The moon elf continuously hurled blasts from the Starlight Blade, working to slow Nidhogg, though barely. The dragon eventually caught up to the moon elf and forced him into a melee exchange. During the trade of blows, Nidhogg transformed into his dragon form and knocked Jaival out of the sky. The moon elf plummeted to the ground below, crashing into one of the nearby buildings.
Okay, that hurt.
He slowly got to his feet, observing his surroundings. Fire and brimstone scorched the once noble neighborhood. Statues were ravaged and broken, the streets were overflowing with blood, and the fight between demon and resistance raged on everywhere. Nearby demons took notice of Jaival and rushed at him for the attack. Jaival dodged their blades and retaliated with swift, powerful strikes to cut down his foes. As the battle for Eira Citadel went on, Jaival noticed his dormant power growing. The skills of his former incarnation were returning to him through impulse, every strike he took. It gave him confidence.
Amidst Jaival’s fight with the demons, Nidhogg flew overhead, scorching the ground below. The attack caught the moon elf by surprise, sending him crashing into a nearby wall while the Starlight Blade fell out of his grip. Jaival shook it off and reached for his sword. Void tendrils wrapped around his hands and ankles, subduing him from going any further.
What the blast!
Magnus appeared, his twisted Void magic swirling around him. He charged an energy missile in his hands, ready to finish off Jaival. And then something unexpected happened. A long staff penetrated Magnus’ chest, pinning him still. Shocked by the abruptness of the attack, Magnus’ power waned as he observed the weapon sticking out from the front of his chest. I know this staff, he thought to himself. A blinding light appeared between warlock and moon elf, and out of the brilliance, Sorata emerged.
“Teacher?” Magnus seemed to know the witch. “Why?”
Sorata placed the palm of her hand on his forehead. Streams of light raced throughout every vein in Magnus’ body until he was completely engulfed by the twilight power, screaming for mercy. But Sorata did not stop. She overloaded the warlock until he exploded into ash.
“Sorata?” Jaival remembered she had said she would not step in. What’s the meaning of this?
The ancient witch retrieved her staff and turned to face him, but before she could speak, Nidhogg roared from above. The World Breaker descended for the sorceress and the moon elf with great speed. Another blinding light materialized and out of the new brilliance, Mikael emerged, grabbing the Starlight Blade, and leaping for his ancient enemy. The ancient hero fueled the Starlight Blade and fired a catastrophic blast against Nidhogg, sending the dragon crashing into one of the nearby buildings and forcing him into his humanoid form. Mikael then landed and returned to Sorata’s side. The witch held her palm at Jaival and used her twilight magic to free him from his binds.
Jaival ran to them. “Mikael, you’re alive!” he faced Sorata. “And Sorata, you said you wouldn’t step in!”
Sorata smirked and shrugged. “You didn’t actually believe that, did you? I had to give you some motivation.”
Mikael handed Jaival the Starlight Blade.
“Try not to lose this again.” The ancient hero scolded him.
“Understood.” Jaival retrieved the sword.
Nidhogg unleashed a dreadful howl. The building around him collapsed as he returned to his dragon form. The couple responsible for his imprisonment stood before him. Nidhogg was enraged. This time it was personal. He wanted revenge.
“Jaival, go,” Sorata instructed. “We’ll take it from here. Arya needs you. She’s being held in the Citadel. Make way to her immediately.”
Jaival sheathed the Starlight Blade on his back. He nodded to his teachers and made haste in the direction of the castle. Mikael and Sorata faced each other as Nidhogg flapped his wings and took to the sky. A rematch was about to begin.
“Promise me one thing – promise me this will be our final battle.” Sorata said to her lover.
Mikael gazed at her, his eyes etched with love. “I promise.”
