil Ezekias’s new installment in his plan for the second Black Night, but she could never do that to Skylar. The old woman was insane, but she was still a sister.
“Why do I have the feeling that you are unwilling to give me the key?” In an instant, Caris’s eyes widened at his words. Did she have a tell?
They stood a good distance away from the rubble that was created from his last battle. Whatever happened seemed to have been big enough to destroy Ezekias’s clothes, yet it was not enough to kill him. Now, another fight was to commence, and Caris chose the woods connected to the yard behind the succubus’s house to avoid any onlookers.
Would she die without anyone to presence it? Would anyone know what happened to her?
Pushing those thoughts back, Caris remembered why she stood there before the source of all evil that plagued her life, and because of that, her eyes went firm. She found her resolve once again.
The key went in her pocket and Caris let her arms fall to her side. “Perdo Letum.”
As fast as the words slipped her lips, the same repulsive wave appeared once more—only this time, it was much more intense. The air became thick and unbearable, as a poisonous wind was born from her body and unleashed itself onto everything in its proximity.
The barks of the trees melted away, and the foliage was reduced to nothing but dust. Everything that collided with the wind’s path suffered the same fate, and as Caris watched the world around her die, she focused all her power in the direction of Ezekias.
But the old witch stood there with a smug look on his face; the air searching for his body.
“Vis de Campus,” he said nonchalantly.
Caris knew well what those words would conjure, an electric-green barrier capable of dissipating any external power.
However, Caris’s ability was not like any other. It was a curse, the power of destruction and ruin. With one conjure, with a touch of her hands—Caris was able to make anything wither away. Even Ezekias’s was repulsed by it, but he was not ignorant to how handy it could be, which was why he kept her around.
She hated it. It was the most disgusting aspect of her miserable life, and every time Caris was forced to watch how her surroundings melted away, she became weak hearted.
Finally, the miasmatic air found the barrier that Ezekias created, and Caris knew it was not enough to hold it off. Though, Ezekias was also aware of this, and as the power of ruin collided with the barrier, they both cancelled out, giving Ezekias time to retreat into the air.
“It was about time you took action my dear Caris.”
‘What does that mean?’
She refused to speak to the man—the witch that she had followed for three years—three long depressing years, plotting against him and planning her revenge.
But no more would she have to endure his horrible presence.
No more would she have to live alongside the creator of her misfortune.
A strong gust of miasma pulsated from her feet as she levitated into the air—her spiritual pressure becoming visible by the manifestation of her Active Power. Caris was beyond angered, as if she was finally able to release all of her frustration on the source. It even masked her exotic eyes, for her pupils disappeared—allowing the sclera to cackle with raw energy.
The liberation of all her fury empowered her ability. “Perdo Exitium!” She tried to keep her voice calm, but the scream came naturally—making her body soar through the night air in search of her target.
“I see, you don’t even care to find out my half of the story,” Ezekias said, now faced to face with Caris.
She moved swiftly with the eroding wind that coated her limbs—using it as a weapon to fight. Any contact that she made with Ezekias’s body would easily eat away at it. Because of this, Caris put into practice all of her experience she had in fighting. She remembered it well—the time of her life back in the Dark Continent when she fought alongside her mother. Since a young age, Caris was forced to endure hardships, and ‘til the day her mother died, she fought every waking moment for freedom.
She could only hope that her battles during her time as a rebellious slave witch would be enough to defeat Ezekias.
Nonetheless, Ezekias was wary of her strikes, and he dodged her jabs and hits with the utmost speed. It was obvious that he was putting more effort into avoiding her touch.
This in turn angered Caris further, making her scream into the night as she disappeared for a fraction of a second. The miasma enveloped her body, and Ezekias conjured his force field as fast as his lips could move.
“Vis de Campus!” he yelled, a lot more agitated now when he saw Caris vanished out of sight—only to reappear behind him. Her palm thrust itself into the force field, destroying it like a dagger to a vampire’s heart.
