Dun, dun, dun... Will the Watcher be awakened to wrack havoc on Arquenia? Or will the Xavier Team prevail against this, their one last hope?
Part CXXIX: The Lair of the Watcher
Date: Kapton 30th, 114 A.U.
“So. Either they lived to fight the Watcher or they died,” Grandine said as the door shut behind the Xavier Team. “Come. We must prepare our defenses.”
“Our defenses against what?” Ranvier asked.
“If the Watcher is awakened and if the Watcher, as you claim, is evil, then we must have a defense against him,” Grandine replied. “We must gather together the auggers to stop him.”
“Very well,” Ranvier said. “I assume you are including Catan the Silent in that group?” Grandine paused.
“With all due respect, leader, no matter what his failings may be, Catan has been the only one among us who has been prepared so far for this attack,” Ranvier said.
“I… Fine. Alert him if you must,” Grandine said. “Tell the guards to let him go. Mayhaps he may atone for his deeds. I only hope that the Xavier Team will stop him in time so that it doesn’t come to that.”
The Xavier Team stood on a roadway that circled through the black void into an central cylinder chamber, which glowed white only for its light to be consumed by the black void. The air spun frigid around them as open eyes blinked.
“Come,” Reynyagn said as he drew out the Arglem. “They are likely in that chamber already. Haste and stealth must be on our side.” Moving quickly, they moved around the roadway as it spiraled down to enter into the cylinder chamber, where the roadway continued to curl around.
Torches immediately flickered up into flame, lighting their way as Reynyagn instinctively stopped, startled by the sudden new light. Writing began lighting up on the walls around them.
“Is that…” Flek said pointing. “Is that what I think it is?”
“The Prophesy of the Warrior,” Jroldin whispered, reading the inscription. “It… It looks like more of Xavier’s prophesies!”
“We don’t have time,” Reynyagn said regretfully. “The Emperor is still ahead of us. We must move on—and fast.” Moving down through the spiral road that cycled down into the chamber, they passed more prophesies and then pictures detailing magnificent events in the history of Arquenia. Still downward it went until finally it opened up. Reynyagn paused before passing through the archway, and then stepped out. Before him, the ramp continued to spiral down to the bottom of the chamber, but now the inner edge was open, guarded by a railing, allowing him to look into the chamber within. The tall chamber sported runes and images, and in the bottom, a large circular stone sat, seven indented regions cut into it. In the center of the stone swirled a blue spherical void. The chamber was empty. And there were no other exits. Quickly descending down the rest of the stairs, the four moved forward to stand near the center of the room.
“Where… where did they go?” Jroldin asked. “They had to be here—right?”
“It is the domain of the Watcher,” Astrid said softly. “I have a feeling he’s in control here.”
“You would be right about that.” And the Xavier Team whirled around, just in time, as an augger in one of the murals shifted, and his image warped to transform into Emperor Jaigran, who now descended with his black wings as he displayed the Five Golden Corsha Weapons along his belt.
“So this was a trap,” Flek said, narrowing his eyes.
“What else would you expect?” Emperor Jaigran asked. “I see we meet again, Reynyagn. And I also see that you are again surrounded by pitiful fighters who would seek to challenge me—me—the Wielder of Five of the Golden Weapons!”
“I would,” Reynyagn snapped, as he raised the Arglem. “You have left yourself open, Jaigran. You should have used the Five Golden Weapons to awaken the Watcher while you still could.”
“Which I would have done,” Jaigran replied, stepping toward him as his wings unfurled. “If five were enough to do it.”
Astrid froze. “What?”
“But of course, my young girl who bears the namesake of her governor,” Jaigran replied, a smile playing across his lips. “All seven are needed to awaken the Watcher. For a moment in this conflict, I was worried that you might escape with the two that you had, but as you see, my worries were unfounded. If I couldn’t beat you to the Golden Weapons, I’d lure them to myself.”