Sorata scoffed. It was her way of approval. A spectral blade of Void energy formed around her arm while one of light formed around Mikael’s.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
The Citadel
JAIVAL ARRIVED AT THE PERIPHERY outside the Citadel. A horrible vibe emanated from the place. This was once the proud seat of the Royal Family – a beacon of light and hope, now a ghastly monument to the damned. Dark clouds swirled over the fortress on a boiling sky. The whole mass of the fortress had been torn from the earth, along with its foundations and the bedrock they had planted in eons prior. It floated in midair, suspended by ancient technologies and Void magic. It seemed impossible to get to. Then, as if that wasn’t bad enough, Jaival felt the demonic cramps coming again.
“No.” he staggered, holding his arm.
The pain began taking over, its savagery forcing him to embrace the growing darkness within.
‘I offer you one last chance.’ Malstrife’s voice entered Jaival’s mind.
He tried shaking it off, but no matter what the moon elf did, he could not run from it. The affliction had reached a whole new level. Jaival struggled to contain it. He unleashed a ferocious howl as the dark energies swirled around him. His eyes glowed white and he gave into the Twilight power, smashing his fist into the ground. A shockwave rippled forth, creating a bridge of light to the suspended castle.
‘You know what you must do.’ Malstrife’s voice faded along with the pain.
Jaival rose to his feet and observed his hands.
Balance, he meditated. Balance.
Arya entered his mind. Time was running out. He needed to press on. With a means to make way to the fortress finally available, Jaival ran up the passage toward it.
***
The fortress gates blew open by a mighty kick from the moon elf, startling a pair of guarding demons.
“You’re not supposed to be here already!” One of the fiends shouted.
It looked at the other guard. “Is he supposed to be here this early? I thought we had time!”
The other demon shrugged. “Uh, shouldn’t we be in character?”
“Oh, right,” The first one nodded. “Raaaaawwrrrr! Gagrgaarrr!”
“Rarrgao! Hacrru de tao! Grrrrrr!” The second one followed suit.
Jaival tilted his head. Are these demons or idiots?
Before the guards could draw their weapons, the moon elf drew his and sprinted at them at lightning speed – cutting the imbeciles down easily. The nature of battle began testing Jaival. As time passed, he became more capable and stronger. Impulses of his ancient fighting style were coming back, but they brought a grim counterbalance. With each demon he slew, he felt the taint within, calling like a seasoned seductress. It demanded more bloodshed, and it was becoming excruciatingly difficult to resist.
***
Jaival followed a trail of red carpet to a large, central chamber, avoiding contact with patrolling demons until he eventually found himself on an upstairs balcony from which, he could observe the altered interior of the castle. It was just as grim as the outside, if not worse. The gloom of the Void now darkened the once opulent architecture. There were summoners and Malstrife worshipping cultists, uttering vile chants below, their demonic servants by their side. Portals to dimensions of the Void opened around them, granting entry to new demon foot soldiers.
Jaival figured he had to shut them down, so he devised a plan. Twilight energies sparked in his palms. He moved a hand over his body, and a second later, he turned invisible. Down below, the cultists and the summoners continued their dark deeds – bringing forth demon after demon from the summoned portals. Invisible, Jaival used their ignorance of his presence to his advantage. He waited for the right moment to strike.
When the summoners were at their most vulnerable and the newly arrived demons still hadn’t adjusted to Star World’s air, Jaival emerged from the shadows as an invisible force. He made short work of the new arri
vals and flung Twilight blasts at summoners and cultists alike. The Void Order forces panicked, their retaliation – confused. They were under attack from an invisible foe. To his enemies, Jaival was fading in and out of existence, a true phantom. One by one, his enemies fell, until only one was left. Jaival purposely left him alive and watched as he backed into a corner. The moon elf snuck behind the confused one and stuck his Starlight Blade through his back.
“Arrghhh!” The summoner wailed.
Jaival materialized from the shadows as he held the summoner by the shoulder.
The wound wasn’t mortal, it was meant to incapacitate.
“Where is Arya?” Jaival demanded.
“Arrghhh! I don’t know! I don’t know!” The summoner cried.
“I could’ve killed you if I wanted to,” Jaival twisted the blade. “Don’t make me.”
“Okay! Okay! She’s been taken to the roof! The roof! Lord Baldr has begun the summoning!”
