Kingdom of Evers'ilance

[SageofShadow]

The elf raises his blade at Refti

???: stop this foolishness. the mortal plane needs your aid then give it to them.

he stands in his fighting stance which looks as if hes uncaring, his shoulders slump his blade touches the ground and his free arm hangs limp. his white eye starts to glow

???: stop fighting or i will end your reign abruptly Refti

 

[Final Warrior]

*The Final Warrior rises from the ground, hand upon his chest.*

Final Warrior: Refti will not give. He is in alliance with Apocalypse. We have no choice but to kill him.

*The Final Warrior summons back the Griffin Blade into his hand, but this time it is different. Glowing, black, the white, and then silver.*

Final Warrior: The Hyperion Soul.

*Death's Passion is warped, its blade deforming, into a single-edge longblade, with what looks like a raven's wing protruding from the hilt, in the opposite direction of the cutting edge.*

Final Warrior: Death's Exile.

*The Final Warrior casts off his cloak, and his shining sliver Godsteel war armor flashes in the lightning. A fire is seen in his eyes, a cold, hard fury that has never shown in the Final Warrior. Magical energies bristle up and down his arms, channeling into the swords he wields. The Final Warrior raises them high, and, flying at Refti, carves a huge, bloody cut into him. The magical energies release themselves on contact, blasting through Refti and his Golems.*

Final Warrior: ... It is done.

*Suddenly, Refti's corpse rises, and begins to speak.*

Refti: You think so, Final Warrior? I am with Apocalypse: I am not so easily destroyed. The Bloodwurm chains me to the mortal planes. Death cannot claim me!

Final Warrior: Is that so?

*Chains sprout from the Final Warrior's guantlets and attach themselves to his swords, wrapping themselves around the hilts. The Final Warrior spins around, as though hurling a shotput. As he continues to whirl, the chains detach, and both swords fly through Refti, Death cutting through his torso, Hyperion cutting away the Bloodwurm necklace. Refti collapses, and his flesh begis to crack and shatter, as the dark energies of Apocalypse flow outwards, unable to be claimed by Death.*

 

[SageofShadow]

???: very impressive, looks like i wasnt needed afterall

Final Warrior: no, we are an ascended short you can take Refti's place

Final Warrior: can you planeswalk?

???: I can do many things, i can time travel, i can planeswalk, i can travel the dead world without harm, and much more

 

[Final Warrior]

Shroudflare: Wiat... I know of at least one more Ascended.

Final Warrior: Who?

Shroudflare: A girl. I met her a while back. Come, I shall lead you to her. Elf boy can go somewhere else... she gets touchy around more than two people.

Final Warrior: Go to my castle, in my Kingdom. You will know it. There are two Ascended there.

*The Final Warrior planeswalks away with Shroudflare.*

 

[SageofShadow]

??? nods and then planeswalks to Evers'ilance Castle and as soon as he comes out to the interior of the castle, he sees a red haired man with an artificial arm and a minotaur with a large frame arguing.

Vox: for cat's sakes father! stop prying into my life!

Echo: You will listen to me son, you would make a fine wizard! you have all of the drives! you can use magic! why dont you go!?

Vox: i already have one impossible job! another will make it worse for me.

???: sorry to break the touching mood here but i have arrived

Vox: your Refti?

???: No, i am Scythe the Cold. Refti is dead.

Vox: uh huh...

Echo: welcome then Scythe, I am Echo the Mighty and this is my son Vox.

Scythe lifts an eyebrow whilst looking at Vox

Scythe: adopted?

Echo: no, his mother was human. all three of us had a happy life untill the werewolves came and only Vox here survived.

Scythe: and then you started Ascending then

Echo: yes... you should know what its like

Scythe nods his understanding

 

[Final Warrior]

*The Final Warrior and Shroudflare emerge in a strange room, with white, gently pulsating walls and lambent flames licking the ceiling. A bed is tucked away in one corner, along with a drawer and a bookcase. The walls are adorned with various weapons.*

Final Warrior: Where is this?

Shroudflare: Isn't it familiar to you? Think for a second, your memory can't be that rusty...

Final Warrior: This room... I know it... This was my room. During my Ascension.

*A knell sounds out, quiet at first, and then louder and louder.*

Final Warrior: The call to bed...

*The door creaks open and light footsteps are heard pitter-pattering into the room, towards the bed, and yet there is no one there, nothing.*

Final Warrior: Whoever this girl is... she must be beginning the Ascension.