“Then you miscalculated our strength,” Reynyagn said, stepping forward, even as his eyes displayed fear. “The Prophecy of the Xavier Team will prevail against you.”
“You wish.” And saying so, Jaigran leapt into the air. A beat of his wings carried him up as he unfurled his weapons from his belt. First the gauntlets of the orcs. Then the human spear in one hand and the elven rapier in the other before he descended toward the middle of the group and his hand pointed at Astrid.
Before she could move, a bolt of lightning threw her aside, as Jaigran fell to land where she was even as the others turned on him. Reynyagn whipped the Arglem as Jaigran blocked it with his rapier, stabbing at Jroldin with his spear while Jroldin defended with his battle axe, Flek moving around to try and flank Jaigran.
“You won’t beat me so fast!” Jaigran roared as he stepped back to avoid Flek’s attempted flank. Flek pursed his lips. He knew that he was the weakest member of the party with Astrid now out of the fighting. He gripped his two arjla corsha blades. He wouldn’t be able to deter Jaigran with fear either—Jaigran knew that he had lost all of his power.
Reynyagn suddenly lashed out with the whip, avoiding Jaigran’s block to cut Jaigran hard across the face, creating a jagged line from his left eye to his right cheek. Jaigran gave a shriek of pain, stumbling back as blood poured from his face, his left eye ruined. Flek moved upon him in victory. But the victory was short-lived.
As Jaigran stumbled back, flesh knit together with flesh as the wound began to fade, the ruined eye being miraculously cured as the bleeding of the cut quickly stopped. “You… forgot… about the healing power of the Golden Corsha Weapons,” Jaigran said, slowly, as he gritted his teeth. “You got one strike in. But you won’t get another.”
Moving to the side, Flek raced around toward Jaigran’s backside, causing Jaigran to again have to step back as Reynyagn and Jroldin advanced. If he could keep moving Jaigran backwards he might have a chance of helping the others enough so that they could press him against the wall so that-
Suddenly, Jaigran lurched forward, beating his wings, as he shot a bolt of lightning into Jroldin’s chest, throwing him back. Stunned, Jroldin crashed on the floor, flailing, as Jaigran flew above him, crashing down upon him to rip the axe out of his hand, quickly girding it onto his belt before kicking Jroldin’s body aside. Moving up as Reynyagn came near, Jaigran lashed out with the spear, blocking the strike while moving low to the ground, using his shortness as an advantage as he avoided Reynyagn’s attack to come up with his sword, blasting fire into Reynyagn’s face from his gauntlets while with the sword he struck at the hand that held the Arglem.
Reynyagn gave a cry as blade burned through flesh. The Arglem was flung out of his hands as the sword cleaved all of his fifth, and most of his fourth finger off, dropping down to the ground in pain as Jaigran leapt to the side, sheathing his sword before grabbing the Arglem. Jaigran stood, panting, as he looked around him. And then he nodded his head.
“Now.”
Instantly, the Xavier Team suddenly felt themselves being pulled back, flung to the walls as manacles and chains suddenly appeared around them, chaining them to the wall, as the ghostly figure of the Watcher emerged from the void in the middle of the central stone.
“It’s over,” The Watcher said. “Have you had your fun toying with them, Jaigran?”
“Yes,” Jaigran said confidently. “I have shown them that I can beat them. Now, we will awaken you.”
“As you wish,” the Watcher whispered, and he faded away into the void.
“You… You always had the power to chain us to the wall…” Flek slowly said, realization dawning upon him.
“The Watcher always had the power while you were in his domain,” Jaigran said, setting the Arglem down in one of the depressions on the central stone. The Arglem glowed as stone immediately grew around it to thickly encase it in. “However, I have shown that I have not needed such help to beat you.” Two more weapons were laid down in the depression. “And now, having been thoroughly beaten, you will watch as I fully Awaken the Watcher to his full power.” Two more weapons were laid down as two more remained in his hands.