Jaival pulled the blade out of the summoner and kicked him down, deciding to spare his life. The Moon Elf sheathed the Starlight Blade on his back and was about to be on his way until he heard cackling. Jaival turned to confront it. The summoner was laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Jaival was careful lest he walked into a trap.
“You reek more like demon than elf. The master said you’d come.” The vile one chuckled.
Jaival felt an unholy twitch. He needed to get away. The summoner’s laughter evolved into maniacal guffawing as the moon elf ran off. He fixed his mind on Arya to ignore the darkness and muster hope against the savagery. He wondered if it was possible to really beat the affliction.
***
Outside the castle, the battle between the demons and the resistance continued. The demonic invasion was without end. Portal after portal opened and hellish knights from dimensions beyond entered Star World’s realm, vicious and bloodthirsty. No matter how many demons the resistance put down, more came. Perhaps Sorata was right after all – an endless cycle.
Both hero and witch had their hands full against the World Breaker. If either of the two lovers were knocked down, the other stepped in to keep them safe. And so, it went back and forth. Mikael and Sorata used their combined efforts through spell slinging to knock Nidhogg out of his dragon form and engage the beast in his humanoid shape. Though to what extent this lessened the dragon’s menace, was questionable. Nidhogg’s humanoid form had grown in aptitude since the last time they fought. Perhaps the dragon had prepared for the rematch.
Cyrus assumed unofficial leadership of the resistance since the people trusted him. His voice was the one they rallied to, and the Paladin made use of it. He commanded their ranks with great tactical precision, using his intimate knowledge of Eira Citadel’s surroundings against their alien invaders.
Meanwhile, Danzul continued his mission to shut down the portals. His heart was burdened, pondering Jaival’s fate. Images of Jaival meeting a fiery doom dominated his mindscape. He shook his head wildly, attempting to free himself from such negative notions. Why was he even worrying? Jaival always had a knack for dealing with danger, he'd be fine. Right now, he needed to press on. He had his own matters to worry about, such as hell's floodgates having opened. The justice-sworn elf diverted his attention from open combat to stealth. With just his blades and his stealth to assist him, he infiltrated the demon’s ranks; cutting down a few on his way through a series of ambushes. Finally, he arrived at one of the portals, only to face a new challenge. The Void Order summoner who allowed such madness to descend upon the world had anticipated Danzul’s coming. He had prepared for the elf’s attack. Two, towering, gruesome-hulking demons wielding two-handed axes stood at their master’s side, charged with murderous intent.
“Foolish mongrel!” The summoner howled at Danzul. “You cannot stop this world’s salvation!”
Danzul released a gust of disappointment from his throat. "You talk too damn much.”
He unsheathed two longswords and leapt for his foes. The summoner retaliated by hurling deadly Void missiles at him while the demons engaged in melee combat. He could feel the searing signature of the darkness as the projectiles surged by him. Between dodging explosive magic and ducking nearly decapitating strikes from mindless brutes, Danzul was in a difficult position. He was outnumbered and time was not on his side. He needed to shut down those portals. Every second he wasted trading blows with the summoner and his lackeys, more demons poured out and raced toward the battlefield.
Eira, more than ever, depended on him and he knew it. Those portals needed to be closed. Danzul retreated within himself for a moment, seeking to draw from the well of strength hidden deep inside. Steeling himself, he decided on a stratagem to end this once and for all. He lured the demons, forcing them to move to his tune. The summoner hurled Void bolts at him, their shadowy heat brushing dangerously close to his flesh. Undeterred from the attempted arcane assault, Danzul then went on to lock swords against his enemies until he found an opening and made short work of one of the brutes. He kicked off the ground, diving towards the summoner and using their own bloodthirst against them, baiting the remaining brute into assaulting Danzul near its master.
He timed their retaliations well. He waited till the demon swung a fierce horizontal swipe before flipping over the brute. By that point, the momentum of the demon’s swing was unstoppable. It did its best to avoid cutting down its master, ending up swinging its axe into the wall. The effect startled the summoner. He narrowly evaded his minion’s attack.
“Idiot!” The summoner scolded his demon.