With his breath caught, Ezekias conjured up more mana to levitate in a propelling fashion, away from her death strike.
“Perdo!” Another cast was screamed in Ezekias’s direction, but he summoned up the force field again to cancel out the wave.
“Scream into the heart of Death and abide by the Rules of your Creator!”
“What!” In a blind rage, Ezekias emanated his mana to spread away the corroding air in order to look at Caris.
“I, Caris Mubarak, command the holder of Ruin. Course through my veins and unleash the power of our Union! Anima de Pessum do Exitium!”
“An anima! How is it—” but before Ezekias could finish his sentence, Caris closed the gap between them—allowing her thundering fist to find his abdomen. It sent him flying like a missile into the hard solid ground, creating a large crater with the help of the miasma.
She finally made contact, and as gratifying as it was, she was not about to lose her edge.
Caris’s transformation allowed her levitation to become flight, and her body was now wrapped with a film of her Active Power. It was the color of ectoplasm, and her eyes mimicked the hue of an x-ray light. On the high of her back were cackling shreds of live energy in the form of wings, and they rippled with every sway she took.
Like a bolt of lightning, she zoomed down into the crater, but was roughly pushed back.
“Telecinesis!” An invisible wave thrashed her body into the air, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground.
“You bastard…,” Caris spat, as she stood up once more. “You took Rose’s power…”
Ezekias, standing fully composed and shirtless, smirked at Caris. He lightly tapped his abdomen where the skin burned.
“A little closer and your corrosion would have definitely made contact.” He paused, watching Caris in her transformation and how everything in her proximity wilted. “Such a destructive power, and yet it is so unappealing. Not even worth stealing.”
“Answer me! You took Rose’s Active Power did you not?” she yelled, fearing for sister’s well-being.
“Oh come now, Rose is much too talented to have her go to waste. I merely…” he paused again, toying with her as he lifted both his arms in a shrug. “…borrowed it.”
“You are disgusting!” Caris took the offensive once more, this time creating an object with her power.
Her left arm materialized into a giant scythe made out of the raw miasma that coated her skin, and as Caris rushed in Ezekias’s direction, she swayed its destructive force. It sliced through the air, leaving residue of ruin in its wake and vaporizing all that it touched.
Ezekias propelled himself out of harm’s way—dodging it efficiently as the ground where he stood seconds ago gave away into ash when the scythe crashed down on it.
Caris did not let up; she used the anchored scythe to boost her body towards the fleeing witch and with her right arm, she thrust another fist in Ezekias’s direction.
Her speed surprised him yet again, forcing Ezekias to mimic her actions from before. He disappeared out of sight and it caused her fist to vaporize the tree that was behind him. The large plant gave away and fell into the cloud of miasma, turning into ash without making a single sound.
“Where did you go you cowardly bastard!” Caris yelled into the darkness of the woods, as she turned to see the cloud of miasma that was getting thicker.
Something was not right—why was it getting thicker?
One look at her hands, and the dread found her.
“Caris, you have given a good fight, but it seems you are not apt to master the Anima. I knew you were talented, which is why I made you Valkyria number five over Anise.” His voice slithered its way out of the foggy air.
“How dare you say her name!?” Caris screamed, but kept her ground, unable to see where he was coming from.
“You know, it’s funny. You both thought I hadn’t a clue as to your true motives.” Those words made Caris deathly quiet.
Was he bluffing, or was it possible that both she and Anise had slipped up?
“What are you talking about?” Curiosity got the better of her.
“Do you honestly believe that the vision you had on the night of your beloved friends’ deaths was a twist of fate?”
Caris gasped in shock, remembering well why she had first decided to join Ezekias and seek revenge. The night Cassius and Isaac died, she met up with Ezekias instead. They never did make it to their rendezvous and it was because of the old witch before her.
There was silence, and during her racing thoughts, Ezekias levitated in an accelerating speed towards Caris. He was now inches away from her shocked riddled face.
