Ambrosia Software Web Board: Dark Mirror (TS) - Ambrosia Software Web Board

Avatara lay the fallen timber gently against the wall, blocking the rest of the window. Small rays of the morning sunlight still shone through the cracks between the wooden barricade, but to the casual observer passing by, it would look like just another ruined building.

A ruined building indeed. Dust swirled visibly in the beams of light. All four walls had managed to stay intact, but the humble furnishings of the small one-room house were in shambles. The other man, Yomu, tried to sit on the old bed, but quickly changed his mind when it started to give way beneath him.

Avatara had refused to reveal more than his name when they were standing in the open. The fire had displaced many, and with the fear and uncertainty among the populace over recent events, it hadn’t been too difficult to find a quiet place, for the moment.

He took a moment to collect his thoughts as he turned away from the window. For almost a week now, he had pursued Selax in this world, with little gain. If his suspicions were correct, it wouldn’t be long before Selax escaped into the void forever. Time was growing precariously short.

This Yomu was a stranger to him. The lack of reaction when Avatara revealed his name led him to believe that this world’s Avatara hadn’t encountered Yomu before either. Yet, Katerei had been at the castle that night, and she had recognized Avatara. What did that imply about his other self?

He pushed all those thoughts aside. There was no time for that now. The nightmare that haunted him, the being that had twisted and destroyed his life, that was more important now. He had to focus everything on this slim chance to bring the elemental down.

In their Cythera, Selax had been almost untouchable, but in this alien world he would be vulnerable. His minions were openly fighting each other. The invasion couldn’t have been going as planned. Avatara surmised Selax was probably displeased with recent events. Unable to rely on his subordinates, he would start taking on most of the work himself, which would cause delays. Now, more than ever, would be the time to strike. If only I knew where he was.

Avatara looked over at Yomu, who was leaning against the far wall, staring expectantly back at him. Breaking the silence, he began, “Before I answer your question, I have a question. What is the Selax of your world like?”

Yomu stared blankly for a moment, as if caught off guard. “I don’t see why it’s of your concern,” he started slowly, “but from my eyes, ears, and travels, I have come to see a somewhat quiet man with a voice of authority, and mind that has delved into the pages of this land’s history, which is not his own. Despite the lack of his foot prints in this world, he has aided it and done no wrong that I know of.”

Avatara nodded, not quite sure he fully understood what Yomu had just said. The Selax of this world was amicable? Nonsense! He probably hid his scheming behind a mask here as well.

Avatara took a deep breath and started, “The Selax of my world is a blight upon the land and its people. An anathema that takes what he pleases, and crushes those who stand in his way.”

Seeing Yomu’s skepticism, he gestured to the city around them, “From what I’ve gathered, the elements on this world still live in balance. The Land King too, still lives!”

“Of what do you imply?” Yomu frowned.

Avatara’s voice dropped, forcing Yomu to lean closer to hear. “In my world, Alaric is dead, betrayed by Selax.”

Yomu became visibly disturbed.

Avatara continued, “The elements also are dead. Selax tricked them all into a devastating war that left the land forever changed.”

Yomu shook his head in disbelief “But why would he-why would anyone-?”

“Power. With the king dead and the houses caught off guard by the elemental war, he was able to step in during the chaos and bend some of the weaker factions to his will. The mages and the nobles were too caught up in their distrust of one another that they failed to notice the real threat until it was too late. Now, those that are left are chained to the iron rule imposed by his puppet.”

The room fell silent now, save for the creaks and snaps of scorched ruins. Yomu wondered if any or all of this was true, it seemed almost too radical to believe.

Another Cythera? Alaric and the elementals dead? It's impossible.. isn't it?

And now this man stood before him, supposedly living proof of his tales. Yomu wanted to believe him, wanted to bring an end to these cursed affairs, but he acted cautiously. Too many dangers had presented themselves thus far already.

"Then what you mean by all this, the Selax from your world is here? But why? What does this world hold for him?"

"Power he cannot attain in my world." A wave of sadness seemed to pass over Avatara for a moment. "There is one thing that lies outside of his reach, defying his will. But here, in this world, it is possible for him to get it."

Yomu's goal was ringing in his head once more, the answer for why all of this was even happening, and now it seemed within his grasp. "Yes? What is it, what does he seek?" He asked the man desperately.

"The Void," Avatara replied.

Something about that answer struck a grim chord inside Yomu.

"Somehow during the elemental wars, my world became cut off from it. Ever since, Selax has been trapped there. It is hard to tell with him, but I think that is a source of endless frustration. He even-" Avatara stopped and looked away for a minute. When he turned back, he looked far less composed than he had earlier. He continued on in a soft voice, "His desire for the void is so great he even subjected himself to asking me for help." Avatara looked sadly at Yomu, "I refused him, of course, and ended up paying a terrible price."

All the pieces began falling into place in Yomu's mind. The strange killings, the attack on Cademia, all a mad conquest of a man and his minions seeking something few spoke of and even fewer had seen. But was this enough?

No.. he thought. Firecat still remained a mystery with solutions now only more detailed. If Selax was behind all of this, and had committed such terrible acts in a parallel world, then he could not be allowed to continue on in this one.

Yomu leaned his arm against a window frame, and looked out into the smoke and ash, to where the former residents were looking for past belongings. "This cannot proceed. This land has seen enough anguish."

Avatara remained silent, as if he was absorbed in his own thoughts while Yomu continued.

It was hard to decide what to say next. Yomu couldn't tell whether to ask about the voice, Firecat, or if it even mattered. For now, it seemed it didn't, so there was no need.

"So then, who are you Avatara? In my foolishness, I suppose I never did ask you what your intentions are." Yomu questioned, bracing himself for what might happen next.

Avatara hesitated before replying, "Who I am doesn't matter anymore. I am here because Selax is here." His voice took on a hard edge, "He took my life away from me, and I intend to return the favor."

Yomu was reluctant to the idea at first, but now it seemed the best option he had, and the one closest to the truth. "It seems our goals are intertwined." Yomu stepped closer to Avatara, "So then. What is our next step?"

This post has been edited by Two Jacks: 21 February 2011 - 06:14 PM

Satisfied that Talos was out of danger, Shanadar turned to Moonshadow.

"I know this sounds really strange—" the Enforcer began.

"—but how do you know I'm the 'real Moonshadow'?" the magess finished, looking confused. "Would someone explain what is going on here?"

"We've encountered doubles of several people recently, similar to that one of myself that you just saw," Wizard answered, looking shaken. His encounter with his own doppelganger had clearly rattled him. "I'm afraid that we need to determine whether you are who you say you are. Perhaps, you could tell us of our previous adventures?"

Moonshadow paused, absorbing the information.

"Well, I have been on a couple of quests with you before—"

"She is who she says she is," Rapierian's voice echoed from the ceiling. "Of that, there is no doubt."

Spinning to the necromancer, Shanadar roared, "Rapierian! When I want your opinion—which I don't—I'll ask for it!"

The necromancer did not reply. He was staring up at the hole in the ceiling with a look of complete disbelief. Momentarily, Shanadar himself was stunned at the look on Rapierian's face.

Recovering, the Enforcer turned to see what the other man was looking at.

Another Rapierian—the ranger he had encountered at the Castle gate mere days ago—was standing over the opening, lowering a rope down it. It was he who had spoken.

"But I don't—that's not—" the Rapierian standing next to Shanadar stuttered, still seeming to be in shock.

"Two Rapierians," the Enforcer muttered, looking almost as horrified as the necromancer.

The ranger did not reply, nor did he react as Selax and Silverfish came to hover next to him. Instead, he slid down the rope and slowly approached the party, holding his hands up to show he held no weapon.

"She is the Moonshadow from your world," he said, stopping a few feet from the group.

"Who are you?" Shanadar asked.

"Rapierian," the other answered rhetorically. "But not the Rapierian from your world."

The other Rapierian said nothing. Indeed, he did not react at all but continued to stare at his counterpart although his face had now turned into an expressionless mask, very different than his usual mocking sneer.

"Our world?" Wizard asked. He glanced at Selax, seeming surprised. "Are you saying that you are from another world?"

The other group members glanced at one another. They had carefully spread out around this new Rapierian, leaving him no chance of escape.

"Another Cythera, more specifically," the ranger nodded.

The various adventurers glanced at one another. None of them knew quite how to react to this information. Shanadar was still reeling from the thought of there being two Rapierians. The necromancer, staring at his counterpart, didn't seem surprised, acting as if he had not even heard the claim at all. Moonshadow, for her part, was intrigued. She had heard theories of the existence of alternate realities in the past but had never been able to study the phenomenon. Wizard, still glancing at Selax, looked extremely unsettled. Recovering, Shanadar glanced at the Rapierian standing next to him.

"What do you know about this?" he asked, sound suspicious. "You once warned me of an alternate Cythera."

