by Sarah Lin
Raigar had fled to the other side of the room and scrabbled at something, but then he rose and pointed the Scepter of Annihilation at them. When they hesitated, he let out a low laugh.
"Nice try, but this game is all about gear. All of you aren't any good against this, are you?"
But as he mocked them, he didn't see Bloodwraith lunge up from the floor. His hand closed around the scepter, hurling it away from both of them. Raigar gasped and reached for it, but Bloodwraith grabbed his ankle and pulled him to the ground.
Then Bloodwraith pulled himself upright, moving on sheer willpower. Raigar tried to attack him, but he was panicking and he flailed desperately. By contrast, Bloodwraith struck slowly and methodically, landing blow after blow until his opponent lay on the ground.
"You're only better at a very narrow game." As Bloodwraith struck, his voice came low and grim. "All you can imagine is more strength for yourself. That makes you strong, but it limits you. Makes you brittle. And you know what happens to brittle things."
At last Raigar was a broken lich lying shattered. Though Meara half-expected Bloodwraith to keep beating him until there was nothing left, he stopped after both of Raigar's arms were broken. Slowly straightening, he pulled back and looked to them.
"We should still try to interrogate him. If we cut off his head, that should disable anything else."
Yet there was still something wrong... Meara searched toward Raigar and felt something powerful from within him. He still held one more artifact. She tried to reach out and take it, but her will was thrown back and she reeled. When Bloodwraith looked to her in concern, she struggled to call out a warning.
"Stop him! He has-"
A sphere of power expanded from Raigar's body as he used the last artifact he carried - it must have been pressed against his skin somewhere. It flung Bloodwraith to the side, where he crumpled against the wall. Danniah rushed to help him, but Meara was more concerned about the sphere.
It was no brief burst, instead a sphere of emerald fire that burned around him. Though he was severely battered and missing both arms, Raigar began to drag himself across the floor toward the Return Point. The blue within the circle of steel burned brightly, waiting for him, then the sphere of flame surrounded it as well, cutting them off from it. Only empty ground remained between Raigar and his destination.
Gharavi knelt down, sighted him with her staff, and released a bolt of lightning. Yet it dissipated harmlessly when it met the green fire and Gharavi's eyes widened. "That shield... I think it may be immune to magic."
"It is." Bloodwraith pulled himself up painfully, staring at it. "He had one last artifact in his possession. The boxes say that resists all magical damage for a time and greatly reduces physical damage."
"For how long?"
"Long enough."
They stared at the creeping sphere in silence for a moment. Could they have come so close only to fail? Meara shook her head, turning to Gharavi. "Use the undead - throw them against the shield."
Nodding, Gharavi quickly did so. The undead crowded into the room and began plunging directly into the green flames. Each battered at it for only a few seconds before being consumed, but Meara saw the shield begin to flicker.
But it wasn't going down. She estimated the number of remaining undead and the shield's strength and she had a terrible feeling that it wouldn't be enough. If only she'd had more time, or they'd had more resources... yet Raigar was crawling across the floor toward the Return Point.
"What are you doing, Izilthor?" Bloodwraith's voice distracted her and she turned to find that Izzy was perched beside him. Her teeth snapped out, consuming his injuries a bit at a time. "Thank you, but that isn't enough... we can't stop him..."
Yet Meara slowly realized that he was wrong. As Izilthor ate all the pain and suffering in his wounds, she burned with more and more magic. Soon the air trembled around her body, the power so intense that even the unaided eye could see it.
As the last of the other undead plunged into the shield, Izzy charged at it. There was no time for anyone to stop her, Bloodwraith merely reaching out after her as she sprinted directly toward the flames.
Just before she struck, her sword flashed at her own neck. Her head went flying and her body impacted with the side of the shield. The flames finally gave way, collapsing under the sheer force of her charge.
Without the burning flames of the shield, the room seemed too dark. Raigar lay there, astonishment obvious in his one remaining eye as he realized what had happened. Before he could begin moving, Danniah ran over to him with a scream and smashed her mace down, shattering his skull. This time, he stayed down.
She dropped and started to cry, but then a voice screeched out. "Danniah!"
Izzy's skull had bounced to the other side of the chamber. It struggled a bit before moving upright, but it barely moved before Danniah ran up and hugged the ghoul skull.
Meara looked back to the remnants of Raigar, half-expecting an Ultimate Phoenix Amulet or something even more absurd. But there was nothing. The fragments of the lich's body lay still and Meara gradually realized that it was truly over.
Which left only one more thing. Gharavi looked as though she was completely drained, but forcing herself to keep moving. She stepped forward to stare at the last loose end.
The Return Point still glowed in the center of the chamber. Bloodwraith got to his feet slowly and limped up to it, staring for a time. Meara walked up beside him and they exchanged a glance. She could feel that it was still ready to send someone to the other world, perhaps even the world of the Outsiders. There could be incredible amounts of knowledge on the other side...
"It isn't worth it." Bloodwraith sighed and raised a hand toward the Return Point. The blue light began to fade.
