Well, I really didn't hold off on posting this until Saturday (rather than Thursday, like I have been doing) because I wanted to torture you with the weight after the cliff-hanger ending of the last part. :P Well, maybe that had something to do with it, but it took me longer to write this post given that (1), it's longer, and (2) it was difficult to write. And I ended up rewriting the middle-third of it half-way through since I didn't like what I had previously written, so it took me a while... Anyways, this part is best read while listening to the soundtrack of Inception, particularly the Time piece, so if you have that, I suggest reading it with that background music.
Anyways, without further ado, I think it's about time to get to our climax, right?
Part CXXXII: Consummation
Date: Kapton 30th, 114 A.U.
“Destroy the world and let it burn… Let it burn in the fires of the sun forever…” Emperor Jaigran pointed with his gauntleted hand as lightning rippled out of it, electrifying the hapless augger. “Quench the fires of opposition and destroy them through the gauntlet,” he murmured as the augger arched his back in pain. “Put your enemies under your feet… Destroy your prime adversaries and overcome them…”
He paused, flying down to meet the augger, now flickering between life and the depths of the unknown. “I apologize that this had to happen,” he whispered in a smooth voice. “But where are your protectors now?”
Jroldin lay, breathing softly, on top of the circular stone, a wet line trickling down his face as his hand slowly slipped off the blue void, falling on the cold rock. Astrid’s face was covered with her hands while Reynyagn stared up at the cracking ceiling as the entire chamber bore the weight of the void outside.
“You… We…” Flek tried to say, but he pursed his lips in agony. “No. It can’t end here.”
“We have no other choice,” Jroldin said softly as he turned to look at him, his shirt smeared with blood. “I… I can’t do it, Flek. I can’t do it!”
“Don’t give up,” Flek said, straining. “You gave me hope when I had none, Jroldin! We’ve faced opposition before! We can’t give up now, even when hope seems lost!”
“But… but then…” Jroldin said, shaking his grief-stricken head. “Then we had hope… then we had…” His voice trailed off.
“Then we thought I was overtaken by the Watcher—we thought the Xavier Team would be broken—but it wasn’t!” Flek pleaded. “Even in such a situation, we can still-“
“No…” Jroldin said, interrupting. “Wait… I… No…” He stared at Flek, and his gaze hardened. “No… It couldn’t be…”
“What couldn’t be?”
“Catch,” Jroldin gasped out, tossing a tube to Flek. Flek managed to catch it in his hands, looking at it strangely.
“It… It’s what got me out of the chains…” Jroldin gasped as he doubled over in pain. “Squeeze… squeeze it on the chains…” Flek did so, watching the acid dissolve the chain before jerking his hand free, quickly doing it to the next one.
“Here,” he said, handing it to Reynyagn, as he rushed over to support Jroldin, lifting him up. “We’re not dying like this.” Up ahead, the ceiling caved in, slowly giving way to the black void.
“Not me…” Jroldin gasped, clutching his wound. “I… The void…” He pointed. “Touch the void, Flek.” Out of the corner of his eye, Flek noticed as Reynyagn, now free, ran forward to grab the corsha blade that the dead Sla’ad assassin held.
“Wh-”
“Just do it!” Jroldin yelled hoarsely. “Touch it!” Hesitantly, Flek complied. He felt the cool surface of the blue void with his fingers and felt the energy running under his fingertips. The energy beckoned. And Flek pushed harder, meeting the energy with his fingers even as the void caved in through the ceiling.
Reality caved inwards. And, filled with energy, Flek channeled it outward.
Light shone all around them as Flek rose up, gasping, staggering backward as he felt light-headed. Figures appeared next to him, all lying on the top of the ceiling of the Noon-Chamber, a blue light shining out of the roof next to them from a well of light. Flek suddenly again was weighted with the body of Jroldin, staggering back again as he tried to hold Jroldin up..
“It—it worked!” Astrid cried out as she looked around, from the skies above, to the burning figure of the Watcher in the midst of the city that lay before them. “We—are we—”
“We’re on the top of the Noon-Chamber,” Reynyagn responded. “But how…” A shadow fell across them.