The necromancer did not reply, still seeming to be in some sort of shock.

"What do you mean?" Wizard said.

"This Rapierian once gave me some sort of prophecy describing an alternate Cythera. I gave it to Lindus and the other mages at Pnyx. They studied but didn't think much of it," the Enforcer explained.

"They were correct to do so: some realities do indeed spawn alternates, but Cythera is unique in the Void," Selax replied calmly, stepping toward the ranger and raising his swords. "The barriers around it would crush any alternate reality that attempted to form. Such a world could not exist."

"My world does exist," the ranger insisted," and it needs your help. I can't say how this other version of me would know anything about it." He turned toward Wizard. "You're the telepath. You can tell whether I'm lying or not. Am I?" he challenged.

Wizard paused, examining the other man's mind. The ranger made no effort to stop the telepathic probe. After a moment, Wizard reeled back, looking stunned. He turned to Selax.

"At the least, he believes that he is telling the truth," he said grimly. "And what he has to tell is not good."

"Could it be that Cythera's unique nature somehow enables it to do the impossible?" Moonshadow asked Selax, clearly intrigued.

Selax was silent, considering the question.

"You said you were certain this Moonshadow is not from your world," Wizard asked. "What makes you so sure?"

The ranger sighed.

"Because the Moonshadow in my world has been dead for some years," he answered bluntly.

Everyone glanced at one another.

"Oh," the magess replied, not quite certain how to react to this news.

"What is going on? How and why did you come here if your story is true?" Shanadar asked.

"A complicated question," Rapierian answered. "I came for two reasons. First, to protect you world from the evils that have destroyed my own, and, second, to get your help in freeing my homeland."

The other Rapierian gagged, looking ill at the thought of saving someone.

"How did you enter this land?" Wizard asked.

"There is a . . . rift of a sort in the mountains in the south, west of Kosha. I passed through it nearly eleven days ago. How it formed I do not know." He paused, remembering. "I was abroad in the forest of my Cythera at night, when I saw a strange glow in the sky above the mountains. Fearing some new devilry on the part of my enemies, I investigated and found the rift, a strange glowing tear in the fabric of reality. Finding it unguarded, I approached it to investigate. Next thing, I knew I was being pulled into it. When I emerged, I found myself in your world. I was not the first to do so and have not been the last."

"You're saying that all of the doubles we have encountered are from another Cythera?" Talos asked.

"Yes. In your world, Bellerophon cured Alaric and saved the land. In mine, Selax—"

"Unlikely," Selax interrupted. "Alternate worlds do not spawn alternates of beings who are not native to the parent reality. It is not possible."

"Oh really? Then that alternate Wizard just appeared out of nowhere?" Rapierian said sarcastically.

"Doubles can be produced in many ways," Moonshadow pointed out, having heard stories of magically created clones before.

"I know, but have you ever seen so many produced at once? Or without the knowledge of any mages in the land?" Rapierian replied. "In any case, I can only tell what has happened in my land—"

"Oh, wonderful! Time for 'Story Time with the cheap imitation!'" the other Rapierian snarled, seeming to emerge from his shock with none of his usual mocking humor.

Undaunted, his counterpart began his explanation.

"From my exploration of your land, I have learned that, in this world, Alaric summoned Bellerophon as he did in my own. However, in yours, Bellerophon successfully healed Alaric, while events in mine did not progress so smoothly. Bellerophon was unsuccessful in saving Alaric, although it's hard to say what actually since none know what happened to the hero."

"Did he use the corrupted Crolna on Alaric?" Shanadar asked.

"No, but from what I have heard, someone else did." The ranger glanced Selax before continuing, "In my world, Selax killed Alaric and fled Land King Hall. Tales say that he slew all of Bellerophon's companions as he did so, but I don't know the veracity of such stories. Alaric's death sent the land into a downward spiral. The elementals emerged from hiding and began open war with one another, with the people of the land caught in the middle and with no choice but to fight back as best they could. The mages tried to do what they could to restore order, but people's mistrust of them prevented them from maintaining control. The land rapidly split into factions, some allying with the various elements and some choosing to take on everyone else at once. Gradually, many forgot the honorable code that Cytherans had lived by for centuries as everyone fought to survive. . ."

The ranger's voice trailed off and, for a moment, he was lost in thought, remembering that tumultuous time. Rousing himself, he continued, "When Wizard first appeared, it seemed that he was going to save the land. He rescued the city of Cademia from destruction at the hands of the Undine and stirred its people to fight back against their enemies. Given his power and charisma, he soon lured many of the survivors to his cause. The fact that he openly derided Cythera's former values only enhanced his standing in the eyes of many. The mages refused to follow him but they were ultimately betrayed by one of their own. Pnyx was overthrown and many of its inhabitants massacred. After this victory, Wizard became increasingly harsh, killing any who dared threaten his will. Things became much worse when it was known that Selax was among his forces. All hated him, but Wizard made it clear that threats against him would not be tolerated. Their combined might made any challenge against them quite hopeless, and Wizard's power only increased further as the wars continued to ravage the land. Eventually, the remaining elementals were killed by each other and by the work of a few brave humans."

"I'm guessing this did not end your land's troubles" Talos interjected.

"I'm afraid that you guess correctly. Wizard controlled and still controls much of the land, but he does not yet control all of it. There remain rivals to his power, both within his organization and without it. Unfortunately, many of his rival warlords only share his brutality and cruelty. I, perhaps, am alone among the warriors in Cythera who still fight for its code of honor."

"How dare you ruin my reputation!" the other Rapierian snapped. "I ought to—"

"Quiet!" Shanadar roared. Glancing around at the others, the necromancer settled back into a brooding silence. He could afford to wait.

"Instead of finishing off his remaining opposition, I believe now that the Wizard from my world seeks to extend his power onto yours. I also have strong reason to believe that the Selax from my world is also in your land. Please, I beg you: you must help me. It is the only hope my world has left and it might be the last chance your own has as well."

The warm sun of late morning shone down on Cademia, illuminating the traces of colourless haze that still hung above the city. To the southwest, a slight breeze stirred the grass around the feet of two women who walked together in silence.

Katerei felt almost more muddled and confused than before. K had only said that they needed to go meet up with someone before they could decide what to do, and no more. She doubted it was a trap, though - it would have been easier for K to just leave her to her death back at the Castle. So she reluctantly agreed.

Something was nagging at the back of her mind though, until it finally clicked. "This person we're going to meet," she ventured finally. "Is it your... I mean, the Avatara from your world?" She wasn't sure how she knew; there was just something familiar in how K had spoken of him. Cautiously, but... defensively.

K gave her a sideways glance. "You met him already, didn't you?"

It wasn't really an answer, but Katerei took it as a yes. "Just briefly. At the castle the other night. We... didn't talk much."

"Well. It was him who suggested we ask for your help." K spoke pointedly.

That came as a surprise. He hadn't seemed to take to her too kindly at first. It was a little unsettling, like she was just a tool to borrow when needed. "Avatara was with Rapierian that night. Are we going to meet him too?"

"We're not travelling with him," K answered a little too quickly, a little too forcefully. "I don't even know where he is right now."

"Neither do I," Katerei murmured, though her thoughts had strayed to the other Rapierian. So much had changed since she, Shanadar and Yomu had frantically pursued the necromancer from Kosha. Now, she felt more alone than ever.

*

"He should be here somewhere," K said, shading her eyes with a hand as she surveyed the shoreline southeast of Cademia. Washed-up logs and bits of seaweed scattered the rocky beach. It had taken them some time to skirt around the city, but K insisted he would be here.

Katerei squinted down the shore. The sparkles of sunlight on the ocean made it hard to see, but she thought she could see a figure standing on a rocky outcropping, staring out at the water. "Is that him?" she asked, pointing.

As K turned to look, her expression quickly grew worried. "Yes, but who's standing on the beach next to him?"

"It's Yomu!" Katerei exclaimed with sudden realization. She wasn't sure whether to be elated or scared. Why in Cythera were those two men together? Was that why Yomu had been acting so oddly before?

"You know him?" K enquired.

"Yes, he's a friend, but... I didn't think he knew your Avatara. It doesn't make any sense. Unless he's the Yomu from your world," Katerei said with a sudden thrill of shock.

The other woman shook her head. "I don't know anyone of that name, nor have I ever heard Avatara mention it. But look - they've seen us. We may as well go find out what's going on. Perhaps he was already successful in recruiting help from your companions."

"It wouldn't be the strangest thing to happen today," Katerei shook her head dazedly as she began to follow her copy down the shoreline.

Echoes wrapped in darkness shot through the void and through the city's coarse veil. A message of utmost importance was being relayed.

A haunting silence filled the mind of the recipient. The terrifying telepathic disturbance was enough to know a connection had been made.