“Vis de Campus.” His casting was low and ominous, and slowly, the electric-green force field wrapped itself around the two—zapping her skin and fighting against her miasmatic coating.
“Yes Caris, I was the one who allowed you to see me kill Cassius and Isaac, because I knew it was the only way to get you to do my bidding and mold you into the fighter you are now.” He grinned devilishly. “Keep your enemies close my dear. It was very entertaining to see how you climbed the spiritual limits of your Wiccan bloodline.”
Caris was completely shocked and her mind was blank. She could not formulate anything. All she could think about was how much of a fool she must have seemed at that moment. She failed Cassius and Isaac and now she was going to fail Anise as well.
Instantly, her mind started to play tricks on her. Behind the old man, she saw something. Someone lurking around and it was not until she focused well that she deciphered who it was.
“Isaac…,” she whispered.
“Ah, that blond witch boy. If it’s any consolation, your wolf friend was collateral damage. Well, I did need him to bait Isaac. How else was I to obtain the Eye of Horus—that elusive item?” Ezekias spoke so casually, as if he was the victim.
“No…you won’t get away with this.” Caris said, and Ezekias chuckled, eyeing their enclosure to tip her off. She was trapped and the barrier would soon destroy her.
However, it was not enough to make Caris give up. Moving back and away from Ezekias until her back was touching the barrier, she forced herself to endure the pain. Just as suspected, the barrier electrified her skin.
“Ultim Procella de Exitium!” Before Ezekias’s eyes, Caris melted away and turned into the wind of ruin. It flowed with the cackling raw power of the force field and created a vortex within the prison.
Ezekias, dismayed by her hasty actions, screamed in agony and watched in utter shock, as he was unable to break free from the swirling energy that was engulfing him. No matter how much he thrust and conjured Rose’s power, nothing would give.
Ultimately, the power bubbled within the force field until it burst in a loud explosion. It made the trees and density of the forest disintegrate, leaving the area barren and dry. Even the dirt sizzled from the force. Nothing was left, no remains and no residue.
Only a soft corroding wind blew onto the soil, materializing into Caris. Her naked body burned and in pain, slumped in fatigue. In a lonesome triumph, she sat with her head bowed, facing her hands with joy.
She had won.
“I did it Isaac, Cassius…” Her tears graced the ground; passing through her skin and making it disperse into ash.
Caris won, but at a high price…
Looking up, her teary eyes found a warm face. Isaac stared at her with a bright smile. “Rest Caris, you need to rest. You have fought for too long.”
She smiled peacefully, and allowed her body to do that.
“Well, that was quite frightening!”
Instantly, her heart sunk, and her eyes widened—making Isaac disappear and turn into the evil that was Ezekias.
He was still shirtless but his skin was now brightly shining with what resembled to be platinum. The muscles of his old body appeared to be carved out of an ethereal crystal, and his silvery hair dangled on one side of his face. Somehow it grew to a longer length than before.
“How—” she began, but Ezekias simply approached her with stern electric looking eyes that shimmered with danger.
“You lose.” And with one swing of his arm, he passed right through Caris’s body, until she disintegrated and became lost to the wind.
A metallic sound resonated in his ears, and he smiled faintly while picking up the rusty key that Caris had hidden in her pocket. Fortunately, it endured the battle and Caris’s power of Ruin.
“Skylar, it is time to put you into good use. This god needs to access the Book of Shadows.” He laughed to himself, like any jovial villain would, and put the key in the remains of his pants pocket.
Ezekias would not fly this time—no, he simply allowed his skin to return to the norm, and made his stride take him back into the city. This time, he would relish in his triumph.
During their squabble, some of the nearby residents wandered about the collapsing house in order to see what was going on. A few eyed the strolling half-naked old man suspiciously, but they shrugged him off and allowed Ezekias to continue wistfully on his way as he whistled and hummed in satisfaction.