By the time they looked around to find Danzul, the elf emerged from the shadows and hurled both his swords at them.
“Oh-” The summoner groaned as a crimson pool oozed out of his gut. Danzul had plunged his blade through him and his demon alike.
Danzul stepped down from his battle high, remembering what truly mattered — the mission.
He retrieved his swords and moved with purpose toward the culprit of the demonic invasion. It was a technological gateway, seemingly operated by the power of the mind. Danzul, however, could care less. His priority was to destroy it. So, he did what anyone else would do in his position. He lifted his swords on high and struck the gate with full force, destabilizing it. Danzul could've sworn he heard a tortured cry echo through the dimensional gateway as it imploded upon itself.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Clash of Heroes
JAIVAL HURRIED UP THE ENDLESS STAIRWAY inside the Citadel tower, struggling to press on to the roof as Malstrife’s curse hindered every step he took. Whispers from The Dark Lord clouded the moon elf’s mind, reminding him of everything he lost, and seducing Jaival to embrace the demon within. Jaival tried his best to resist, and when he arrived at the door to the castle roof, he sighed. The Starlight Blade on his back glowed. Its sister blade had to be nearby.
This is it.
He opened the door and went through. Swollen clouds gloomed overhead while flashes of sporadic lightning struck from up high. The tower was cleared of Malstrife’s forces. There were no demons or Void Order servants, only the activated Stargate which Baldr had stolen from the Temple of Gates, now a full-blown portal, ready to operate, shining with blinding light. Next to the spectacle – the caped King of the Order waited, back turned and arms folded. Above him, Arya was locked in stasis, trapped in a hovering, diamond prison as her energies were unwillingly harnessed into the Stargate. She seemed unresponsive, drained from the exchange, either dormant or possibly dead.
An eerie silence swept across the rooftop.
The Starlight Blade on Jaival’s back glowed bright.
Its sister, the Void-Star Blade in Baldr’s hand, did the same.
“The Twin Blades are resonating,” Baldr broke the silence. “With the Stargate here, the circle is now complete. Malstrife will be revived. Seems I didn’t have enough time to revive the Mechanicum Horde,” he faced Jaival. An inquisitive look came to his face. “I knew you’d come. No matter how far
you try to separate the inseparable, they always find their way back to each other.”
Jaival observed Arya. What had happened to her?
The moon elf reached for his sword. Baldr bowed his head and scoffed.
“I underestimated you. Perhaps it was a mistake not to acknowledge the blessing,” he raised his head and smirked. “You’ve become a worthy opponent. Who would’ve thought a Moon Elf could pose such a threat?”
Jaival remained silent, eyes locked with his rival’s.
“But let’s not stand on ceremony.” Baldr snarled.
The King raised his sword and pointed it at the Moon Elf with a cold glare.
“The fate of the world rests in our hands. Let us end this. Once and for all.”
Jaival angled his blade. Bring it on.
Baldr smirked as Void energies coiled in his open hand. He raised his fist to the sky and Arya went flying into the clouds, making Jaival flinch by the suddenness of the spell while Baldr capitalized on the distraction. He smashed his power-charged fist into the floor, sending a shockwave rippling toward his opponent. Jaival leapt over the attack, sword drawn, crashing into a blade lock with the King. They began a blade dance, trading slash for parry, counter for dodge. For every opportunity either side was given, they took it, while the other side did their best to reverse it.
And so, the duel for the world went on, both elves determined to beat the other, no matter what the cost. Baldr slashed low, Jaival flipped over the attack and retaliated with a Twilight blast from the Starlight Blade. Baldr dodged the fury and fired a Void blast back at him. The tower crumbled as their battle ensued, both sides trading blasts and clashing swords while leaping from pillar to pillar. Baldr sensed that Jaival’s technique had improved. Before, the moon elf had trouble matching Baldr’s finesse, but this time around, he was patient. He adapted. Jaival relied on agility and acrobatics to handle Baldr’s distinct swordplay, which operated like a brick wall.
Xenosaber: Fury of the Stars Page 19