"Ghosts haunt the streets, so shriek the local kitty cats." the voice spoke playfully.

There was no response, only a greater intensity in the static.

"Care naught for the rivals of old? Rivals once embraced by earth and shadow?"

A clearer connection prompted Firecat to continue.

"The second's fingers have been claimed by the ghoul. Two now remain, close to their former brothers."

Firecat paused a quick moment, invisibly grinning to himself beyond the veil.

"It is him, all other options are.. unacceptable!" he giggled.

The static seemed to be slowly phasing out the connection now.

"Oh and there was one other thing.. A bird on the ghost's shoulder, whispering into his ear. Quite peculiar, wouldn't you agree?"

The echoes recessed back into the darkness, leaving the city veiled in disillusion behind.

Avatara stood staring out over the ocean, watching the small waves crash upon the rocks. A light breeze blew past him, cool against the warmth of the sun overhead. Behind him, Yomu was occupied with skipping pebbles across the water.

A woman’s voice called his name. So they’re here. He paused a moment to calm the anxiety rising within him before turning away from the sea. True to her word, Katerei had brought her copy from this world.

She was still wearing the long purple dress she wore that night at the castle. Her white shoes were stained with red mud, and her sash barely retained a hint of color. Her long blue hair hung down to her waist in a tangled mess. Her pale blue skin was marred with scratches and blood, hopefully not from a fight with his Katerei.

Next to her stood the Katerei from his world. Clad in far less modest black garb, she seemed more self-assured than her counterpart. Her hair was cut shoulder-length in front, but also cascaded down her back to her waistline. For some strange reason, it looked more wavy than usual, as if it had recently been soaked. Her flail rested in its sheath, but looked like it had been used recently.

There was no mistaking the resemblance; standing side-by-side, they looked like twins. The way they were shaped, the way the two of them were fidgeting nervously, even the sound of their voices, it was all the same. It was a sight both incredible and eerie, and neither Katerei looked happy about being so close to another version of herself. Avatara struggled to imagine what it must be like to meet someone who was so like himself, yet a different person entirely.

Standing off to the side, looking almost as nervous as the two women, was Yomu. They were talking quietly about something Avatara didn’t hear, but it seemed as if Yomu knew both of the Katereis. Interesting.

As he stepped down onto the beach, the three of them stopped talking and looked at him. Avatara silently studied each face in turn, noting the confusion, the fear, and the impatience.

When he finally spoke, he spoke to this world’s Katerei. “You’ve undoubtedly heard about what has been going on.” When she nodded, he continued, “I’ll be blunt.”

“We are not from your world. No matter how much we might look like you, or act like people you know, we aren’t. We are foreigners, here for a single purpose,” Avatara said before pausing briefly.

“There is a malevolent being who is seeking to consume your world in an attempt to escape to dominate other worlds. I’ve followed him here in an attempt to stop him. But, I’ve come to realize, I don’t stand any chance on my own.” He looked directly into Katerei’s eyes and said, “I need your help.”

“Selax...right?” Katerei asked hesitantly. A gust of wind blew through her hair, fanning it out behind her purple dress. “Where will we find him?”

“There is only one place where we can be certain he will appear,” Avatara replied.

“Land King Hall,” Yomu finished.

Silverfish for one found this other Rapierian's tale to be credible, not that he really knew anything about the nature of reality anyway, but it did seem to explain the troubles the magi were having with some of their magics. At any rate there was certainly a large spell upon the land, his bones ached with its energy & his skin tingled as if someone had been sitting on it.

"So it was other Selax killing all the animals which started us on this quest?" Silver queried, "I think he's even naughtier than Rapierian!"

I wonder if I have an other & what it's like?

"I'm not sure about that, but I think they can both be trusted," Wizard said after a moment. "At least, we can afford to spend no more time here. We must pursue this . . . other me at once."

Nodding, Silverfish flew over to the rope and began to examine it.

"We can't leave Cademia in this state," Shanadar replied. "What about the other people who live in the Castle? The other Diomede might be able to shed some light on events."

Wizard closed his eyes for a moment. Opening them, he answered, "I don't think there is anyone else in the Castle besides us. They were probably moved over the night."

"Regardless, the city must be left protected," the Enforcer insisted. "Also, we should search for Katerei."

"The rope seems safe," Silverfish reported, drifting back down from the ceiling.

Selax flew upward through the hole in the ceiling. Quickly, the others followed him. As they climbed, Moonshadow answered several of Wizard's questions concerning the group's previous adventures, satisfying them that she was indeed who she said she was. Moonshadow was then quickly informed of the recent events. Shanadar climbed out at last, still grumbling about having to keep an eye on two Rapierians. The alternate Rapierian had surrendered his bow and arrows, although he had requested that he be allowed to have them back when trouble started.

Once they were all on top of the roof, it proved fairly easy to find a way down to the ground by climbing over the rubble left from the golem's assault. As they went, they debated about what to do next. It was reluctantly agreed that they would have to take both Rapierians with them whatever they did. The ranger might have valuable information, and it was plainly too dangerous to leave the necromancer unguarded.

Shanadar turned to the ranger when they reached the ground.

"What about that other Avatara? Do you know what he and this other Katerei want with this world's Katerei?"

Glancing at Moonshadow, Rapierian replied, "He is here to pursue vengeance against Selax. Perhaps, he wishes to ask her aid."

"Why were you with him?"

"We had a common enemy and thus a goal for a time; however, I fear that he is willing to do whatever it takes to have his revenge and that he does not greatly care if others are hurt in the process."

"We don't have time!" Wizard burst in, sounding very frustrated. "We must pursue them!"

Surprised at the old man's outburst, the others turned toward him.

"I fear this other me will cause great devastation, and I can sense no sign of the mages anywhere near here. I think he may have taken them with him."

"We can't just leave Katerei," Moonshadow interjected.

"Nor can we leave the city in this state," Shanadar added.

"Wizard is correct," Selax stated, speaking for the first time since they had left the Castle. "If there are doppelgangers of myself and Wizard loose in this world, we must stop them at once."

"What do you think an alternate version of you would do?" Talos asked the elemental.

"Without more knowledge of his situation, it is impossible to say." Selax turned toward the ranger. "What do you know of this alternate me?"

"Not much beyond what I have already said," Rapierian replied. Pausing, he thought for a moment before saying, "Avatara did seem in a hurry to get to him, as though he were afraid that Selax might escape him forever."

"Escape? Did he say this other me was intent on leaving?" the elemental replied sharply. The others glanced at him in surprise.

"Not exactly, but he seemed afraid of something like that."

"He will head to Land King Hall, won't he?" Wizard asked, looking at Selax.

"If he wishes to leave this world, that would be his most logical destination," the elemental answered.

"You think he's going after the Crolna?" Shanadar questioned.

Selax nodded.

"But he can't get in," Moonshadow said. "Alaric may be ill, but one of the reasons the other mages went was to place protective enchantments on Land King Hall. Most likely, many of the House leaders and mages will be returning to their homes by now, but they will have surely already completed the spells. It would take a considerable force to enter."

"The Wizard from my world has such a force," Rapierian answered. "You have only encountered some of his most formidable servants, not all. Still, it would take time to get them into posit—"

"Time he now has thanks to you all annoying me," the necromancer interrupted angrily. "While you have been after me or been burning Cademia down or watching the mages almost all die, this other Wizard has undoubtedly bringing ever more forces to our world."

"He's right," Wizard said, eyes widening in realization. "These past fews days must have been a diversion!"

"Which suggests this Rapierian may be in league with him," Shanadar ground out, turning to face the necromancer.

"Or that I was framed by this other Selax," the necromancer answered. "He does seem to be a step or two ahead of you . . . not that that is saying much."

The Enforcer stepped toward him angrily, but Selax said, "We have no time for this. We must proceed to Land King Hall at once."

"We have to secure the city and to make sure this necromancer is secured," Shanadar insisted.

"How kind of you to be so worried about me," Rapierian exclaimed. The necromancer seemed to be recovering from his early rage and was now smiling. "However, I think that you will probably want to return the items you stole from me earlier and allow me to accompany you to Land King Hall. I still have my little book of prophecies and I think you will find you need my help." Here, he doubled over laughing.

"If you think for one moment that I will ever ask for your help—" Shanadar began to yell, but Selax interrupted him.

"Agreed."

Everyone turned to look at the elemental.

"He is correct. If he has such a book, as Shanadar has said he does, his help will be of use to us. Allow me to have the items confiscated from him earlier, and I will make certain he does not betray us."

"I cannot leave the city in this state. Leave if you must but I have to ensure the security of Cademia," the Enforcer said, determined.

"I'm still not quite recovered yet. I can stay to help and to look for Andru and Katerei," Talos volunteered.

Nodding, Shanadar turned toward Selax. "I still don't like allowing Rapierian to go free."

"I will keep watch on him and kill him if he does anything suspicious," the elemental replied.