Shroudflare: No... finishing.

Final Warrior: Time?

Shroudflare: A thousand years to the Evers'ilance minute.

Final Warrior: ... So they can control the flow of time...

Shroudflare: Come now, and let her sleep.

Final Warrior: Wait... why my room?

Shroudflare: Why, it was given to her, of course. The Trainers decided that she was to have this room for her training.

Final Warrior: I see... but why mine?... Let us go. Show me around the grounds once again... It has been a while.

*Shroudflare and Final Warrior leave to await for the new Ascended. A half minute in the Kingdom of Evers'ilance passes. Shroudflare and the Final Warrior return to the room, after 500 years of bonding, just as a series of light bells sound out. The Final Warrior is still cold as stone... and yet he feels a slight twinge of affection for Shroudflare.*

Final Warrior: The Final Process... She is almost done?

Shroudflare: Yes... I cannot stay here for this... I shall go, but I will be back soon. You can go watch her, of course... but you will see little or nothing...

Final Warrior: I... I think I shall stay out here, let her do what she must without any other influences.

*As Shroudflare leaves, she whispers lightly, to herself, so that the Final Warrior cannot hear.*

Shroudflare: But you have influenced her, Raphael... and she will fail...

*As another half-minute passes in the Kingdom of Evers'ilance, the Final Warrior awaits this new Ascended... but she does not come. The realm darkens to the color of dried blood, and a single, low knell sounds out.*

Final Warrior: She has fallen...

*A girl appears in front of the Final Warrior. She is but 19, blonde hair down to her back, trembling, her suit of leather marred. She looks up, her blue eyes shining with tears.*

Girl: I... I have failed you... I have failed you, Raphael...

*The Final Warrior looks at the girl as though she were demented, but soon his eyes recognize her.*

Final Warrior: No... Rhianna?

Rhianna: I... I l-

*Her words are cut off as wind shrieks through the realm, a sword cutting through the fabric of the realm, landing in front of the Final Warrior.*

Rhianna: My sword... a last gift to you...

*Once again, the little boy appears, his voice and face blank. He looks at the Final Warrior.*

Boy: Your friend has had some influence on us... You will not forget.

Final Warrior: I t is but a curse... Where is Shroudflare?

Boy: She is here.

Rhianna: I am Shroudflare, Raphael...

*As the Final Warrior moves to raise Rhianna off the ground, he is torn backwards, forced away, thrashed and tossed. The last thing he sees is the tear-stained face of Rhianna.*

Darkness. A light wind. I'm somewhere else. What was the last-? Rhianna. No, where is she? She is gone, Brother. And she won't be coming back. We have lost a sister. And us, a wife. I see... I am sorry... even Death cannot touch her now. She is gone... I must awaken... other business awaits me... but there is one thing bothing me... What? Why did whe trust her? I do not know... Shroudflare was her, and she was Shroudflare. We could not help it, after five hundred years of being together.

*Vox slaps the Final Warrior across the face, attempting to awaken him. The Final Warrior's eyes open, and he risesoff the ground.*

Vox: Well?

Final Warrior: She has failed, and Shroudflare is gone. Come, we must still perform the cermony. Follow me.

*Everyone walks down into the darkest depths of the castle of Evers'ilance, down below the basement. Undernwath the castle is a gigantic portal, in which nothing swirls but pure darkness.*

Scythe the Cold: And what is this?

Final Warrior: A portal to Oblivion. Come, we must perform the ritual within Oblivion, or we shall fail.

 

[SageofShadow]

Vox, Scythe, and Echo all step into the portal to oblivion

as soon as vox enters the very breath from his body is taken away as if something unseen had just winded him

Echo: ah thats right, my son isnt used to Oblivion yet.

Vox stands up and tries catching his breath

Scythe: He is human, he cannot live here long. His fragile body lacks the strength to take in the oblivion

 

[Final Warrior]

*The Final Warrior turns to Vox.*

Final Warrior: Vox, leave. Someday I will train you here, but not now, not today.

*The Ascended move ahead, to what looks like a platform floating at a 90 degree angle. A single torch stands out from the middle.*

Final Warrior: Assemble around it...