Just in time, Reynyagn leapt up, swinging his sword up to block the attack of Emperor Jaigran, descending from the sky. Jaigran landed on the edge of the roof next to them, his eyes vehement with anger.
“How-” he began. But Reynyagn reacted first, throwing himself forward at the Emperor, crashing into him as he threw the two of them off of the roof, all the while blocking the Emperor’s sword with his own as they fell, pushing away from the Emperor at the last moment as they hit the ground.
Jaigran panted. “Face it, Reynyagn. It all ends here.” Jaigran moved forward, swinging downward even as Reynyagn dodged. “Must I beat you a second time?”
“One should never be too confident in their abilities,” Reynyagn snapped, panting, as he glanced upward toward the top of the building.
“You’re one to talk,” Jaigran snapped, faltering as Reynyagn attacked. Too late, Reynyagn saw the grin on Jaigran’s face. But Reynyagn ignored it as he stabbed Reynyagn between the neck plates.
Jaigran swallowed hard, masking the pain on his face as he stared down at the blade that now extended through his neck. But then his eyes glinted. Moving forward, he kicked Reynyagn hard in the shins before bringing his shield around, bashing Reynyagn on the side of the head as Reynyagn was thrown backwards, stumbling on the ground, the blade now released from the wound.
“Nice try,” Jaigran wheezed as the wound in his neck began to heal, the blood instantly clotting and the skin clinging together. “But not close enough. The Golden Armor is too strong for that.” He looked up toward the quickly advancing Watcher, moving toward them from across the city. “Pick your killer, Reynyagn.” And with that, he moved forward.
Flek shook Jroldin as, below, he could hear the sounds of Reynyagn’s duel with Jaigran. “Wake up, Jroldin,” Flek said, sweat beading down his forehead. “You can’t go yet, Jroldin. Keep fighting!”
“I…” Jroldin managed to say as his eyes slowly opened. He looked around. “Where… where are we?”
“We’re above the Noon-Chamber,” Flek said. “I… I think I teleported us here.” He stared at Jroldin. “But we need to fix you up—now. We have to stop your bleeding. You can’t die, yet. We just need to find a way to leave the city—come back later to stop the Watcher—we-”
“It…” Jroldin said, a smile slowly breaking onto his face, despite the pain, as he laughed. Flek stared at him. “Of course…” Jroldin said. “How did I not realize it…”
“You’re still wounded and nearly dead,” Astrid said, rushing toward him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I still have some of my gear, and-”
“No…” Jroldin said, shaking his head as he weakly pushed Astrid away. “It’s too late—but don’t you see?” He pointed upward at Flek. “It’s… everything’s clear…” Look—the gem on the circlet—” He turned to point at the electric blue light that shone from what appeared to be a well that had formed from the top of the roof. “The colors match—the prophecies of the Priest-King…”
“You need to be healed…” Astrid said, moving closer as she tried to examine Jroldin’s wound. “You-”
“It’s too late,” Jroldin said, shaking his head as the paleness of his face became evident. “I… I’ve lost too much blood, Astrid. You’re a healer. You know that—right?”
“No…” Astrid said, chest heaving. “You can’t—not yet—not now.”
“But I’ve figured it all out in time…” Jroldin said, a small smile forming across his pale lips.
“Figured out what?” Flek asked.
“That…” Jroldin gasped as he reached his hand slowly upwards, resting his hand on the circlet. “The… The Priest-King… He can’t die…” His gaze met Flek’s as he slowly exhaled. “You… You know, Flek…” Flek stared back at him. “When… when it’s all over… tell my father…” His voice broke one last time. “Tell him that I love him… And that… Tell him I’m finally ready to be called Jacob.” And then his head fell to the side as his arms fell, his arms resting on the ceiling. One last sigh exhaled out of his body. And his eyes rolled upward in his final rest.
“No…” Astrid whispered hoarsely. “No! It can’t… It’s not over…”
Flek shook uncontrollably as he slowly stood up, laying Jroldin’s body down to rest in the wet sand as the water fell back as part of the tide. “I… I know,” he said as he stared at the blue light emitting upward. “He… He’s right.”
“He’s right about what?” Astrid cried out. “He’s dead, Flek! Jroldin’s dead!”
