Gearing up in the final climax... For those trying to picture the Watcher, he's somewhat similar to The Shadow in Inkheart (http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/The_Shadow_%28Inkheart%29). He's a lot more physical (less a smoke-figure) and has more burning lines in him than the Shadow. But he's something like that... So if you have a hard time picturing my description, just picture something like that...
And so, without further ado--
Part CXXXI: Awakening
Date: Kapton 30th, 114 A.U.
Streaks of light flew out from the void as the Seven Golden Corsha Weapons were sealed. Jaigran stepped back in the midst of the dazzling light as he threw his head back, laughing uncontrollably in infamy. Jroldin struggled at his bonds, trying to reach to his pocket as he brought his leg up, fingers clawing at the pocket to get his tools out.
“This is it!” Jaigran roared as the Golden Weapons shone, casting their golden lights into the blue void. “I have won!” There was an eruption as the void pulsed, even as smoke, cinders, and fire began to conglomerate above the void. Jroldin pulled his tools out of his pocket, his kit that he promised his father he would never travel without, as he painstakingly opened it in his chained hands, grabbing the small tube and, shutting the case and letting it fall into his pocket, squeezing the fluid from the tube onto the metal menacles, watching the fluid dissolve the manacle on his right hand.
“The Watcher is awakened!” Jaigran roared as the smoke, cinders, and fire began to slowly form into a giant humanoid form that stretched upwards towards the roof of the chamber. Quickly pulling his hand out, the acid only slightly burning his hand, Jroldin squeezed the liquid onto the other manacle, letting it dissolve the metal before jerking his hand out. He was free. Jroldin grabbed his knife from his belt, his last weapon, and his last hope of stopping Jaigran.
“I awaken the Watcher!” Jaigran roared as the humanoid figure stood, dwarfing all of them in the chamber as the Watcher raised his hand upward, a hand made up of the smoking cinders that formed his smoke-filled black body, red creases appearing between the cracks as he gave a roar of triumph.
“No!” Jroldin yelled, leaping forward toward the Emperor. And, brandishing the knife, he stabbed Jaigran in the back.
There was a sharp intake of breath, and Jaigran stumbled forward, blood spurting from his wound, as he crashed down upon the circular stone full of the Golden Weapons, even as Jroldin drove the knife in harder.
Jaigran rolled over in pain, even as Jroldin drew out the knife, preparing to plunge it into Jaigran’s heart. Jaigran stared up at him in his malevolent gaze. And then he lowered his head.
Suddenly, there was a noise, and a flash of light. Jroldin winced as a piece of glowing golden armor flew past, the armored glove latching onto Jaigran’s hand, even as Jaigran rolled away from him off of the stone.
Pieces of golden armor flew past, the golden weapons disintegrating into armor, even as they latched onto Jaigran, creating his armor as they morphed from corsha into metal, covering his body in the golden armor even as a helmet latched onto his head. Jaigran lifted out his hand and a golden corsha sword slammed into his hand. His other hand lifted, and a golden shield flung itself on him, using up the rest of the golden material even as Jroldin stared at him in horror.
“Nice try,” Jaigran whispered. And then surging forward, he stabbed Jroldin in the chest.
Jroldin faltered, collapsing even as the Watcher stepped down beside Jaigran, his large form condensing into a burning shadowy figure next to Jaigran, about the size of a normal elf. “Let them perish in my tomb,” he said in a deep gravelly voice. “The chamber will destroy itself in my absence. Let us leave.” And stepping to the void, the Watcher laid his hand on it. And Jaigran and the Watcher vanished in streaks of blue light.
The ground shook as a tower suddenly burst out from the Noon-Stone, smashing up into the roof of the council chamber as blue light erupted out of it, Emperor Jaigran flying out from it to land on the roof even as the Watcher condensed above him, his burning ember body crashing down as he stood, enveloping the top of the roof in shadow as the blue light burst out above him, shining up into the sky out of the top of the new tower.
“Arquenia is lost,” the Watcher roared, stretching out his burning hand over the city. “With your armor, you will be invincible to attacks. We will destroy this last city of the auggers. And then we will aspire to the heavens and leave into space in our ship. The time of our commencement is come. And this city will be our example.”
“We’re done,” Flek whispered. Jroldin lay writhing in blood on the floor. He, Reynyagn, and Astrid were chained to the wall in manacles without a key. “It’s… it’s over. This is defeat.”
“We… we can’t…” Astrid whispered, even as her chest heave. “Not… not after all of this…”
“We have to get out of here,” Reynyagn said, looking up. The ceiling shook, even as cracks began to form in it. “The chamber is self-destructing.” He looked down at Jroldin. “Jroldin!”