“No…” Flek said. “You can’t—you can’t do this!”
“Ah, but I already have,” Jaigran said, laying down the orc gauntlets in the 6th cavity. He paused, holding the elven rapier, over the 7th cavity. “And now-”
Suddenly, the darkness moved around them and darkness formed on figure as they could only watch. Jaigran looked up just in time to see the shadowy figure diving for him, whip outstretched.
There was a collision, and Jaigran went flying back, a line of blood forming around his chest as Jaigran stood face-to-face with a Sla’ad.
“You!” Jaigran cried out, bringing up the elven golden rapier to block the next strike. “You—you-”
“I have watched you for months,” the nameless Sla’ad replied, lashing out upon him with his whip as Jaigran narrowly avoided. “Waited for months for the perfect opportunity while you banished the darkness from around here. Until here when you slipped, ignored the darkness, and abandoned all of your golden corsha weapons. And now—you will die.”
“Stop!” Jaigran roared, backing up, fear across his face as he again blocked. “I—I plead—I beg you!” His voice sounded pitiful in his fright. “What do you want—spare my life—I can give you the world!” He let his rapier limply drop as he looked up in fright at the towering Sla’ad.
“I request only your life,” the Sla’ad snapped, bringing up the corsha whip for one final slash. And then the Sla’ad gasped, as he suddenly looked down, the rapier protruding through his chest.
“And you have let your guard slip upon your presumed victory,” Jaigran hissed, driving the blade up further into the Sla’ad’s writhing body. “Your shadows have been banished, for one who would have been an assassin. May the darkness reap its rewards on you.” And stepping back, Jaigran watched as the Sla’ad crumpled on the floor.
“Your last chance of victory is defeated!” Jaigran proclaimed, striding toward the central stone with his last golden weapon. “Your assassin has faltered on the cusp of victory! And now-” He paused next to the stone. “Now, the victory is mine!” And Jaigran laid the last golden weapon in the last depression of the stone as the stone encased it in. The blue spherical void glowered.
And the Watcher was awakened.
Part CXXIX: The Lair of the Watcher
Date: Kapton 30th, 114 A.U.
“So. Either they lived to fight the Watcher or they died,” Grandine said as the door shut behind the Xavier Team. “Come. We must prepare our defenses.”
“Our defenses against what?” Ranvier asked.
“If the Watcher is awakened and if the Watcher, as you claim, is evil, then we must have a defense against him,” Grandine replied. “We must gather together the auggers to stop him.”
“Very well,” Ranvier said. “I assume you are including Catan the Silent in that group?” Grandine paused.
“With all due respect, leader, no matter what his failings may be, Catan has been the only one among us who has been prepared so far for this attack,” Ranvier said.
“I… Fine. Alert him if you must,” Grandine said. “Tell the guards to let him go. Mayhaps he may atone for his deeds. I only hope that the Xavier Team will stop him in time so that it doesn’t come to that.”
The Xavier Team stood on a roadway that circled through the black void into an central cylinder chamber, which glowed white only for its light to be consumed by the black void. The air spun frigid around them as open eyes blinked.
“Come,” Reynyagn said as he drew out the Arglem. “They are likely in that chamber already. Haste and stealth must be on our side.” Moving quickly, they moved around the roadway as it spiraled down to enter into the cylinder chamber, where the roadway continued to curl around.
Torches immediately flickered up into flame, lighting their way as Reynyagn instinctively stopped, startled by the sudden new light. Writing began lighting up on the walls around them.
“Is that…” Flek said pointing. “Is that what I think it is?”
“The Prophesy of the Warrior,” Jroldin whispered, reading the inscription. “It… It looks like more of Xavier’s prophesies!”