“We—we must grieve,” Flek said, biting his lip. “But we have to do so later. We only have one last chance.”
“One last chance for what?!” Astrid cried.
Flek exhaled sharply. “One last chance to stop the Watcher,” he said, as his eyes shown with an unearthly vigor. “It’s all too obvious now. He figured it out at the last moment to save us all.”
“What are you talking about?!”
“Listen, Astrid,” Flek said as he stumbled forward, laying his hand on her shoulder. “You have to trust me. Do you trust me?”
“I…” Astrid said, biting her lip as her eyes rimmed with tears. “He’s… he’s…”
“I know he’s dead,” Flek said as he tried to hold back his own tears. “But we have to do this, Astrid. We need to do this for Jroldin now, before it’s too late.” He stepped back, straightening up. “We don’t have time. We need to do this now. Are you with me?”
“With you in what? We’re doomed!” Astrid cried out as she looked up at the approaching Watcher, his black face now shielding the sun. “Jroldin dead. Reynyagn fighting a losing battle with Jaigran. And the Watcher coming to finish us off!”
“No,” Flek said, standing up as he stepped toward the blue light. “No. I know what I have to do. The only escape—the only way to stop the Watcher.” He stared downward as Astrid joined him, looking down into a well of blue light that shone out from the depths all the way past them into the heavens.
“What is this?” Astrid asked, nearly shouting, turning toward Flek. “Why—how will this help?”
“I can’t… I can’t explain now,” Flek said. “Astrid…” He turned toward her, laying a hand on her shoulder. “Astrid, I just want to let you know… I just wanted to let you know that I’ll miss you.”
“But…” Astrid said, her face welling up with tears. “I can’t… not you, too…” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Flek… I-” She moved forward, embracing the startled goblin. “I… I’ll trust… I have to…”
“Be strong,” Flek whispered as he slowly turned from her to the well, linking hands with her as he stood at the brink of it, staring down into the depths. His knees trembled and he licked his lips, as Astrid clenched his hand tighter. There was a guttural roar from behind them. Astrid didn’t need to look to know whom it was. And slowly, she released her grip on Flek’s hand.
“Be strong,” she whispered in return, and stepped back. Astrid watched as Flek closed his eyes. And stepping forward, he let himself slip, falling into the well of light as Astrid stepped forward, looking down in agony to watch him to descend into the burning light. He stared upa t her as he fell, lifting up one last hand—one last gesture toward Astrid as light burned away at his lower body, consuming his legs—torso—and then he was all consumed in the burning light.
A cry of anguish escaped Astrid’s lips as she stepped back, turning as she saw the Watcher, now in front of her, extending a burning hand toward her. The earth shook as the light wavered. Astrid sank to her knees, removing all worry from her body as peace fell over her, even as the Watcher’s hand moved closer to snuff out her life.
There was a peal of thunder, and the earth snapped. A tremor threw Astrid to the ground as she looked up at the Watcher. The light from the well shone brighter, suddenly turning as she could feel the whole planet moving, throttling backwards. Multiple lights shone out from the well as Astrid shielded her eyes. She heard a roar of anguish and through the squinting light watched as the lights tore at the Watcher, sucking him into its blue-filled light as he lifted one last faltering arm to the heavens. And then he too was sucked in with the light as the earth rumbled.
Light exploded from on high as Emperor Jaigran rose again to his knees upon the uaking earth. Too late, Jaigran looked up, watching in horror as the Watcher gave a roar of anguish, his body melting and blending into the light that sucked him into its swirling vortex as a reed flushed down into a whirlpool.
Jaigran’s mouth dropped open, staring upward, even as too late, he grasped what had happened. Reynyagn moved up the ground, surging forward. And even as Jaigran looked back in horror, Reynyagn thrust his blade into the armor of Jaigran’s breastplate and stabbed Jaigran in the heart.
Jaigran stared back at him, opening his mouth in a howl, the noise of which was sucked away into the wind. The vortex of light shifted and Jaigran was suddenly lifted up off of his feet, sliding up into the air away from the blade even as blood spurted out of his armor. Jaigran opened his mouth in a voiceless scream as his body and armor dissolved into the light. The light rebounded, pouring back in on itself into the well at the top of the Noon-Chamber, flying into it even as it recovered itself, the well spinning as it sealed itself back into the ground where it had come from even as the earth stopped shaking.