They all drifted to the floor around it, watching the blue light until it died out completely. Raigar was dead, all the undead were destroyed, and only the five of them were left staring at an empty ring. Meara found her gaze wandering over the strange characters, wondering what they meant and what alien beings had created them. Created this entire system that now burned even stronger within her.
Gharavi dropped back onto the floor with a wry smile, setting down her staff and sprawling on her back. Meara thought that joining her sounded like a good idea, but at that moment she was engulfed in a fierce embrace from Danniah, who was crying and laughing at the same time.
In the end, Meara laughed with her. It felt good to be alive, and despite all the challenges, they had won. She didn't hesitate to celebrate with the others.
But another part of her remained with Bloodwraith, who sat and stared at the steel circle on the floor. For now, it was too risky to challenge the Outsiders. Even if they could have survived in the alien world, they would no doubt have entered an enemy stronghold and revealed themselves. They had no choice but to leave the Return Point behind.
For now.
~ ~ ~
Bloodwraith allowed the box to remain floating in his vision for a long time, to remind him that it was actually over.
[Victory! You received 203,856 EXP and Elder Lich Corpse x1.]
That meant that they were truly victorious, yes. But it was also the reward he had received for destroying the body that had once been his. A door that had once been available to him was now closed forever, and even though he didn't regret that choice, he found himself pondering it somberly.
A bunch of arbitrary numbers and a broken corpse. That was all his former life was worth.
Yet those weren't his true rewards for defeating Raigar. Instead his eyes wandered to his allies, who had survived only because he had sacrificed the artifacts for them. His gaze wandered to Danniah, still glowing with embers from her revival, and another box came unbidden.
[Trait: Flameborn
Physical Damage Resistance +5%
Magical Damage Resistance +5%
Fire Resistance +20%
Reborn in flame, this individual has permanent increased resistance to damage.
In addition to raw damage resistance, they will resist debilitating injuries in proportion to their overall Health. They also gain a weak link to the fire element, beginning with resistance to flames and potentially developing into minor fire-based abilities over time.]
A powerful asset, and one that he could definitely have used for himself. Yet he didn't regret it when she saw Danniah's relieved smile in the wake of the battle. She turned from Meara to him and her smile grew wider. Tired as she was, she limped over to him. She tugged off his helm and kissed him on the lips. He hesitated for a moment, then kissed her back.
Danniah pulled back and stared at him for a moment, overcome with relief. Bloodwraith found himself filled not with desire, but something much more consistent. They had all lived.
His eyes drifted to Gharavi, who sat up slowly. She was relieved in the wake of the battle as well, but he could see her mind already beginning to work on the newest mysteries. Between the two of them, they would unlock new questions and new answers.
Bloodwraith found himself meeting Meara's gaze and he saw the certainty in her eyes as well. This was a significant step, but only one step. The process that had begun in the Forest of Beginnings was far from over, and the Outsiders would regret it.
As Danniah pulled away, Bloodwraith saw Izilthor's skull clattering toward him. She hopped up onto his leg, eyes staring up at him widely. He smiled at her and reached down to stroke his daughter's hair.
"That was very well done. I'm proud of you, Izzy."
"Da!" She leapt at his chest, forcing Bloodwraith to catch her skull and hold her there. Though for a moment Izzy looked content, then she wriggled to look up at him again. "I like 'Izzy' but you can call me Izilthor, Da."
He nodded and held her there a while longer. But as warm as his mind felt, the room was growing cool. Once their heavy breathing ended, he got to his feet. Looking over each of them, Bloodwraith knew that he had made the right decision.
"Let's go. We have a lot of work to do."
They walked together from the unnatural room, back into the real world. Bloodwraith turned back, staring at the portal into another realm. The steel still gleamed within, but as he willed the rock of the entrance to close, it faded. He turned away and left the Return Point in the darkness.
Epilogue
The Keeper felt the Ghoul Lord's claws tear through his chest. Even as he fell back to the ground, he saw his life drifting away from him, draining into the ether. But he could not die, not yet. Not before he had delivered the message.
"I am... not long for this world." His words were interrupted as his body was wracked by bloody coughs, but he managed to hold them back for a moment longer. "You must forge your own destiny, adventurer. Even my eyes cannot see if you will change this land for good or for ill, but your impact on it will last forever. From this point on... the world of Alliandelle... is open to you..."
Speaking those words took the last of his strength and he slumped to the ground. The Keeper lay dying as his vision slowly faded into the darkness, his last glimmering sight that of the adventurer turning away, not caring about his death.
They never did.
For a time the Keeper simply drifted, a form instead of a being. There were only the barest flickers of thought remaining, infinitesimal fragmented reflections of something that had once been. A strange memory of grandchildren and a life in a tiny village. He lacked the ability to consider the memory, just felt a strange ache in his soul. Perhaps, there had been a time when things were different...
And then the power restored him. Respawn, the adventurers called it. He suspected that he wasn't supposed to know that word, but it didn't matter. All the Keeper wanted to do was to fulfill his purpose for existence.
