Anima, Ch.68: Ascendance

--01-- [Scene: Metus] <BGM: Obsession About the Impossible>
Beyond the gate lay a long, eerie, narrow canyon, and a pathway from the gate along the bottom of it.

"They are near," the black wizard said. "The Elder's body, and the key."


--02-- <BGM: Obsession About the Impossible>
"Lead the way," I said, staying in the rear. I'm not going to let you surprise me now.
The black wizard merely nodded in assent and started walking, the other Prophets following, and I followed them.



--03-- <BGM: Obsession About the Impossible>
After a few minutes we came to...what could only be called an open-air tomb.
A large white stone coffin lay in the center of a circle of marble pillars, forming a ring spanning fifty feet across.



--04-- <BGM: Final Resting Place>
"Here. This is the Elder's final resting place," the wizard confirmed. "The key lies in the coffin. Open it."

Marcan and Pennar lifted the coffin's heavy stone lid...


--05-- <BGM: Final Resting Place>
A skeleton in exquisite armor lay within, its hands still clasped around the silver and gold hilt of a colossal
two-handed blue and black sword laying atop the body, as if refusing to relinquish it.



--06-- <BGM: Final Resting Place>
I...felt something from the sword...
I don't know *what* it is, but it's not *just* a sword...
There's a power coming from it unlike anything I've felt in this world.


--07-- <BGM: Final Resting Place>
"The sword," the wizard said. "Ascalon, wrought into being by the hand of Aton Cimeni. It is not just a sword.
It is the key for us to return to Ladeca's side, and prepare for the destined hour."



--08-- <BGM: Final Resting Place>
The wizard carefully took the sword, with surprisingly little difficulty.
The huge blade was much lighter than it looked.
It began to glow blue in his hands as he chanted in a strange language.


--09-- <BGM: Final Resting Place>
Before us, the air itself began to glow, shimmering with otherworldly light.
It erupted with a brilliant flash, and a large swirling vortex appeared in the air, its lower edge just above the ground.



--10-- <BGM: Final Resting Place>
It was like...a doorway. A portal.
Beyond it, I saw...shapes. I'm not sure *what* it was I was seeing...
So, this is the gate... A gate to Ladeca's world.

This is all I needed. It is time.
--11-- <BGM: Final Resting Place>
(Brilluen)
Ooh, pretty... Well, there's our way out of here.




--12-- <BGM: Final Resting Place>
(Pennar)
It will be only a short return home.
Once we have annointed the body of the Elder as our greatest Apostle,
we shall return with it and begin our final task.


--13-- <BGM: Final Resting Place>
(Marcan)
Triumph.




--14-- <BGM: Hate>
(Pennar)
But first...unfinished business.
It is time that our companion received her...due reward.



--15-- <BGM: Hate>
So predictable.
I knew all along they weren't going to let me follow them through into their world.
Oh, I'm going to go through that portal, all right.
Over their dead bodies, if I must.


--16-- <BGM: Hate>
I could only laugh.
It was an almost...amateurishly timed betrayal.
"I saw this coming from the moment we met."
They turned to face me, one after the other.
"Did you think I wasn't expecting this?"
--17-- <BGM: Hate>
(Brilluen)
What's so funny?




--18-- <BGM: Hate>
When I had been Sariana, I had been able to handle massive amounts of magical power...I could do so much more then.
I had gotten a small taste of what she could do when I fought Esras...



--19-- <BGM: Hate>
And now, Sariana is half of me. Her powers are now mine.
I had been afraid to use their full extent, out of fear that I'd give in to the temptation to misuse them...



--20-- <BGM: Goddess of Terror and Destruction> {SFX:explosion}
Here, in this place, beyond the gate, there is nobody I can hurt.
Nobody except my enemies.
I abandoned my self-restraint, and let mana flow into me unabated.
...It feels wonderful.

--21-- <BGM: Goddess of Terror and Destruction>
(Brilluen)
Hey? What are you doing?




--22-- <BGM: Goddess of Terror and Destruction>
"You'd dare betray us in our moment of triumph, in the witness of Ladeca herself?" the black wizard shouted.