Smiling at that thought for just a moment, Shanadar sighed and reluctantly handed Selax the potions and other items that had taken from the necromancer earlier.

"We should still look for Katerei, Andru, and Yomu, for that matter," Silverfish said. "No one has seen him in some time."

"I agree with Selax," Wizard answered. "I'm afraid that we have no time to look for any of them just now. I'm certain this other Wizard is headed for Land King Hall."

"I'll remain here with Talos and secure the city. Silverfish can also remain if he wishes to help search for the others," Shanadar said. "If we can, we'll come after you."

"If we split up, how will we know who is from which world?" Moonshadow asked.

"Perhaps, a codeword of some kind," Talos suggested.

After a hurried discussion, the members of the group settled on "zetacomb" as a code phrase to ensure they would be able to identify each other. Having agreed on this, they split up into two groups. One stayed to secure and protect Cademia, while the other turned north and headed toward Land King Hall as fast as they could…

"I must say it is a relief that you have come," Hector told Wizard as they proceeded down the main hallway of Land King Hall toward Alaric's room. "Many of the house lords and mages had to leave yesterday. They left some additional guard here, but, with all the troubles going on. . ."

The group had arrived at the Hall, after nearly two days of rapid travel. To their relief, they had found the magical protections intact and the structure seemingly untouched. They had entered to find the city strongly guarded, although not much occupied otherwise.

Hector, currently captain of the king's guard, had met them at the gate. He had been quite surprised (and disturbed) to see two Rapierians. Hurriedly, and leaving out a great many details, they had explained the existence of the alternates. Now even more worried, he had asked the group to come with him, hoping that they would be able to help heal Alaric

"Were they able to determine what is wrong with Alaric?" Moonshadow asked.

"Not completely, only that he seemed to be in some sort of shock. They think he might emerge from it on his own, given time . . . but they can't say how long that might take."

Reaching the door to Alaric's room, Hector told the guard stationed there to open the door. Turning back to the group, he continued, "Not even the arrival of the mages from Cademia was able to help him, but perhaps—"

"Mages? From Cademia?" Wizard asked sharply, glancing at Selax.

"Yes," Hector replied, sounding confused. "Why should that—"

He got no further, for, at that moment, the guard opened the door and yelled.

Bending over the unconscious form of Alaric, with his hands held over the king's forehead, stood the other Wizard.

Several things then happened at once.

Without waiting, Wizard unleashed a telekinetic blast at his double, pushing him away from Alaric. He and Selax rushed into the room, charging as the other Wizard recovered and released a telekinetic push of his own.

"What in Cythera?" Hector burst out.

Behind him, Rapierian, the necromancer, stiffened and looked about him. Sniffing the air, he said, "You know I think that—"

"Someone's weakening the protective barriers!" Moonshadow cried out, having sensed the same thing.

"Correction: someone has already done," a new voice cut in. "They just did a fairly good job of hiding it." Turning, they saw Alcyone standing in the hallway that ran from the library. Behind her, several guards were gathering, drawing their weapons. From the rest of the hall came the sudden sound of combat.

"Hold them off," Moonshadow told Hector. "We'll protect Alaric!"

Nodding, Hector joined the other guards who were responding to the sudden attack and rushed the invaders. Moonshadow and both Rapierians followed Wizard and Selax into Alaric's room.

There, the other Wizard stood backed against the wall, facing both his original and the elemental.

He laughed.

"Well, well, you seem to have walked into my little trap."

"Really?" Wizard asked him, as the group spread out to surround him. "You're the one who seems trapped to me."

"Quite so, quite so," the other mused. "Except that statement requires making one small assumption . . . doesn't it?"

Before Wizard could respond, there was a whisper of movement behind him, and one of the Rapierians (the ranger probably) yelled, "Look out!"

With that, Selax hit Wizard on the back of the head with enough force that the other left the ground and soared toward the wall.

Casually stepping aside, the alternate Wizard telekinetically pulled him into the stone face first.

In the stunned silence that followed, Selax turned to face Moonshadow and the two Rapierians.

"You assumed that everyone with you on this quest was not an 'alternate.' That was most unwise," the elemental stated, as he closed in on them and raised his swords.



Moments later, the outer door to Alaric's quarters splintered as the necromancer came flying through it and struck the wall on the opposite end of the hallway.

"Please stop the room from spinning," he said, dazed, as he tried to stand. "I'd like to get off."

Managing to lift his head, he saw Moonshadow, blood running down her side, staggering toward the ranger. The other Rapierian lay still in the splintered remains of Alaric's desk, into which Selax had casually thrown him.

Wizard was still on the ground with his double bent over him. From the strain evident in both their faces, it was clear that they were locked in some sort of mental combat.

Behind them, in the farthest corner of the room, Selax was smashing in the metal door to Alaric's private study. . .



Easily removing the mage lock, he stepped through the door and into the room beyond.

This room was expansive, well-lit by the gleaming braziers on the floor, with a pool of water in each corner. At the northern side, the Ethereal Void was visible.

Still, he noted these things only in passing.

Instead, he focused on the man standing in the middle of the room . . . standing next to an empty pedestal, on which the Crolna should have sat.

Stopping, Selax faced Avatara. He held out a hand.

"Give me the Crolna."

There was a sense of peaceful unrest coursing through land, like something was just waiting to happen. Athes couldn't bare it, not when there's a mission at hand. He began to depart from the area surrounding Cademia and noted a small family foolishly walking along the outskirts of town.

Don't they realize they could be killed wandering there? he thought, continuing on his way. Not that he cared if this Cythera's citizens, or if they were too dumb to know what was good for them.

After a moment, he arrived at the river Styx East of the city. Athes, born of fire, had no fond memories of the water, still he was still a good enough swimmer and beyond the adjacent bank was his target. The cool waters splashing against him only fuel is ever growing aggravation.

What good is any of this? Just to be able to control those unintelligent pigs? he thought, "Bah! To hell with monarchs and kings."

-----

The proven general Lysander sat in unrest tucked in his stagnant tent awaiting orders. He had done so for the past few days. The general sighed, "Damn. I shall wait no longer."

His subordinate spoke out hesitantly and without eye contact out of fear and respect, "But my lord.. we have not received orders yet."

Lysander snarled and placed his hand on his brow, "Oh? Then tell me boy, what do you suggest? Tell me in your infinite wisdom, shall we catch some chickens and start a merry farm? How did you know I was craving scrambled eggs?" The sarcasm was overwhelming.

The subordinate stuttered under the pressure, for the general was known to punish men harshly for insubordination and one could never know the end was around the corner, "W-well we do have that prisoner don't we? He could be of use."

"What? You mean that demon? What about him?" The general pulled aside his tent curtain to peer at the cell they had made for the beast. It wasn't the greatest fea of construction, but it seemed to work well enough.

"Sir. We could put him in the pit, give the soldiers something to do."

"You mean that crude ditch the men dug out to pass the time fighting in? Hm." Lysander turned and thought for a moment. "He did claim he was a messenger from The Master... but," Lysander leaned to the other side, "they don't use demons like that. Choices, choices."

"If he really was a messenger, then shouldn't something have happened, or at least another message would have come by now, right?"

"Of course, I knew all this from the start." Lysander concluded with the clever smile worthy of a fox, "However since this, 'Athes' really is just a spy, I suppose we had better fulfill our duty and eliminate him for out master."

Lysander rose and grabbed his blade. "Very well, rally the men. I'm going to give a large prize to the man that can fell this beast."

-----

Through the dank, griming bars Athes looked over at the commotion coming from the barracks. He had been waiting for this moment. The makeshift cell they had placed him in was a a cruel joke he had been forced to be a part of, and the sweaty pigs of soldiers had been messing around with his weapon ever since he had arrived, with the only upside being one of them lost their finger from carelessness.

Athes was hoping to attack during his 'execution' as to have a clear shot at the general, though this new predicament would work all the better. He knew what was coming, and couldn't wait for the battle.

The guards threw Athes into a large dirt pit with wooden spikes all around it. After getting his bearings, he noticed the only way out appeared to be a shabby ladder on one side. Above and around the tops of the spokes he saw the faces of soldiers, and above them all was their general, Lysander, looking just as cocky as when Athes was 'captured'.

"Athes, we have determined you a spy of the enemy. Your sentence is death." Lysander spoke with a murderous gleam in his eyes, and his twisted smirk to match. "However.." he continued, "my men grow wearing waiting for battle, so to keep us in top shape we're going to have some practice with you." Lysander turned to his men, arms wide. "To the man that can fell this beast, I offer a blade of mine that has seen the death of hundreds. The contest begins now!"

At those last words,three men in full armor began climbing down the walls. One held a large axe, another with a long sword and small metal shield, the third had nothing but two metal gauntlets, a recently popular weapon in his world.