And then there was silence.
Anyways, without further ado, I think it's about time to get to our climax, right?
Part CXXXII: Consummation
Date: Kapton 30th, 114 A.U.
“Destroy the world and let it burn… Let it burn in the fires of the sun forever…” Emperor Jaigran pointed with his gauntleted hand as lightning rippled out of it, electrifying the hapless augger. “Quench the fires of opposition and destroy them through the gauntlet,” he murmured as the augger arched his back in pain. “Put your enemies under your feet… Destroy your prime adversaries and overcome them…”
He paused, flying down to meet the augger, now flickering between life and the depths of the unknown. “I apologize that this had to happen,” he whispered in a smooth voice. “But where are your protectors now?”
Jroldin lay, breathing softly, on top of the circular stone, a wet line trickling down his face as his hand slowly slipped off the blue void, falling on the cold rock. Astrid’s face was covered with her hands while Reynyagn stared up at the cracking ceiling as the entire chamber bore the weight of the void outside.
“You… We…” Flek tried to say, but he pursed his lips in agony. “No. It can’t end here.”
“We have no other choice,” Jroldin said softly as he turned to look at him, his shirt smeared with blood. “I… I can’t do it, Flek. I can’t do it!”
“Don’t give up,” Flek said, straining. “You gave me hope when I had none, Jroldin! We’ve faced opposition before! We can’t give up now, even when hope seems lost!”
“But… but then…” Jroldin said, shaking his grief-stricken head. “Then we had hope… then we had…” His voice trailed off.
“Then we thought I was overtaken by the Watcher—we thought the Xavier Team would be broken—but it wasn’t!” Flek pleaded. “Even in such a situation, we can still-“
“No…” Jroldin said, interrupting. “Wait… I… No…” He stared at Flek, and his gaze hardened. “No… It couldn’t be…”
“What couldn’t be?”
“Catch,” Jroldin gasped out, tossing a tube to Flek. Flek managed to catch it in his hands, looking at it strangely.
“It… It’s what got me out of the chains…” Jroldin gasped as he doubled over in pain. “Squeeze… squeeze it on the chains…” Flek did so, watching the acid dissolve the chain before jerking his hand free, quickly doing it to the next one.
“Here,” he said, handing it to Reynyagn, as he rushed over to support Jroldin, lifting him up. “We’re not dying like this.” Up ahead, the ceiling caved in, slowly giving way to the black void.
“Not me…” Jroldin gasped, clutching his wound. “I… The void…” He pointed. “Touch the void, Flek.” Out of the corner of his eye, Flek noticed as Reynyagn, now free, ran forward to grab the corsha blade that the dead Sla’ad assassin held.
“Wh-”
“Just do it!” Jroldin yelled hoarsely. “Touch it!” Hesitantly, Flek complied. He felt the cool surface of the blue void with his fingers and felt the energy running under his fingertips. The energy beckoned. And Flek pushed harder, meeting the energy with his fingers even as the void caved in through the ceiling.
Reality caved inwards. And, filled with energy, Flek channeled it outward.
Light shone all around them as Flek rose up, gasping, staggering backward as he felt light-headed. Figures appeared next to him, all lying on the top of the ceiling of the Noon-Chamber, a blue light shining out of the roof next to them from a well of light. Flek suddenly again was weighted with the body of Jroldin, staggering back again as he tried to hold Jroldin up..
“It—it worked!” Astrid cried out as she looked around, from the skies above, to the burning figure of the Watcher in the midst of the city that lay before them. “We—are we—”
“We’re on the top of the Noon-Chamber,” Reynyagn responded. “But how…” A shadow fell across them.
Just in time, Reynyagn leapt up, swinging his sword up to block the attack of Emperor Jaigran, descending from the sky. Jaigran landed on the edge of the roof next to them, his eyes vehement with anger.