Greater things were to come, and the second Black Night was closer than ever.
~~~~********~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~~*******
“Claire, why didn’t Saffron report more about the relic he obtained?” Darius stood in the prohibited chamber, a mess of broken machinery and lab equipment lay all around him. He faced an enormous metallic stand where an old golden coffin lay atop. In his hands, Darius held the artifact that his comrade Saffron had acquired. There wasn’t hesitancy on his part; Darius was prepared to use it.
“Darius Colt Paladin ranked Defender, am I to understand that your actions are to be considered treason?” Claire asked, standing defiantly and cautiously behind him.
She would not fight him that much Darius knew. Claire was intelligent, and she knew that she was of no match for him.
“Why are you avoiding the question?” He did not turn to face her; instead Darius continued to stare at the coffin, trying to decipher how he would place the reliquary where it belonged.
“What? Don’t tell me that you’re so love stricken that you believe Lynn?” she mocked. “There is no Ezekias Halder!”
But upon saying that, Claire was taken aback. Darius began exuding enormous amounts of spiritual energy the color of silver. It wrapped itself around his body, and from his arms came forth two enormous ones that belonged to the gods he bore. The reliquary was held in both of the gigantic hands, and they carefully placed it within the center of the coffin where it fit perfectly into the indent that was shaped the same. At first, the mystical barrier that the coffin had rejected the hands, but Darius pushed forth more of his spirit energy, allowing the hands to continue their actions.
He would find out what the secret behind the coffin was. He would do things that Covenant would not for the sake of his loved ones.
“Darius Colt, this means treason!” Claire yelled over the power waves that started washing over the room.
Much like Darius, she could barely keep her eyes open. The powerful golden waves of spirit energy began consuming Darius’s own powers and everything around, as they flooded the room in a desperate attempt to release themselves from the imprisonment that was the coffin.
“If you don’t want me to know what the secret is behind this box, than I’m finding—” Darius yelled, but was cut off when the magical barrier and seals of the coffin blew right off. They released in a powerful explosion, destroying everything in its path.
The explosion caused other chemicals found in the lab to go off, igniting the room in a blazing heat. Seconds after, the Covenant alarm went off and all of the officials were deployed to the area.
Claire, fleeing the scene, called for reinforcements as her eyes could not believe what they were seeing.
A powerful celestial being came forth from the coffin, and as it did so, Darius took the opportunity to move his wounded and burned body out of sight.
‘I…must get to Lynn…’ It was now imperative; after all of the disaster he caused, to meet up with his beloved. No matter how many questions plagued his mind, Lynn came first.
After investigating the facility, snooping around here and there, Darius came across the answer that explained the Aberhants and it was a despicable truth.
Dragging his wounded body, he fought back the angry tears that burned worse than his wounds. He could not believe, after all this time, Captain Thomas was used as a test subject for the experimentation of the Aberhants. It was shocking, and had Darius still possessed his eyesight, it would have been the hardest thing to see.
When he broke the magical seals of the forbidden chamber, he found hundreds of human testing pods all around the room. There were also serums, and countless drugs he did not recognize, and aside from the mystical coffin, one thing called his attention.
He felt it slowly at first, the faint familiar smell of a musky scent that only with his uncanny nose was he able to detect, and the fragments of the gradually dying spiritual pressure that had been his comfort for so long.
It had been Captain Thomas.
He was one of the hundreds of test subjects, and when he approached the pod with shaky hands, the Lords of Brisingamen allowed him to envision the Captain.
An uncontrollable cry was let out, as Darius stumbled against the walls of the crumbling hallway. He was close to the Airship chamber, but his ill-wrought soul made it difficult for him to move.
Captain Thomas was becoming an Aberhant. They tested the many drugs and serums on him, and after destroying so many of it, Darius realized the Covenant’s true intentions.
They were not testing drugs on humans to cure the immortal gene—no, they were attempting to isolate it to create immortality for humans.