Athes on the other hand stood alone, arms chained behind his back.

The second man came forward ready to pierce Athes in the chest and claim a new weapon. He was swift but did not expect Athes to dodge so strangely. In a blur, the demon had ducked down and bitten wildly into the mans forearm, crushing the bone. The man cried out in pain, now disarmed (so to speak).

Athes kicked the bellyacher against the wall, finishing him. While the other men looked on in shock, Athes turned to Lysander, "Do you wish all your men to die as this one did?" he spoke, spitting out the blood of his fallen enemy.

"Hmpf." The confident general merely made himself more comfortable in his chair. "Don't take the forces of The Master lightly, fool." Lysander's stare was more serious now, a fire was in his eyes that seemed to be a challenge to Athes. Could he have figured out his plan?

Athes knew he had to act quickly now, in this state there was only so long he could hold out. More men were readying themselves to avenge their comrade, bracing themselves in the pit's soft dirt. Behind them archers set their sights on Athes, ready for if he decided to brake his chains or attempt magic.

Without his blade he only had one shot of getting out of this alive.

The other two men who had first entered now began their assault, with more caution than their former ally. Athes dodged the swing of the axeman easily, he was still clumsy with the weapon. However every time he got away from the axeman, the man with the gauntlets was able to get in a few quick blows, nothing serious, but they were starting to add up.

Lysander also looked ready for any attempt on his life by Athes, hand grasping his sheathed blade.

The first step was breaking his chains. The axeman would do that easily enough. Athes deliberately took more light blows from the gauntlets, leading the man closer into the ring.

Fool! he thought, they were now close to the axeman, and he was winding his swing for the killing blow. Swiftly, Athes first dropped down, tripped his foe with the hand-gear, and then jumped onto his side leaving the chain binding him dangling in the air. As he planned, the man swung the axe with full force, snapping the chain, as well as his ally.

The archers began to release their arrows at once. The second problem.

Using the large, startled axeman as a shield, Athes threw him onto his back and began scaling the walls. No spear or arrow was fast enough to act in the chaos and within moments the red demon was closing in on the general.

"Hahaha, you fool! Fine I accept your challenge." Lysander cried out. Sword brandished, the general charged at the red monster before him. Athes cast the arrow-full axeman aside and launched two fire balls at the soldiers all gathering round. All that remained in the new clearing now was Athes and Lysander.

Lysander wasted no time and swung skillfully at Athes, who was having a hard time dodging the blade. This man had definitely seen many battles before.

"Those were some of my best men you killed! You pay for this with your life, scum!" The general cried out. Even if he didn't look it, at heart Lysander lived to be a general, just as Firecat had mentioned earlier.

"Scum?" Athes chuckled in his low and crackling voice, "You and your men are pathetic. None of you deserve the honor of such a name."

"Fool!" The murderous glare in Lysander's eyes was even stronger now. "What would the pet of humans know of honor?"

It was working: Athes's taunts and dodging were wearing down the general well enough, and he only had to be cut into a half dozen times to do so.

He saw the opening in his opponent coming, his left to right wing would always waver, a war injury perhaps. As lysander readied the attack, Athes turned up and spoke with the wrath belonging to such a demon, "Look at me now, and remember: it was a being born of fire that took your life, a superior being."

"Ha! Don't make me! Ugh!" Lysander was caught, and froze as a burning grip was placed around his neck, and slowly tightened.

"Look." Athes spoke to the dying man, trying to peel away Athes's red fingers. "Do you see?" The demon glared into his victim's eyes and spoke, "You are unfit for this world."

After a final crack, the general was cast into the pit with the other corpses.

Athes heard the reinforcements coming. Now in this chaos it would be easy to pick off the rest of them. Though first he would have to retrieve his swallow.

------

It was night now, Athes had just finished taking care of the remaining soldiers. Some might have gotten away but they'd be defectors now. Death on sight for such cowards. Whoever was left in Catamarca would be so without guidance. All to plan, eh Firecat? He sat again and cleared his mind, waiting for the words of a specter to fill his mind.

It was a stormy night long ago when Avatara had last seen Selax. He had come discreetly seeking knowledge about the void, and Avatara had turned him away. Selax hadn't shown any visible reaction, but he sounded disappointed when he told Avatara that it would have been easier for both of them if Avatara had cooperated. If only I had taken his warning more seriously.

Now Selax stood before him, hand outstretched, murky cape rippling behind him, and gaze fixed solidly on Avatara.

In that instant, all of Avatara's uncertainty and fear vanished. He summoned the sadness and regret, the pain and fury of the last five years, and focused all of his magic into the elemental before him.

"NOW!" he called out to the others.

Too late did Selax notice the rune beneath him spring to life, binding him to the ground inside the glowing blue circle. Too late did he see the two Katereis channel the water from the pools onto him, covering his arms.

Selax cried out in frustration as the water solidified, turning to ice. His feet were trapped, his arm movements slowed as the ice thickened around them, leaving his torso exposed. As he struggled fiercely against his restraints, tiny cracks began to form in the ice.

"Yomu, hurry!" Avatara shouted, straining against the effort of preventing Selax from taking flight.

Yomu sprang forward from his hiding place, tapping his spear against the ground as he passed Avatara. Ignoring Selax's hateful glare, he swung his arm back and with a loud cry, violently plunged the spear into Selax's body.

Selax shuddered under the impact as the spear pierced clean through his chest, sending a splash of silvery liquid onto the floor that began vaporizing with a loud hiss. The air crackled as the spear released its charge, sending bolts of electricity snapping and searing across his body. Selax jolted violently under the sudden discharge of power for a moment before slumping forward in his icy restraints, unmoving, as the silver mist continued trailing from the wound in his chest.

Yomu stepped back, letting go of the spear jutting out of the elemental. As the last vestiges of energy drained from the spear, a hush settled over the room, broken only by the slow hiss of steam rising out of Selax's wound.

Is it really over? Avatara stared in disbelief, loosening his concentration. The rune beneath Selax dimmed as it's power waned. He took a step forward, hesitant to get too close.

Selax's head snapped up abruptly, his gray eyes flaring in fury. With renewed strength, he strained against his restraints. The cracks in the ice widened and grew, spidering outwards at a frightening pace. Chunks of ice fell onto the ground at an ever-increasing rate until finally the icy bonds shattered into a thousand pieces.

Yomu was already moving forward, dagger ready to strike, but Selax was even faster. Hands now free, he grabbed the spear jutting through him and forcibly yanked it out. Ignoring the silver spray, Selax parried Yomu's lunge and countered with a strike that sent the tall man flying backwards. With his opponent dispatched, he cast the spent spear aside and focused his efforts on the Rune of Binding at his feet. Bereft of a continuous power source, the magic was quickly overwhelmed and broken.

A jet of flame engulfed the air around Selax, melting the scattered pieces of ice. For a moment, the elemental was obscured from view by the torrent of flame, until he emerged with his airy cloak held up as a shield. Unrestrained, he charged towards his attacker, blades sliding into his hands as he approached.

The area in front of Selax sparked and suddenly turned into a raging inferno, hot enough to feel from across the room, but he didn't stop. Seeing Selax undeterred, Avatara quickly abandoned his magic and reached for his weapons.

The edge of Selax's blades stopped inches from Avatara's face, locked in place at the last moment by Avatara's crossed swords. The elemental used his strength to press his advantage, forcing Avatara to one knee as the deadly blade inched closer.

Trapped and unable to give up any more ground, Avatara strained against the force of Selax's attack. His grip was slipping and he knew it was a matter of seconds before it would be over. The sound of metal scraping on metal filled the air as Avatara's defenses gave way, and he was forced onto the ground.

Selax stiffened suddenly as silver crystals erupted from his chest wound. A breeze of cold air washed over Avatara as Selax's exposed blood turned to ice. Selax whirled to face his attacker, but the attack had slowed his movement, and K was able to leap back out of his reach safely. Taking advantage of the rescue, Avatara rolled to his feet and backed up, readying for another onslaught.

Selax glared at them both, clutching his chest and breathing heavily, shifting his gaze from one to the other.

"You will all…die here… I will make sure of it!" he hissed.

((OoC: Before I begin, I'd like to make it known that BreadWorldMercy453 rocks Cythera. That is all. BIC:))

Deep in Land King Hall, in its most important chamber, faint words of an unfamiliar man whirred through Yomu's ears. He couldn't quite make out what was happening around him, not that he wasn't more concerned with himself. Slumped against the cool stone wall of the chamber, he felt a pain through his back, around his chest, everywhere really.

A pain like needles shot through his throat and instantly he began coughing violently and uncontrollably. The taste of blood rushed into his mouth. He needed to heal his wounds, maybe if he could reach his obsidian cast potion in time, maybe if he could just seal the wounds, would it be enough? It was his only chance. The broken rouge reached into his pouch with a bloodied hand and retrieved the black bottle.