“How-” he began. But Reynyagn reacted first, throwing himself forward at the Emperor, crashing into him as he threw the two of them off of the roof, all the while blocking the Emperor’s sword with his own as they fell, pushing away from the Emperor at the last moment as they hit the ground.
Jaigran panted. “Face it, Reynyagn. It all ends here.” Jaigran moved forward, swinging downward even as Reynyagn dodged. “Must I beat you a second time?”
“One should never be too confident in their abilities,” Reynyagn snapped, panting, as he glanced upward toward the top of the building.
“You’re one to talk,” Jaigran snapped, faltering as Reynyagn attacked. Too late, Reynyagn saw the grin on Jaigran’s face. But Reynyagn ignored it as he stabbed Reynyagn between the neck plates.
Jaigran swallowed hard, masking the pain on his face as he stared down at the blade that now extended through his neck. But then his eyes glinted. Moving forward, he kicked Reynyagn hard in the shins before bringing his shield around, bashing Reynyagn on the side of the head as Reynyagn was thrown backwards, stumbling on the ground, the blade now released from the wound.
“Nice try,” Jaigran wheezed as the wound in his neck began to heal, the blood instantly clotting and the skin clinging together. “But not close enough. The Golden Armor is too strong for that.” He looked up toward the quickly advancing Watcher, moving toward them from across the city. “Pick your killer, Reynyagn.” And with that, he moved forward.
Flek shook Jroldin as, below, he could hear the sounds of Reynyagn’s duel with Jaigran. “Wake up, Jroldin,” Flek said, sweat beading down his forehead. “You can’t go yet, Jroldin. Keep fighting!”
“I…” Jroldin managed to say as his eyes slowly opened. He looked around. “Where… where are we?”
“We’re above the Noon-Chamber,” Flek said. “I… I think I teleported us here.” He stared at Jroldin. “But we need to fix you up—now. We have to stop your bleeding. You can’t die, yet. We just need to find a way to leave the city—come back later to stop the Watcher—we-”
“It…” Jroldin said, a smile slowly breaking onto his face, despite the pain, as he laughed. Flek stared at him. “Of course…” Jroldin said. “How did I not realize it…”
“You’re still wounded and nearly dead,” Astrid said, rushing toward him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I still have some of my gear, and-”
“No…” Jroldin said, shaking his head as he weakly pushed Astrid away. “It’s too late—but don’t you see?” He pointed upward at Flek. “It’s… everything’s clear…” Look—the gem on the circlet—” He turned to point at the electric blue light that shone from what appeared to be a well that had formed from the top of the roof. “The colors match—the prophecies of the Priest-King…”
“You need to be healed…” Astrid said, moving closer as she tried to examine Jroldin’s wound. “You-”
“It’s too late,” Jroldin said, shaking his head as the paleness of his face became evident. “I… I’ve lost too much blood, Astrid. You’re a healer. You know that—right?”
“No…” Astrid said, chest heaving. “You can’t—not yet—not now.”
“But I’ve figured it all out in time…” Jroldin said, a small smile forming across his pale lips.
“Figured out what?” Flek asked.
“That…” Jroldin gasped as he reached his hand slowly upwards, resting his hand on the circlet. “The… The Priest-King… He can’t die…” His gaze met Flek’s as he slowly exhaled. “You… You know, Flek…” Flek stared back at him. “When… when it’s all over… tell my father…” His voice broke one last time. “Tell him that I love him… And that… Tell him I’m finally ready to be called Jacob.” And then his head fell to the side as his arms fell, his arms resting on the ceiling. One last sigh exhaled out of his body. And his eyes rolled upward in his final rest.
“No…” Astrid whispered hoarsely. “No! It can’t… It’s not over…”
Flek shook uncontrollably as he slowly stood up, laying Jroldin’s body down to rest in the wet sand as the water fell back as part of the tide. “I… I know,” he said as he stared at the blue light emitting upward. “He… He’s right.”
“He’s right about what?” Astrid cried out. “He’s dead, Flek! Jroldin’s dead!”
“We—we must grieve,” Flek said, biting his lip. “But we have to do so later. We only have one last chance.”
“One last chance for what?!” Astrid cried.