Soon the Keeper found himself standing in a sunlit clearing. He felt the grass under his feet and the sun on his face, but deeper than that, he felt that the Forest had moved. Each cycle it emerged in a different place, tethered to that other, larger world. But he did not care about that world, only about fulfilling his purpose and guiding the newest adventurer onto the path into the glorious cycle.
His feet padded over the grass as he sought the chamber where the newest guest would emerge. But before that, he would meet the two path guardians. As he always had and always would.
Elleane approached from another path, smiling when she saw him. She came to stand in front of him, which slowed down their purpose, and put a hand on his shoulder. As she often did. "Hello, old friend. If my path has taken me here, I take it that it is time for us to guide another hero into our world?"
"Yes, it is time. Let us go."
They traveled forward for only a short time before Marrin appeared as well, scowling at the forest. "Godsdamn it, not again. Barely any time since the last one."
"Marrin!" Elleane put her hands on her hips. "This is a great honor we have been given!"
"Great honor, my ass. It's a complete waste, most of the time. The last one didn't even make it to Edsdam. Things are getting stale there."
The two of them continued speaking to each other and the Keeper ignored them. They belonged to the Forest of Beginnings, but not as he did. Between these moments, he was not sure where they drifted, but it was only partially in the world of Alliandelle. Their memories were never perfect, always changed from one cycle to the next. The Keeper did not know why and did not care to know.
Soon they found their way to the old stone entrance, the very heart of the Forest. As was customary, they waited by the door. The Keeper closed his eyes, knowing that he would feel the certainty when the new adventurer was ready.
Most were prepared immediately, but the last one had taken some more time. This one appeared to be waiting as well. Though he remained focused, the Keeper could not ignore Elleane and Marrin speaking again.
"If Raigar didn't ever meet you, where do you think he went? Surely such a noble soul could not have lost his life easily..."
Marrin snorted. "More like he got bored, or left once he found out life is actually hard here. Whatever heaven they come from, they're not used to hard work."
"How horrible! Marrin, how can you say such things? The heroes sacrifice their bliss in a higher dimension in order to help protect our world!"
"Yeah, you only say that because you mainly see the self-righteous fuckers. But the ones that follow me aren't so noble and shining. They tell me some strange... tell... tell me..." Marrin's eyes went blank and she stared at nothing for a time. Elleane watched her with a blank look on her face as well.
The Keeper merely stood between them and waited. Something was amiss and it needed to be amended, but that was the Forest's task, not his. Soon the two of them would be themselves again, ready to enact their role.
Admittedly, an incredibly delayed role. But he could wait.
"Okay, fuck this." Marrin moved forward and wrenched open the door. "Let's just go get him."
"We aren't supposed to do that!" Elleane partially followed, then looked back to the Keeper. "We're not supposed to do that, right?"
"It is possible that the new adventurer needs our assistance." The Keeper shook his head slowly. "Let us go and greet him."
They made their way down the narrow corridor. As always, it was lined with empty prison cells. Were there fewer of them than before? His memories twitched and then smoothed themselves. Despite the delay, all was well. He could feel a presence in the final cell, as always.
"Are you the adventurer we have-" The Keeper cut off as he saw not a new adventurer in the cell, but a single glowing point of light. It pulsed and he heard a voice coming through as if from afar.
"Keeper, are there any problems in Alliandelle?"
The Keeper blinked at the point of light. Had anything like this ever happened before? He couldn't be sure, but he felt compelled to obey the voice. "I sense nothing amiss. Is something the matter in the higher realms where your kind dwells?"
"No, but in the last review we saw a strange anomaly with a Return Point." The voice let out a slow s
igh. "Fired up but wasn't used. Flukes do happen, but they really shouldn't, not anymore. Wanted to check if the most recent adventurer was screwing around with things."
"There is nothing amiss to my knowledge, great one."
"Where are the active vectors? You two notice anything?"
Though the words were strange, Elleane responded as if they made sense. "I have sensed no great evil, oh heavenly one. But I felt certain that the one you sent to us would go and seek out a great evil in the world. I was surprised to return here so soon."
"If you ask me," Marrin said, "he wanted to run off and fuck around. This one didn't strike me as very serious. Kept acting like he was just playing a game."
That prompted another sigh. "Yes, some of them do that when we lift the guidelines for reincarnations. That's part of what they pay for, I guess. Let me see... yeah, that was Randall Jenkins, aka Raigar. Struck me as kind of an ass, so I'm not surprised. If it's just him screwing around, I should cut this off. You have no idea how much even voice transfers cut into profit margins."
The light... was going to disappear? The Keeper felt a moment of panic that he didn't fully understand. This was not how things were supposed to go. His role was to greet the new adventurers and welcome them into the world. If he was brought back and did not take on his role, what would become of him?
Desperate to make things return to their proper path, the Keeper searched within himself for the echoes of his life that had been stretched through the emptiness. Every time while he slumbered, there were fragments. Was not also part of his purpose to gather them? In that moment he knew that it was, that he had long ago been given a second purpose.
"Wait." When he spoke, the presence in the light seemed to hesitate. "I believe that something has been disrupted. There are too many fragments of the time before, allowed to remain instead of going through the great cycle."