The Covenant was trying to make a drug that would immortalize humans, but one that was without repercussions. As efficient as the Llyrium was, seldom humans were able to intake the liquid without dying.
Finally, he saw the light at the end of the passageway, but his legs would not move any further.
Darius slumped to the floor, and allowed the fatigue to claim him. He did not even notice when Wyatt came to his side and picked him up.
“Darius my friend, why would you take this plight on your own?” Wyatt said, his eyes burning with intensity for his unconscious friend.
It did not take long before he arrived by the airship, an odd hybrid that could travel by sea and air, created by the Covenant. The machine was a one of kind, possessing propellers fashioned like a helicopter, and having the appearance of a galleon. Some of the propellers were set vertically along the sides to provide efficient lift, but there was also the bow and stern rotors used for maneuvering and propulsion. Though, the most exceptional feature of the machine was not the technical engineering concept, rather the materials of its surface. It was graced with glossy pinewood from the nether realm and excavated metallic llyrium, making it shine with an ethereal red-bluish luster. It truly appeared as if it was an aircraft pulled out of a steampunk novel.
Once close enough, Wyatt gently laid his friend at the base of the large vessel. His lazy eyes reflecting the desire to cry, but he forced it back as he placed his forehead against Darius’s.
“My brother…I’ll leave you to her. Whatever happens from here, there’s a good chance that we may never see each other again,” he whispered to his dear friend, as he kissed his cheek and spoke his final farewell. “I guess this is goodbye.”
In one moment, Wyatt stood and used the Rush ability to vanish from sight. He would destroy those who hurt his friend and father, even if it cost him his life.
Shortly after Wyatt’s departure, Lynn arrived out of breath. She felt somewhat disoriented, due to the ruckus that was going about.
But as soon as she saw Darius lying unconscious at the base of the ship, severely wounded, she ignored her doubts and ran to his side.
“Oh my god, Darius!” A small tremor shook the building, causing more debris to come flying down. It crippled the facility’s structure even further.
“We need to get out of here now.” Lynn said, more to herself than to Darius.
Immediately, she used her Rush ability and jumped atop the deck of the Airship. It didn’t take long for her to find the steering room, but unfortunately, it was not so straightforward. There were hundreds of gears and buttons. The only thing she understood was the steering wheel itself, and even that had a cutting-edge design.
“How—how am I to drive this thing?” Frustration instantly found her when the tremors became more frequent. The now ever rising spiritual pressure of the unknown force behind the turmoil seeped its way into her heart like an evil omen. If Lynn did not figure something out fast, Darius would die.
‘Lynn, remember thy resolve. Let us be one, allow me to guide thy strength. There is nothing in this world that I cannot own.’
Before Lynn could break down, King Gilgamesh spoke to her. He willed her hands to touch the gears and buttons, and somehow she found the correct ones. Not only that, but Lynn understood. She comprehended the machine with every touch of every gear. It was true—King Gilgamesh was the owner of every manmade object of this world. Thus, there was nothing he could not operate, and now that ability was harnessed by Lynn.
When the rumbling sound of the exotic engine filled her ears, Lynn smiled in joy, and she did not contain it as she left the steering room to reach the deck.
“Darius, its working!” she exclaimed in glee, forgetting his unconscious state.
Nevertheless, when she peered over the deck of the ship, her eyes fell on a very much awake Darius.
Lynn would have been overwhelmed with happiness, but Darius had his back to her. Only because he was facing a group of Templar officials led by Claire.
Inch by inch, the Airship started to take flight, and it made Lynn realize that she could not leave Darius behind. One leap and she would be by his side.
“No!” But his deep powerful voice stopped her from ever attempting it.
“Don’t you dare come down here, babe.” Darius said sternly.
“Darius, you’re hurt, I can’t leave you behind!” Lynn yelled, feeling a strong sensation of dread.
“Darius Colt, by order of the Covenant, you will be permanently relieved of your Paladin status and executed for treason against the Holy Order.” The words Claire said only sugar coated one—death.