“We don’t have time,” Reynyagn said regretfully. “The Emperor is still ahead of us. We must move on—and fast.” Moving down through the spiral road that cycled down into the chamber, they passed more prophesies and then pictures detailing magnificent events in the history of Arquenia. Still downward it went until finally it opened up. Reynyagn paused before passing through the archway, and then stepped out. Before him, the ramp continued to spiral down to the bottom of the chamber, but now the inner edge was open, guarded by a railing, allowing him to look into the chamber within. The tall chamber sported runes and images, and in the bottom, a large circular stone sat, seven indented regions cut into it. In the center of the stone swirled a blue spherical void. The chamber was empty. And there were no other exits. Quickly descending down the rest of the stairs, the four moved forward to stand near the center of the room.
“Where… where did they go?” Jroldin asked. “They had to be here—right?”
“It is the domain of the Watcher,” Astrid said softly. “I have a feeling he’s in control here.”
“You would be right about that.” And the Xavier Team whirled around, just in time, as an augger in one of the murals shifted, and his image warped to transform into Emperor Jaigran, who now descended with his black wings as he displayed the Five Golden Corsha Weapons along his belt.
“So this was a trap,” Flek said, narrowing his eyes.
“What else would you expect?” Emperor Jaigran asked. “I see we meet again, Reynyagn. And I also see that you are again surrounded by pitiful fighters who would seek to challenge me—me—the Wielder of Five of the Golden Weapons!”
“I would,” Reynyagn snapped, as he raised the Arglem. “You have left yourself open, Jaigran. You should have used the Five Golden Weapons to awaken the Watcher while you still could.”
“Which I would have done,” Jaigran replied, stepping toward him as his wings unfurled. “If five were enough to do it.”
Astrid froze. “What?”
“But of course, my young girl who bears the namesake of her governor,” Jaigran replied, a smile playing across his lips. “All seven are needed to awaken the Watcher. For a moment in this conflict, I was worried that you might escape with the two that you had, but as you see, my worries were unfounded. If I couldn’t beat you to the Golden Weapons, I’d lure them to myself.”
“Then you miscalculated our strength,” Reynyagn said, stepping forward, even as his eyes displayed fear. “The Prophecy of the Xavier Team will prevail against you.”
“You wish.” And saying so, Jaigran leapt into the air. A beat of his wings carried him up as he unfurled his weapons from his belt. First the gauntlets of the orcs. Then the human spear in one hand and the elven rapier in the other before he descended toward the middle of the group and his hand pointed at Astrid.
Before she could move, a bolt of lightning threw her aside, as Jaigran fell to land where she was even as the others turned on him. Reynyagn whipped the Arglem as Jaigran blocked it with his rapier, stabbing at Jroldin with his spear while Jroldin defended with his battle axe, Flek moving around to try and flank Jaigran.
“You won’t beat me so fast!” Jaigran roared as he stepped back to avoid Flek’s attempted flank. Flek pursed his lips. He knew that he was the weakest member of the party with Astrid now out of the fighting. He gripped his two arjla corsha blades. He wouldn’t be able to deter Jaigran with fear either—Jaigran knew that he had lost all of his power.
Reynyagn suddenly lashed out with the whip, avoiding Jaigran’s block to cut Jaigran hard across the face, creating a jagged line from his left eye to his right cheek. Jaigran gave a shriek of pain, stumbling back as blood poured from his face, his left eye ruined. Flek moved upon him in victory. But the victory was short-lived.
As Jaigran stumbled back, flesh knit together with flesh as the wound began to fade, the ruined eye being miraculously cured as the bleeding of the cut quickly stopped. “You… forgot… about the healing power of the Golden Corsha Weapons,” Jaigran said, slowly, as he gritted his teeth. “You got one strike in. But you won’t get another.”