He coughed again, more blood, he felt his remaining strength draining from him as he lifted the obsidian glass bottle closer to his chest. He wondered for a small moment if his friends would be able to triumph without him: save Cythera from Selax, a man he knew so little about. The bottle dropped, still intact. The world was losing all color and light in Yomu's eyes now. All was fading away into darkness. He didn't want it to, but no matter how hard he tried, everything slipped further and further out of sight.

-----

A deadly power was growing in the middle of the void chamber, it caused the brazier's light to waver, sent waves through the two small pools on either side of the room, and sent chills through the remaining heros: Avatara, K and Katerei.

Katerei's heart sank when before her Yomu flew against the wall at the hands of Selax. Losing another comrade was nothing she wanted to experience again, but there wasn't much she could do in this current bind. Selax was too powerful and too fast to allow enough time for anyone to get close enough to the fallen rogue to rescue him from death's door.

The battle was fierce and Avtara summoned a vortex of flames, engulfing Selax for a moment. In the brief window Katerei managed to finally reach her friend leaning against the rubble where he had been flung. She went pale when he showed no obvious signs of life. She wouldn't accept it, she had to try at least. Quickly she readied a healing potion from her supplies. She convinced her self it would be enough and brought it closer to Yomu. Her efforts were in vain however, as the elemental's swift blades came crashing down only inches next to her. Luckily K had blocked the attack enough to save her counterpart's life, at the cost of opening herself up for an attack. "Move now!" K shouted at Katerei, moving away as fast as possible, leaving the potion behind and unused. Ducking away, K momentarily removed herself from the threat before it was too late.

It was a complicated dance taking place in the void chamber now. Selax would move between adversaries at break neck speed, but just before one was about to lose, they would be saved by another-but how much longer could this really go on? It was clear Selax had the upper hand even when he had been wounded so badly.

Every now and again Selax would suffer another cut, or another lash across his previous wound. "How much more slime can you leak out before you turn into dust, Selax?" Avatara cried out as he parried a blow. Selax said nothing in reply, only continued his onslaught.

Selax was learning their moves fast - even though it was three on one it wouldn't be long before Selax could claim victory. "Can't you all see: your resistance is futile." Selax spoke, withdrawing a step away for a moment, "I can already see the fatigue in your bodies growing, you will all die shortly. Now accept your defeat and surrender the Crolna."

"You bastard. You're a fool to underestimate us!" Avatara shouted with swords out ready to sting.

"Submit!" Selax replied, as he deflected the blow and sent Avatara sliding across the purple stone floor with a mighty kick. K helped him up and Katerei stood ready to defend all three of them.

Before the next attack could be made the void chamber door swung open. A man emerged (knowing or not of the danger in front of him).

Everyone looked to see, there was none in Cythera they could have expected, let alone Beorn. The three heroes looked at the man in confusion, they all knew him but couldn't figure out why he was here of all places.

-----

Strange visions flooded Yomu's mind: people he thought he had forgotten, some he wish he had, places he had only heard stories of. Suddenly only one thought remained, one so playful. The only sound now in Yomu's mind was the light laughter of Firecat.

"My my, look what the cat dragged in."

Yomu's mind was in disarray, he could barely manifest coherent thoughts. Fire...cat, why?

"Why what? Why am I here? Oh you wound me, whatever are friends for if not to save the other in a time of need. I can see it you know, your little rodent life fading away. Quite strange the lights coming from your mind, how familiar as well."

Yomu was forgetting.. He had trouble even placing how he got where he was, or what was even happening to him.

"We must act quickly now little mouse. You'll leave your body behind at this rate, no doubt the other mice will be joining you as well." Suddenly his tone turned far more serious, "You have only one chance now, Yomu, let me in... surrender yourself to me. If you don't, all you've fought for, all you've suffered trying to achieve, all of your friends... will be lost. Now quickly, let-me-in my little mouse."

-----

The air grew ever thicker in the chamber. No one could foresee the end of this predicament, or what would lead to it.

Beorn had moved cautiously in front of the heroes, now back to their feet.

"Tell me, why have you come? Do you wish to die that badly?" Selax spoke coldly to Beorn.

"Oh? Have you already covered that in your plans? It must be nice to never be surprised." Beorn said in response, unshaken.

Katerei whispered to the strange new arrival, "Beorn, whoever you are, I hope you have a good reason for being here. I don't know if you wish to help, but none of us can promise your safety."

Beorn stared undeterred at Selax and raised a hand to Katerei behind him, "Don't worry, it'll be fine." Beorn spoke quietly now, outside of Selax's earshot. "Now listen carefully all of you. I need you to get me close to Selax."

Avatara saw Selax readying himself for an attack and spoke to Beorn quietly and in haste, "Give me one reason to trust anything you say."

"Do you really have any other ideas?" Beorn added, followed by a brief silence, "This is the only way to win, even if Selax has planned for this, he can't stop me. Just help me get close without getting pinned by his blade and everything else will be taken care of."

There was no more time for questions, Selax was closing in- fast.

Before the elemental got close enough for the kill, K had leapt over Beorn and blocked his assault. Beorn now swung around the blue beauty and began to close in on Selax's opening.

Selax ducked away, nearly being sliced open by a sheet of ice launched by Katerei. Before Selax could defend himself, Avatara was already moving in for the kill, Beorn at his side. Selax began to block for Avatara's attack but Katerei's flail was moving in from the right, and Beorn was getting to close for comfort. The elemental was getting cornered, and suddenly for a brief moment his feet became stuck to the ground. Selax knew there was a chance this might happen but he couldn't avoid it now, Katerei had temporarily frozen Selax to the ground, and while he could break free of it in time, he wouldn't be fast enough to get away. To save himself he had to use both swords to deflect Avatara and K's assault - only this also left him open to whatever Beorn had up his sleeve.

Selax raced through scenarios in his mind: daggers, potions, magic beans, however when he saw Beorn pulling out the Crolna of this Cythera, he had reached the end of the list.

A fire of determination roared in Beorn's eyes. He moved with the swiftness of death in his steps and could not be stopped. In a split second his hand was gripping the elemental's cut and steaming chest, in his other a brightly glowing crystal of untold power.

What happened next propelled Katerei, K and Avatara back against the walls of the chamber. A booming powerful force emanated from the center of the room, where Selax and Beorn now stood.

"And now it ends!" Beorn cried out releasing more of the Crolna's power.

"Don't be so hasty!" Selax said in response, shockingly grabbing Beorn's arm. Selax struggled in the tourbillion of power until both he and Beorn's gripped hands were locked on the mythical Crolna.

"Do you really think you know more about the working of the Crolna than I?" Selax said fiercely.

The chamber began to shake. To the others it felt as if the entire mountain was being thrashed about. More strange however, green light emanated from the two as well as the Crolna. No one well enough to see could tell what in Cythera was going on, and could only look on in horror.

"You can't win Beorn. By delivering the Crolna to me, you've sealed your own fate." Selax announced, as sparks began flying wildly out of the braziers in the room, the water pools began to steam away.

"I know... More than you think!" Beorn retorted, as the balance of power shifted in his favor. Between the two there was a careful focus on each other, as well as the Crolna. If one were to waver for even a fraction of a second they would lose the battle and who knows what would become of them.

Bits of stone and dust began falling from the ceiling from the excited forces in the room. "We have to do something or we'll all be destroyed!" Katerei cried out. Avatara could barely manage to maneuver his jaw under the pressure of the energy, "What can we do if we can hardly move?!" he replied.

K knew Avatara was right, their fates were in the hands of whoever won now. No matter what they did, she knew their powers were dwarfed by whatever had now been unleashed - but then, in the corner of her eye, a shadow arose in the extreme light. The two in the centrality of the radiation didn't seem notice, maybe they couldn't. The shadow pushed forward against the light. Suddenly a blue light came out of the shadow, it was raised above the menacing shadow - he began to plunge it forward - and as soon as the blue light made contact with the axis of the energy, all sound washed away under a loud boom a swift blanket of silence.

The hall shook more violently than before, stone bricks began falling from the walls and ceiling. The ominous green light began to flood back into the Crolna like water into a sponge. The event occurred fast and violently. A faint sound of shattering was heard, a blast, and the next thing anyone could tell, the rumbling had stopped and the fight seemed to be over.

....

"Ugh." Katerei moaned. The room was quiet, the room was dark, save for the dim light of a single standing brazier. Clearing the dust from her eyes, she attempted to make out the standing figure in the darkness. It was no good, all she good tell was it was a tall man standing in the center of the room. He picked up something off the floor and placed it inside a bag of some sort at his side. As she faded back into unconsciousness she heard a faint laughing, a laugh that was familiar but she knew she had never heard before.

...

"Katerei! Katerei! Wake up!" Avatara shouted, "We're getting out of here, it's unstable!"