“I…” Jroldin gasped, blood dripping from the wound in his chest as he looked up. “I… I’ve failed…”
“You can’t!” Reynyagn said. “Not yet, Jroldin! You need to get us out of here!”
“But… but how…”
“Touch the void!” Reynyagn hissed. “The Watcher used it to teleport. You’re the Priest-King! You can do it!”
“I have to…” Jroldin heaved up off of the floor, blood dripping from his chest as he staggered forward. Throwing himself upon the Noon-Stone, Jroldin gasped, contorting his face in agony, before he stretched out his hand upon the void, feeling the depths within it. He called upon the forces of teleportation in one last gasp of agony.
And nothing happened.
“Fire more! Stop that thing!” Grandine roared. Catan the Silent signaled with his hands before pushing the button. Missile silos on the island turned around, letting loose five missiles, four of which fired at the shadowy being of fire which was the Watcher. Four missiles crashed into the body of the Watcher, causing him to stagger once even as his hand quenched the life of a hapless Augger in his hand. And then the Watcher shook his head, unmoved.
The fifth whistled through the air as Jaigran moved out of the way too late. The missile sailed into him, blowing apart his arm as it exploded, throwing him against a tower. Catan the Silent stabbed the computer keys, bringing up the surveillance camera closer onto Jaigran. Jaigran grimaced, obviously in pain, before relief sprung upon his face. Golden armor streaked up from the ground toward him as flesh and bone knit together.
Catan the Silent watched in horror as Jaigran’s arm, blown apart, came together across the city to re-connect bone and marrow into one solid arm, which golden armor fastened itself again. A smile played across Jaigran’s face. And then he smashed the surveillance camera.
Catan the Silent pushed back, staring at the black computer screen. “I… I can’t stop them,” he stammered. “Their defenses—they’re too good! We’re… we’re done.”
“Do something!” Reynyagn shouted as the cracks resounded throughout the walls. “You’re the Priest-King! Can’t you do it?!”
“It’s… it’s hopeless,” Jroldin gasped as he collapsed, his hand falling off the blue void. “My powers… my powers are over…”
“What do you mean?” Astrid cried out.
“I… I can’t do it…” Jroldin whispered, tears dripping down his face as he lay limply on the stone, his life draining out of him in his blood. “It won’t open to me anymore. We’re… we’re at the end of our rope, guys. I’m… I’m sorry… It’s over.”
Question of the Day: What will the Xavier Team do now?
And so, without further ado--
Part CXXXI: Awakening
Date: Kapton 30th, 114 A.U.
Streaks of light flew out from the void as the Seven Golden Corsha Weapons were sealed. Jaigran stepped back in the midst of the dazzling light as he threw his head back, laughing uncontrollably in infamy. Jroldin struggled at his bonds, trying to reach to his pocket as he brought his leg up, fingers clawing at the pocket to get his tools out.
“This is it!” Jaigran roared as the Golden Weapons shone, casting their golden lights into the blue void. “I have won!” There was an eruption as the void pulsed, even as smoke, cinders, and fire began to conglomerate above the void. Jroldin pulled his tools out of his pocket, his kit that he promised his father he would never travel without, as he painstakingly opened it in his chained hands, grabbing the small tube and, shutting the case and letting it fall into his pocket, squeezing the fluid from the tube onto the metal menacles, watching the fluid dissolve the manacle on his right hand.
“The Watcher is awakened!” Jaigran roared as the smoke, cinders, and fire began to slowly form into a giant humanoid form that stretched upwards towards the roof of the chamber. Quickly pulling his hand out, the acid only slightly burning his hand, Jroldin squeezed the liquid onto the other manacle, letting it dissolve the metal before jerking his hand out. He was free. Jroldin grabbed his knife from his belt, his last weapon, and his last hope of stopping Jaigran.
“I awaken the Watcher!” Jaigran roared as the humanoid figure stood, dwarfing all of them in the chamber as the Watcher raised his hand upward, a hand made up of the smoking cinders that formed his smoke-filled black body, red creases appearing between the cracks as he gave a roar of triumph.
“No!” Jroldin yelled, leaping forward toward the Emperor. And, brandishing the knife, he stabbed Jaigran in the back.
There was a sharp intake of breath, and Jaigran stumbled forward, blood spurting from his wound, as he crashed down upon the circular stone full of the Golden Weapons, even as Jroldin drove the knife in harder.
Jaigran rolled over in pain, even as Jroldin drew out the knife, preparing to plunge it into Jaigran’s heart. Jaigran stared up at him in his malevolent gaze. And then he lowered his head.