Moving to the side, Flek raced around toward Jaigran’s backside, causing Jaigran to again have to step back as Reynyagn and Jroldin advanced. If he could keep moving Jaigran backwards he might have a chance of helping the others enough so that they could press him against the wall so that-
Suddenly, Jaigran lurched forward, beating his wings, as he shot a bolt of lightning into Jroldin’s chest, throwing him back. Stunned, Jroldin crashed on the floor, flailing, as Jaigran flew above him, crashing down upon him to rip the axe out of his hand, quickly girding it onto his belt before kicking Jroldin’s body aside. Moving up as Reynyagn came near, Jaigran lashed out with the spear, blocking the strike while moving low to the ground, using his shortness as an advantage as he avoided Reynyagn’s attack to come up with his sword, blasting fire into Reynyagn’s face from his gauntlets while with the sword he struck at the hand that held the Arglem.
Reynyagn gave a cry as blade burned through flesh. The Arglem was flung out of his hands as the sword cleaved all of his fifth, and most of his fourth finger off, dropping down to the ground in pain as Jaigran leapt to the side, sheathing his sword before grabbing the Arglem. Jaigran stood, panting, as he looked around him. And then he nodded his head.
“Now.”
Instantly, the Xavier Team suddenly felt themselves being pulled back, flung to the walls as manacles and chains suddenly appeared around them, chaining them to the wall, as the ghostly figure of the Watcher emerged from the void in the middle of the central stone.
“It’s over,” The Watcher said. “Have you had your fun toying with them, Jaigran?”
“Yes,” Jaigran said confidently. “I have shown them that I can beat them. Now, we will awaken you.”
“As you wish,” the Watcher whispered, and he faded away into the void.
“You… You always had the power to chain us to the wall…” Flek slowly said, realization dawning upon him.
“The Watcher always had the power while you were in his domain,” Jaigran said, setting the Arglem down in one of the depressions on the central stone. The Arglem glowed as stone immediately grew around it to thickly encase it in. “However, I have shown that I have not needed such help to beat you.” Two more weapons were laid down in the depression. “And now, having been thoroughly beaten, you will watch as I fully Awaken the Watcher to his full power.” Two more weapons were laid down as two more remained in his hands.
“No…” Flek said. “You can’t—you can’t do this!”
“Ah, but I already have,” Jaigran said, laying down the orc gauntlets in the 6th cavity. He paused, holding the elven rapier, over the 7th cavity. “And now-”
Suddenly, the darkness moved around them and darkness formed on figure as they could only watch. Jaigran looked up just in time to see the shadowy figure diving for him, whip outstretched.
There was a collision, and Jaigran went flying back, a line of blood forming around his chest as Jaigran stood face-to-face with a Sla’ad.
“You!” Jaigran cried out, bringing up the elven golden rapier to block the next strike. “You—you-”
“I have watched you for months,” the nameless Sla’ad replied, lashing out upon him with his whip as Jaigran narrowly avoided. “Waited for months for the perfect opportunity while you banished the darkness from around here. Until here when you slipped, ignored the darkness, and abandoned all of your golden corsha weapons. And now—you will die.”
“Stop!” Jaigran roared, backing up, fear across his face as he again blocked. “I—I plead—I beg you!” His voice sounded pitiful in his fright. “What do you want—spare my life—I can give you the world!” He let his rapier limply drop as he looked up in fright at the towering Sla’ad.
“I request only your life,” the Sla’ad snapped, bringing up the corsha whip for one final slash. And then the Sla’ad gasped, as he suddenly looked down, the rapier protruding through his chest.
“And you have let your guard slip upon your presumed victory,” Jaigran hissed, driving the blade up further into the Sla’ad’s writhing body. “Your shadows have been banished, for one who would have been an assassin. May the darkness reap its rewards on you.” And stepping back, Jaigran watched as the Sla’ad crumpled on the floor.
“Your last chance of victory is defeated!” Jaigran proclaimed, striding toward the central stone with his last golden weapon. “Your assassin has faltered on the cusp of victory! And now-” He paused next to the stone. “Now, the victory is mine!” And Jaigran laid the last golden weapon in the last depression of the stone as the stone encased it in. The blue spherical void glowered.
And the Watcher was awakened.
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