Katerei woke to a loud rumbling, it seemed as if the mountain was coming down. In the void chamber Avatara had lit the remaining braziers. Rubble was covering most of the floor, the two pools were leaking water and had almost run dry. She couldn't make out if Yomu, Beorn or Selax were still even in the room because of all the chaos. K motioned to them from the entrance of the room. "Come on hurry! We need to find the others before this whole place is destroyed!"

With no time to lose the three dusty heros rushed into the main chambers of Land King Hall.

This post has been edited by Avatara: 29 June 2011 - 11:24 PM

Behind them, the room shook, as the ceiling partially collapsed. Then, nothing. For a few moments, silence reigned as the dust settled . . . and something moved.

Beorn stood clawing his way free of the ruin. Slowly, he staggered to his feet, feeling as though he had been smashed flat. He was rather surprised that he had survived at all. His hair and robe were singed and burnt. Raising a hand to steady himself against the wall, he discovered it was badly burned as well. He supposed his face must bear similar marks, but his attention was diverted by a much more important discovery. Amazingly, despite the blast, his other hand still clutched the Crolna which looked to be none the worse for wear.

Momentarily, Beorn stared at the crystal, forgetting his peril. It took much to surprise him, more to stun him into outright awe. But the vision he had seen when he fought to control the Crolna had done that. . .

"Amazing," he said.

"Indeed," another voice answered him.

Coming back to himself, Beorn stepped back. Across the room, Selax was rising from the ground, his form wavering and distorting as though it were a mirage as he literally pulled himself back together.

"You were surprised to see me but not as much as I might have hoped," Beorn observed. "You guessed at my survival."

"My battle with Avatara and his allies demonstrated to me that they did not have the Crolna," Selax stepped toward him and stooped to pull something from the rubble as he did so. "My counterpart would have known to come here, but I had killed him. However, I learned long ago to not be surprised by sudden resurrections."

Beorn watched as the other picked up another crystalline fragment. It looked like it was a part of the Crolna, but it was not . . . not of this world's Crolna at least. He had suspected that Selax carried with him the fragments of the alternate Cythera's Crolna. The fact that he would risk entering into a four on one battle had suggested that he had some sort of fallback plan. Only in this case the plan seemed to have backfired.

"You will not find all of the fragments," he stated. "Yomu departed with one."

"Irrelevant," the elemental answered, stepping closer. "I only need the intact one you carry."

Beorn also backed up, raising the Crolna as he attempted to channel its energies once more. Then, he staggered, as the crystal's power somehow fed back on him. He only just managed to keep it from incinerating him. Selax took advantage to step close and grab the Crolna, but then he too was forced back.

"What have you done?" he asked, seeming almost angry for a moment.

Beorn did not reply. Instead, thrusting the Crolna into the pouch on his belt, he grabbed his staff and, twisting its top, caused it to split open. From a secret compartment within, he pulled out two blades, identical to the ones which Selax now drew.

"You will fall," Selax said. "Your physical condition is worse than mine."

He tore across the room at incredible speed and brought both his swords down. Beorn parried and counter-attacked. The purpose of the constant stretches and exercises that he had performed endlessly over the past days was revealed as he jerked his limbs around in a frantic effort to keep pace. Even injured as he was, Selax was still faster and stronger, but Beorn knew the elemental—literally as well as he knew himself—and used his knowledge to counter as best he could.

Back and forth, they moved across the room, continually shifting between swordfighting styles. Finding an opening, Selax slashed through, only to stumble back as Beorn punched him. He eyed the other for a moment, not showing his surprise.

"You 'borrowed' Meleager's gauntlets."

"It seemed advisable."

The melee resumed. Each knew literally hundreds of techniques and the room rang with the sound of desperate attacks or parries. Selax forced Beorn back. Despite his best efforts, he simply could not keep up with the elemental even in his weakened state, especially since Beorn's physical state was not all that great either. Pushing himself away, Beorn tried to think. Running out of options, he hit upon a desperate idea. Summoning what he knew of Cytheran magic, he cast Mystic Arrow. The hastily cast spell missed Selax completely, but it did distract him for moment. After all, a use of magic had not been something he had remotely expected.

Lunging, Beorn managed to stab Selax through the shoulder, but, in the same moment, he felt a burning pain along his side as Selax's blade broke through his own defenses.

"Inventive but futile," Selax stated, seemingly unaffected by the wounds he had taken.

Staggering back, Beorn realized that he was not in condition for this fight—not yet. To continue was to perish. Deciding that just about any place or time was preferable to this one, he cast Directed Nexus. The spell still did not function properly and there was no telling where he might end up, but he was out of choices.

Land King Hall faded around him, and Selax disappeared. . .

It was cold.

Opening his eyes, Beorn looked around him. He was in a snowy valley surrounded by tall peaks. Grimly, clutching his side, he got to his feet. There was, he supposed, a good chance that he would freeze to death or die of blood loss before he could find shelter and take stock of his position. Slipping a hand into the pouch on his belt and satisfying himself that he still had the Crolna, he started on his way.



Selax stood still for a moment.

His counterpart's survival was unexpected and complicated matters considerably. Indeed, it had potentially delayed his plans for some time, since there was no knowing where or when the other had appeared or if he had even survived at all.

Considering his options, the elemental began to carefully plan his next move. He reached into his cloak and pulled out one of the healing potions that he had taken from Rapierian when the necromancer had been detained. It would not heal him immediately but it would accelerate the process. Drinking the potion, the elemental moved toward the exit of the room. Faintly, he could still hear the sounds of combat emanating from the other parts of the Hall.

Avatara held his arm up in a vain attempt to ward off the dust permeating the air as he staggered through the Land King's private study. Most of the shelves and their contents were still intact, but part of the workbench had been smashed to splinters. Gingerly stepping over the misshapen remains of the outer metal door, he looked back to ensure both Katereis were following him before ducking through the crumbling doorway into the King's bedchamber.

Signs of a recent battle were evident here. A few uniformed bodies lay near the Eastern door, casualties of a now-distant battle. A white-haired man Avatara thought he recognized was sprawled among the remains of what looked to have been a desk. As the three of them entered, the man lifted his head slowly to look at them. Dried blood was visible on Rapierian's face, and his right leg was bent at an unnatural angle.

Avatara started towards him, but the ranger shook his head and gestured at the wall. Avatara followed his gaze to the smashed bookshelf and saw a body, nearly obscured from sight, which made him stop in his tracks. He heard K let out an audible gasp from close behind him. Lying against the wall in a pile of tattered books and splintered wood, eyes closed as if in a deep sleep, her unmistakable long, silver hair draped over the shoulder of her robe, was Moonshadow.

His chest tightened as a deluge of memories flooded forth. For so long, she had been nothing more than a painful memory, growing dimmer with the passing of each year. But now she was here, flesh and blood. Part of him felt an unimaginable elation at being able to see her again, but just as quickly the doubts rose in his mind. Would she know him? In this world, were they...

A crash and a shout from a nearby room jolted him back to reality. If they had managed to survive that explosion, surely Selax could have as well. If any of them wanted to survive, they needed to escape now.

Pushing his hesitation aside, Avatara rushed forward and carefully extracted Moonshadow from the debris. Her body felt warm in his arms, still clinging to life, but she did not stir from her deep slumber. He slow rose to his feet and gently carrying her towards the others.

Katerei had managed to assemble a makeshift splint for Rapierian's broken leg and was now helping the grimacing ranger to his feet. K stood apart from them, shifting her gaze silently between her alternate and the unconscious elf.

"Are you able to walk?" Avatara asked Rapierian once he was able to stand.

"Mostly," the ranger replied tersely, leaning heavily on Katerei for support.

"We're getting out of here, try to keep up." Avatara turned to K, "Katerei, can you lead the way?"

She blinked as if coming out a daze before nodding and drawing her flail. They took up position at the south wall, near the open doorway to the hall. K disappeared for a moment, scouting ahead, before returning and telling them the way was clear.

The five of them slipped into the hall and quickly made their way past open doors and branching hallways. After pausing briefly before the main hall so K could scout ahead again, they quickly made their way toward the exit.

As they crossed the narrow walkway above the Void, Avatara glanced down into the dark expanse below them. All of this had started with the Void. One creature who wasn't content with what he had twisted the lives of so many in his thirst for more. Yet, he wasn't the first, and he wouldn't be the last.

Turning his gaze away from the Void, he followed K through the final door. The entrance to Land King Hall was covered in shadows, but the sky was still light, placing the time somewhere around late afternoon. Behind him, Rapierian and Katerei staggered into the open.

"We should get as far away as we can," Avatara said once they were all outside.

"I'm afraid that won't be very far," Rapierian replied, breathing heavily. Sweat was starting to bead on his forehead.