Suddenly, there was a noise, and a flash of light. Jroldin winced as a piece of glowing golden armor flew past, the armored glove latching onto Jaigran’s hand, even as Jaigran rolled away from him off of the stone.
Pieces of golden armor flew past, the golden weapons disintegrating into armor, even as they latched onto Jaigran, creating his armor as they morphed from corsha into metal, covering his body in the golden armor even as a helmet latched onto his head. Jaigran lifted out his hand and a golden corsha sword slammed into his hand. His other hand lifted, and a golden shield flung itself on him, using up the rest of the golden material even as Jroldin stared at him in horror.
“Nice try,” Jaigran whispered. And then surging forward, he stabbed Jroldin in the chest.
Jroldin faltered, collapsing even as the Watcher stepped down beside Jaigran, his large form condensing into a burning shadowy figure next to Jaigran, about the size of a normal elf. “Let them perish in my tomb,” he said in a deep gravelly voice. “The chamber will destroy itself in my absence. Let us leave.” And stepping to the void, the Watcher laid his hand on it. And Jaigran and the Watcher vanished in streaks of blue light.
The ground shook as a tower suddenly burst out from the Noon-Stone, smashing up into the roof of the council chamber as blue light erupted out of it, Emperor Jaigran flying out from it to land on the roof even as the Watcher condensed above him, his burning ember body crashing down as he stood, enveloping the top of the roof in shadow as the blue light burst out above him, shining up into the sky out of the top of the new tower.
“Arquenia is lost,” the Watcher roared, stretching out his burning hand over the city. “With your armor, you will be invincible to attacks. We will destroy this last city of the auggers. And then we will aspire to the heavens and leave into space in our ship. The time of our commencement is come. And this city will be our example.”
“We’re done,” Flek whispered. Jroldin lay writhing in blood on the floor. He, Reynyagn, and Astrid were chained to the wall in manacles without a key. “It’s… it’s over. This is defeat.”
“We… we can’t…” Astrid whispered, even as her chest heave. “Not… not after all of this…”
“We have to get out of here,” Reynyagn said, looking up. The ceiling shook, even as cracks began to form in it. “The chamber is self-destructing.” He looked down at Jroldin. “Jroldin!”
“I…” Jroldin gasped, blood dripping from the wound in his chest as he looked up. “I… I’ve failed…”
“You can’t!” Reynyagn said. “Not yet, Jroldin! You need to get us out of here!”
“But… but how…”
“Touch the void!” Reynyagn hissed. “The Watcher used it to teleport. You’re the Priest-King! You can do it!”
“I have to…” Jroldin heaved up off of the floor, blood dripping from his chest as he staggered forward. Throwing himself upon the Noon-Stone, Jroldin gasped, contorting his face in agony, before he stretched out his hand upon the void, feeling the depths within it. He called upon the forces of teleportation in one last gasp of agony.
And nothing happened.
“Fire more! Stop that thing!” Grandine roared. Catan the Silent signaled with his hands before pushing the button. Missile silos on the island turned around, letting loose five missiles, four of which fired at the shadowy being of fire which was the Watcher. Four missiles crashed into the body of the Watcher, causing him to stagger once even as his hand quenched the life of a hapless Augger in his hand. And then the Watcher shook his head, unmoved.
The fifth whistled through the air as Jaigran moved out of the way too late. The missile sailed into him, blowing apart his arm as it exploded, throwing him against a tower. Catan the Silent stabbed the computer keys, bringing up the surveillance camera closer onto Jaigran. Jaigran grimaced, obviously in pain, before relief sprung upon his face. Golden armor streaked up from the ground toward him as flesh and bone knit together.
Catan the Silent watched in horror as Jaigran’s arm, blown apart, came together across the city to re-connect bone and marrow into one solid arm, which golden armor fastened itself again. A smile played across Jaigran’s face. And then he smashed the surveillance camera.
Catan the Silent pushed back, staring at the black computer screen. “I… I can’t stop them,” he stammered. “Their defenses—they’re too good! We’re… we’re done.”
“Do something!” Reynyagn shouted as the cracks resounded throughout the walls. “You’re the Priest-King! Can’t you do it?!”
“It’s… it’s hopeless,” Jroldin gasped as he collapsed, his hand falling off the blue void. “My powers… my powers are over…”
“What do you mean?” Astrid cried out.
“I… I can’t do it…” Jroldin whispered, tears dripping down his face as he lay limply on the stone, his life draining out of him in his blood. “It won’t open to me anymore. We’re… we’re at the end of our rope, guys. I’m… I’m sorry… It’s over.”
Question of the Day: What will the Xavier Team do now?
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