 

[SageofShadow]

Vox dissapears from Oblivion

Scythe and Echo gather around the torch

Scythe closes his eyes as Echo grunts

 

[Final Warrior]

*The Ascended put their hands forth, channeling energy into the torch. The darkness of Oblivion, the Chaos of the outside, the power within the Ascension combined. The five Ascended begin to chant, speaking words of power. The Final Warrior focuses everything he had, to avenge everything. An orb of power began to emit from the lambent flames of the torch, scorching wih heat and energy. The orb grew and grew, as more and more power was put into it. The the Final Warrior looked up at it, putting his arms upwards.*

Final Warrior: Soulblind.

*Having spoken the word, and not thought it, the rest of the power within the FInal Warrior flows outwards. The Soulblind spell gathers enough energy and merges into the realm of the Kingdom of Evers'ilance. It detonates, destroying every were-beast within the realm. The Ascended are expelled from Oblivion, and collapse on the floor of the castle.*

 

[SageofShadow]

Scythe gets up and commences restoring the ascended to full stamina

Echo: well that was a walk to remember

Vox: what happened out there?

 

[Final Warrior]

Final Warrior: We have finished the casting... The werecreatures will be dead soon, if not already. Now we must contemplate as to how to stop Apocalypse...

Vox: Sounds like a hard task.

Final Warrior: It is... without the other Warriors, I do not know if it is at all possible to accomplish.

 

[SageofShadow]

Vox: ive stopped one apocalypse already (thnks back to the Fourth war of the races when he stopped the meteor) and there wernt that many warriors then. But Ilya is under seige also so what do we do now? Save the world or save my city?

Vox runs his fingers through his long red hair.

Vox: I want to save the world but it might cost my life again

 

[Final Warrior]

Final Warrior: Let me think...

*The Final Warrior lapses into silence for a half-hour. He stands, head bowed, eyes cast down, arms crossed, thinking. Soon he looks up.*

Final Warrior: We go to Ilya. The Apocalypse has decided to strike...

 

[SageofShadow]

Vox is immediently out the door bolting for the Border Desert with Scythe in hot pursuit and Echo trailing behind

Echo: im getting too old for this...

Echo snorts and charges forward picking up speed quicly

 

[Final Warrior]

*The Final Warrior's wings unravel and he shoots out the Castle grand hall, flying past the amazed guards and people as they see someone on silver wings flying, fast as lightning, by.*

Guardsmen: The King always had strange company!

 

[SageofShadow]

when at last the party had reached the border desert vox called them to a halt

Vox: something is different...

Echo: what is it?

Vox: the Underworld... the desert is one big rift to it. everyone follow me and in single file if you go so much as one step off the path then you are dead.

Vox leads them silently into the desert his sword drawn and then a wall of green light engulfs the party. and they are in the underworld

 

[Final Warrior]

Final Warrior: hmm... something is amiss here. But then again...

*Shadowed warriors rise from around them. Undead Battle Knights. Fast, agile, and powerful, they are unlike most other undead. They brandish tainted weapons, aged battleswords, axes, hammers. One even stands off the field, holding a bow.*

Final Warrior: This will be a hard one. We cannot stray off the path or we will be claimed. We cannot cast many spells; it awakens more undead. Stand strong, and ready your weapons.

 

[SageofShadow]

Echo snorts and readies his horns while Scythe sighs and his pericing white eye stands unmoving while his green one watches the shadow knights around him

Scythe draws his Greatsword and strokes his gotee with his free hand

Vox: walk slowly ahead and dont touch the shadows a single touch and you belong to the underworld

Vox walks ahead and stops

Vox: im going to cast Magitto

Final Warrior: that will attract more?

Vox: no, i have protection

Vox's pupils shrink in pain as he holds out the Agiel around his neck

Vox: it has magic that hides me from them

Vox steps foreward and then utters his spell

Vox: MAGITTO!!!!

Vox fires the massive flaming meteor at the shadow people ahead wiping them out

 

[Final Warrior]

*But only more come in their place. Now their are undead beasts, creatures of the Darkness that no sane being could think up. Detached tentacles, swarms of locusts that have developed gross limbs and sentience, oversized leeches capable of paralyzing their victims, blinded, skinless dogs with a favoring for humanoid brains. Amongst them all, shadows stand, whispering cruel, cold words, readying spells. Like will-o'-the-wisps they flutter amongst the undead, taking on a solid, pitch-black form.*

Final Warrior: We must run from this fight.

Vox: What?! Why?

Final Warrior: Our shadows have conjured themselves up... we can only fight them at night, but then we cannot face the undead horde. No, this is not a fight we cannot win. The Apocalypse plays his hand well.