"I didn't have time to properly bandage his leg back there. I'll need to set it properly so it can heal, and that'll take time," Katerei chimed in worriedly.

Avatara looked from Rapierian to Katerei to K, who suddenly tried to avoid his gaze, and back to the unconscious Moonshadow in his arms. "All right," he said, "but, we should still find a place off the road to rest."

In the halls throughout Land King Hall, a wild melee had erupted. The attacking forces from the other Cythera were outnumbered by the Hall's defenders, but those same defenders were spread throughout the edifice and had very little idea of what was actually happening or whom they were fighting. As far as most of the guards knew, many of their number had inexplicably turned upon them and it was impossible to know who to trust. The alternates, already better trained, thus had a considerable advantage in organization.

Wizard's counterpart had eventually overcome him and decided to move him and Alaric to a more secure location before returning to aid Selax in removing their other enemies. However, he had barely completed this move when the Hall had been rocked by an unexpected explosion. So great was the force of the blast that both sides, for a moment, feared the Hall might collapse. Thus, there was a lull in the combat and, for a short time, the main hall was empty and unguarded; however, the fighting soon began again. Hector, having used this respite to reorganize his forces and fearing what might have befallen the group that was supposed to protect Alaric, led a renewed assault on the alternates.

Selax emerged from Alaric's chambers in the midst of the fighting. Calmly battling his way through Hector's forces, he moved toward Wizard's location. The elemental did not believe that Wizard's men were likely to lose the battle, but he did not intend to waste any more time on it. Minutes later, he reappeared, but this time he held Alaric in one hand and was holding his sword to the unconscious Land King with his other hand.

"Surrender," he stated.

"You wouldn't dare," Hector snarled.

"You are in error," Selax replied, as he pressed the tip of the blade to the King's neck.

"No!" Hector yelled. Looking defeated, he stepped back. "How do I know you won't kill him and the rest of us if we do surrender?"

"He is clearly more valuable alive as a hostage. Something similar is true of you."

Hector hesitated. He did not know if Alaric could actually be killed by a sword, but he did know that if Alaric died Cythera would die with him. Given the skill of the forces they were facing and the fact that the other Wizard had now emerged to stand next to the elemental, he could see no way that his men could force their way to Alaric in time to save him. Indeed, it did not seem likely that they would be able to win the ensuing fight at all. As captain of the guard sworn to protect the King, he could see no alternative.

Reluctantly, he turned to his men and ordered, "Stand down."

With equal reluctance, his men obeyed.

"Secure them," Wizard told his soldiers. Turning to the defeated guards, he added, "I don't recommend trying anything, not if you want your Land King to see tomorrow."

After a few minutes, he turned to Selax, who had turned Alaric over to some of the other alternates. The two drew off into Alaric's empty room.

"What happened?" Wizard demanded. "Where is the Crolna and what was that explosion about?"

Selax briefly explained the events that had occurred in the Void room.

"What?" Wizard said sharply. "He's alive? How is that possible? You said you had made certain!"

"The properties of the rift are unique even to me. It must have enabled him to hold his essence together."

"Well, now what? Do you know what happened to him?"

"Not yet. The situation is not beyond recovery. His condition is poor."

"That hardly lessens the threat," Wizard snorted. "He knows too much." He paused. "Still, you may have a point. We have a large number of our forces on hand, even with the betrayals, disappearances, and all. We also have Alaric, if things go really badly."

"It is best to make sure he stays in shock. His power is too great for us to risk accessing his mind."

"True," Wizard mused. "It might be best if we tried to keep this victory a secret from this Cythera. No need yet to alarm the rest of the populace after all." He glanced at Selax. "What about—"

"Do not worry about that now. It is of little consequence."

Wizard nodded, still looking unhappy. Then, his face brightened.

"Well, at least we've captured my counterpart."

"Indeed, come. We must prepare for this changed situation."

The two continued to talk for some time.



Far below them, in the tunnels that ran under Land King Hall, Rapierian limped along. The necromancer had been hoping to get rid of his alternate while he was vulnerable, but Alcyone had interrupted his attack. In his rather battered condition, it had taken him some effort to deal with the magess, and, by the time the battle was over, he found himself in the tunnels, a fact which he decided that he might as well use to his advantage. Besides, the exit had partially collapsed behind him and he didn't feel like trying to dig it out by himself.

He did not know what had become of the others, but he hoped his doppelganger was dead. If not, he would have to remedy that situation. Pausing to consider this thought, Rapierian began to chuckle and then to howl with laughter. Still laughing, the necromancer continued on his way.

Just off the coast north of Land King Hall, K stood among the trees a little apart from the others, keeping watch. She listened intently for any sign of being followed, but the forest was silent.

She turned to look behind her at the makeshift camp they had set up. Katerei was tending to Rapierian's wounds and seemingly ignoring everything else. The ranger himself passed in and out of wakefulness, but Katerei said little else than that he seemed to be developing a fever. The news seemed to worry her and she immediately returned her attention to his care.

Avatara was keeping watch over Moonshadow, who had yet to wake. He had spread out his black cloak on the ground and gently laid her down on it, her long silver hair falling softly around her. He sat near her now, keeping close watch in case she woke. K looked on in silence, trying not to think about the bitter taste it left in her mouth.

It would do no good to antagonize Avatara right now though. Not more than she had to. K sighed and approached him quietly. "I think we'll be safe here. No one seems to have come after us."

"I suppose we'll find out for sure soon enough," he replied dismissively.

K frowned. She wouldn't be able to speak to him properly while he was distracted with her. "Av," she said softly. "Can I talk to you? I mean... away from everyone else?"

He quietly looked up at her for a moment before nodding agreement.

She glanced over at her alternate, still focused on setting Rapierian's leg. "It shouldn't take long. I doubt they'll even notice we're gone."

He followed her into a small copse where the trees grew closer together, where they would be out of earshot. K turned to face him, biting her lip nervously. She hadn't really thought through what she was going to say. "I know we've... seen some strange things in this world," she began haltingly. "I'm still getting used to having another me around. I'm sure it's hard for you to see... her again."

He was slow to reply, as if choosing his words carefully, "I never thought I would see her face again."

"You understand though, don't you?" K studied his face, but found him as frustratingly unreadable as ever. "You understand that she's not the same. She might not even know you when she wakes. She might... not feel the same way as your Moonshadow did."

"I know that," he replied softly. A wave of sadness crossed over his face, "I know that even though she may look the same, she has led a different life, just like you have."

His words stung more than expected, as the image of the other Katerei flashed into her mind. She remembered when Avatara said that the other her reminded him of how she, herself, used to be.

He continued, "Besides, I saw the ring on her finger-"

"She's married?" K was momentarily distracted. She hadn't noticed the ring - hadn't gotten close enough to see. It made her skin crawl just to be near the Elf.

Avatara smiled wistfully, "Even if we had a similar life in this world, I'm not the one she married. No, the Moonshadow I knew is gone, and no amount of wishful thinking will ever bring her back."

"I'm sorry." K felt tears prick her eyes and wondered, in some part of her mind, if guilt like this ever faded.

"I didn't mean it like that..." he started.

She shook her head, paused to steady her breathing. "None of this was supposed to end this way." She stepped forward and almost reached out to touch him, before pulling back. "I'd change it all if I could."

"You can't change the past."

"No. Just the future."

Avatara looked straight at K. "You've fulfilled your promise. You risked your life to help me fight Selax, and though it didn't turn out the way I had hoped, you've done more than I asked for." The hint of a grim smile crept onto his face, "In fact, I'd probably have died if it wasn't for you." Just as quickly, he cleared his face of all visible emotion, "I hereby absolve you of your burden and forgive you for the choice you made."

K looked at him in stunned silence. I don't deserve that, was her immediate reaction. She should be relieved - ecstatic - and yet... that was it. Closure. Now he didn't need her anymore. Forgiveness had never felt so much like rejection. "Thank you," she said, her voice barely audible.

When she said nothing else, he waited for a moment before turning back toward the camp. "Wait," she cried out and grabbed his arm, suddenly terrified that this was her last chance. "Where does that leave us? Do we just go our separate ways and never see each other again?"

Avatara paused before replying, "I'll leave that for you to decide. But, you shouldn't feel forced to follow me around out of guilt anymore."

"That's not the only reason I promised to help you before." She looked at him sadly, realizing that even now, he thought that was all that mattered to her. "I still care. I want to come with you."

"Are you sure? I don't know what will happen. I don't think Selax really died in that explosion; he's too crafty to let something like that end him. If that's the case, he probably won't let us just walk away and pretend none of this ever happened."

"Then we'll be better off together."

"It'll be dangerous." He seemed to watch her for signs of changing her mind, but she stared back resolutely. After a moment of silence, he finally turned back towards the camp and gestured.

"Well then, what should we do now?"

This post has been edited by Avatara: 04 August 2011 - 11:18 PM