Flek exhaled sharply. “One last chance to stop the Watcher,” he said, as his eyes shown with an unearthly vigor. “It’s all too obvious now. He figured it out at the last moment to save us all.”
“What are you talking about?!”
“Listen, Astrid,” Flek said as he stumbled forward, laying his hand on her shoulder. “You have to trust me. Do you trust me?”
“I…” Astrid said, biting her lip as her eyes rimmed with tears. “He’s… he’s…”
“I know he’s dead,” Flek said as he tried to hold back his own tears. “But we have to do this, Astrid. We need to do this for Jroldin now, before it’s too late.” He stepped back, straightening up. “We don’t have time. We need to do this now. Are you with me?”
“With you in what? We’re doomed!” Astrid cried out as she looked up at the approaching Watcher, his black face now shielding the sun. “Jroldin dead. Reynyagn fighting a losing battle with Jaigran. And the Watcher coming to finish us off!”
“No,” Flek said, standing up as he stepped toward the blue light. “No. I know what I have to do. The only escape—the only way to stop the Watcher.” He stared downward as Astrid joined him, looking down into a well of blue light that shone out from the depths all the way past them into the heavens.
“What is this?” Astrid asked, nearly shouting, turning toward Flek. “Why—how will this help?”
“I can’t… I can’t explain now,” Flek said. “Astrid…” He turned toward her, laying a hand on her shoulder. “Astrid, I just want to let you know… I just wanted to let you know that I’ll miss you.”
“But…” Astrid said, her face welling up with tears. “I can’t… not you, too…” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Flek… I-” She moved forward, embracing the startled goblin. “I… I’ll trust… I have to…”
“Be strong,” Flek whispered as he slowly turned from her to the well, linking hands with her as he stood at the brink of it, staring down into the depths. His knees trembled and he licked his lips, as Astrid clenched his hand tighter. There was a guttural roar from behind them. Astrid didn’t need to look to know whom it was. And slowly, she released her grip on Flek’s hand.
“Be strong,” she whispered in return, and stepped back. Astrid watched as Flek closed his eyes. And stepping forward, he let himself slip, falling into the well of light as Astrid stepped forward, looking down in agony to watch him to descend into the burning light. He stared upa t her as he fell, lifting up one last hand—one last gesture toward Astrid as light burned away at his lower body, consuming his legs—torso—and then he was all consumed in the burning light.
A cry of anguish escaped Astrid’s lips as she stepped back, turning as she saw the Watcher, now in front of her, extending a burning hand toward her. The earth shook as the light wavered. Astrid sank to her knees, removing all worry from her body as peace fell over her, even as the Watcher’s hand moved closer to snuff out her life.
There was a peal of thunder, and the earth snapped. A tremor threw Astrid to the ground as she looked up at the Watcher. The light from the well shone brighter, suddenly turning as she could feel the whole planet moving, throttling backwards. Multiple lights shone out from the well as Astrid shielded her eyes. She heard a roar of anguish and through the squinting light watched as the lights tore at the Watcher, sucking him into its blue-filled light as he lifted one last faltering arm to the heavens. And then he too was sucked in with the light as the earth rumbled.
Light exploded from on high as Emperor Jaigran rose again to his knees upon the uaking earth. Too late, Jaigran looked up, watching in horror as the Watcher gave a roar of anguish, his body melting and blending into the light that sucked him into its swirling vortex as a reed flushed down into a whirlpool.
Jaigran’s mouth dropped open, staring upward, even as too late, he grasped what had happened. Reynyagn moved up the ground, surging forward. And even as Jaigran looked back in horror, Reynyagn thrust his blade into the armor of Jaigran’s breastplate and stabbed Jaigran in the heart.
Jaigran stared back at him, opening his mouth in a howl, the noise of which was sucked away into the wind. The vortex of light shifted and Jaigran was suddenly lifted up off of his feet, sliding up into the air away from the blade even as blood spurted out of his armor. Jaigran opened his mouth in a voiceless scream as his body and armor dissolved into the light. The light rebounded, pouring back in on itself into the well at the top of the Noon-Chamber, flying into it even as it recovered itself, the well spinning as it sealed itself back into the ground where it had come from even as the earth stopped shaking.
And then there was silence.
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