"You were going to betray *me* all along. I was more than prepared for this eventuality."


--23-- <BGM: Goddess of Terror and Destruction>
(Pennar)
What do you think you're going to accomplish!?




--24-- <BGM: Goddess of Terror and Destruction>
"The phrase 'outlived your usefulness' comes to mind right about now, doesn't it?
You thought you'd use me to get the seals, then kill me in the end,
but I know this game even better than you do."


--25-- <BGM: Goddess of Terror and Destruction>
I focused all the magical power I dared to hold.
"I only needed you to open that portal for me. Once I deal with you four,
I'm going to go kill your goddess. Let her watch what's in store for her."


--26-- <BGM: Goddess of Terror and Destruction>
It's the same power I felt when I fought Esras, only stronger...but I control *it*.
It does not control me.

Power enough to unmake even gods...but first I'll test it out on them.

--27-- <BGM: Goddess of Terror and Destruction>
(Pennar)
So, you knew all along...and were planning to turn the tables. Well played.




--28-- <BGM: Goddess of Terror and Destruction>
Time to use my strongest magic. It's all or nothing.
Either it kills them, or they kill me, because I'll have nothing left.
I called on all my strength, all my willpower, for one final spell.


--29-- <BGM: Goddess of Terror and Destruction>
"Did you really think you could make a deal with the devil and not end up getting burned in the end?
I fulfilled my end of our bargain. Now I'm claiming my due.
...I'll accept your lives as payment."


--30-- <BGM: Goddess of Terror and Destruction> {SFX:huge explosion}
I held up my outstretched hand as Pennar and Marcan charged.

"The gates of oblivion welcome you."

I unleashed the spell. A white-hot cone of destruction burst forth, engulfing everything before me.
--31--
The all-consuming, blinding-white energies faded after a few seconds.
Everything within the blast cone had been annihilated.
The Prophets, the wizard, the sword, the coffin, all gone without a trace.


--32-- <BGM: Massive Victory> {SFX:wind}
Even the rocks had been vaporized, leaving a large teardrop-shaped hole in the ground.

I slumped over, out of breath.
It had taken *all* of my Mana.
At least I hadn't had to do this to Morrighan...
--33-- <BGM: Massive Victory>
I laughed bitterly.
Well, I kept my word. They didn't suffer. They didn't even get to scream.

Now I know I can do this. Nothing will stand in my way.
This is a small victory...and a temporary one...
--34-- <BGM: Massive Victory>
This battle is not over.
Ladeca will surely anoint new Prophets.
They will menace Erinn as these ones did, and bring new horrors with them.
Unless...I stop Ladeca myself...as I intended to.

--35-- <BGM: Massive Victory>
I can't ever make up for what my presence has done to Erinn's people.
All the hardship and sorrow I caused, for lack of knowledge.
I can't set things right...but I can stop worse things from coming.


--36-- <BGM: Massive Victory>
I glared at the waiting portal.
I knew nobody would hear me, but I said it anyway:

"This I vow, people of Erinn. I will take your struggle to Ladeca's very throne."
Maybe the gods will hear my words.
--37-- <BGM: Massive Victory>
I want to give the people that I hurt so much a fighting chance against these unhallowed outsiders.
The least I can do is raise a little hell on their end.
Metaphorically.
Well, maybe literally too.

--38-- <BGM: Massive Victory>
And maybe more than a little.
Yeah... I'll do just that.

Mana started to flow back into me. It takes too long to recover from that to use it as anything but a last resort.
I'll save it for Ladeca.
--39-- <BGM: Massive Victory>
Once more, I go to rage against the heavens...
But not to destroy, or to avenge, but to protect.
To protect everyone I leave behind, so they can have the peaceful life I myself can never have again.


--40-- <BGM: Whisper of Wind>
I'm sorry I caused such a mess...but I can't undo the damage.
All I can do is give this world the time to fix it.
Goodbye, Erinn...

I took a deep breath, and stepped through the ethereal portal...

[end of chapter]