If Lynn did not do anything, they would execute Darius.
“Not by my watch you’re not!” Lynn yelled in anger, but she froze in place when Darius’s voice boomed.
“From Devas of Light and the Upholders of Vanir, come forth Lord and Lady, Freyr and Freyja!” he said, casting his enchantment as he quickly did his hand movements for the seals of his Patron.
The gesture was hostile, and it made the Templars scramble about in order to take down Darius.
“Brisingamen!” It was his final words for the casting, and when they slipped his lips, the two giant golden seals Lynn remembered, coughed up the giant gods once more.
Lynn felt the Airship distancing itself significantly from Darius, but after seeing his course of actions, she calmed herself. Darius’s Patron was powerful; there was no way he could lose now.
“Lynn! The Covenant is testing serums and drugs on innocent humans in order to isolate the immortal gene for mass reproduction. It is because of that, that I, Darius Colt ex-Paladin Defender, renounce my affiliations with them, and have been blamed of treason!” This time, he turned to face her with a hard expression. She could not remember the last time she saw his beautiful blind eyes, for they were always concealed.
“Take what you know and build your strength to fight them!” and that’s when it struck her.
Darius was not going to join her.
Darius was not planning to make it out alive.
It was then that Lynn realized how badly wounded he was. His body was scorched and burned, his armor in rags, and his spiritual pressure was at its limits. Summoning the Lords must have been his last shred.
One heave and the Lords revealed unto Lynn why they were summoned. They used their size and strength to shoot the Airship out of its docking chamber and into the skies. It rampaged through the opening on the ceiling, taking Lynn further away from Darius, who stared back at her wistfully.
What could she do at that moment?
How was she to react?
Half of her wanted to jump off and return to him, but her mind was stunned. She could only see him mouth those three words that he never had the courage to say to her face.
And then…he succumbed to his knees, as his executioner finished him on the spot. Claire, with no mercy, beheaded Darius Colt with the use of her shape shifting powers.
Subconsciously, Lynn’s hand reached out to him, wanting nothing more but to shelter him—wanting nothing more but to turn back the hands of time and save him—wanting nothing more but to soothe his pain.
As the ship flew about into the skies and over the sea that separated the facility from Oakhurst, Claire and the crumbling labs became nothing but fiery specs. It was then that Lynn turned and walked aimlessly about on the deck, unsure of what she had just witnessed. Only one thing brought her out of her stupor, a lone letter, carefully placed within the cracks of the wooden door so as the wind would not blow it away.
Mechanically, she opened the letter and read the words.
“Lynn, if you are reading this, then my Lords have granted me my final request, but it also means that I am no longer amongst the living. I am so sorry that I couldn’t get to you, but know that, I would have followed you anywhere. So, I will swallow my pride this time, you are the one that I will always love. Goodbye.”
Fighting against her hold until she could not take it anymore, the wind took the letter from her hands and blew it into the air and away from the ship. Lynn felt her powers, her strength and the will to continue drain from her body when her knees gave out as she fell to the floor with a hard thump. Almost lifeless she laid, feeling as if her soul was leaving her through her tears.
It was too much for her to bear, and the consciousness escaped her body quickly, before she realized that the Airship had spiraled out of control.
The machine collided with the density of a thick forest and came to an ungraceful halt, tilting to one side and spewing out Lynn’s body. She landed hard on the ground, but never once did she awaken.
Nevertheless, she was gingerly lifted and cradled into strong arms. Locke watched Lynn’s pale saddened face slumbering in what he could only imagine was a nightmare, and it pained him.
He had sensed her spiritual pressure spiraling into the city, but the crash and the ship was what really caught his attention. Whatever happened must have been a tremendous ordeal, and it was because of that that Locke used his Arcane Magic to alleviate Lynn’s pain. Instead, he made her dream of pleasantries and for the time being, it was the only thing he could do to make her life easier.