demetri's death/dura's response

Left defenseless with only hopes for a rescue; its a feeling he's felt many times before, as much as he'd hate to admit. But just like when he and Batal were left to the demon Chimera and the cultist Ingvar's mercy, as he watched three of the Order of the Seasons attempt to save him -

It'd end bitterly.

This was how he always knew it was going to go; live by the sword, die by the sword. It was a creed he made peace with long ago. Death was inevitable for all, himself included, no matter how many times people would try and weave tall tales of his invincibility, or being some 'legend', or  any other nonsense he never cared for.

He lived according to how he deemed fit. A living weapon, free to choose the life it wanted for itself.

And what better life than to fight for the world Somnia wanted to usher in?

He'd fight for that world - to kill for it - to die for it -

And he'd be happy.

As Anivia cups his chin, the bleeding Olym does what comes natural to him as she finishes spewing her rage against him for what he helped do to Xi.

He aims at her face as he spits a blob of his own blood upon the Pillar's visage.

He grins.

"He's more....than I could ever be," Demetri responds with a soft snicker. "Mope for your - false god...for the rest of your immortal life."

He's going to die. He knows it.
But he already died. How could he not have made peace with it already so long ago?

The storm in his eyes against her ghostly blues, barely inches apart.

When the ecliptic knife stabs into his chest-

He grits his teeth, the veins in his neck popping as a loud roar mumbles through closed lips. He'd not give her the satisfaction of hearing him scream.

Watching him bleed out and die, however?

There was little he could do about that now.

"Shepherd. Jazz. Lupus," he coughs out, his vision fading.

Was there meant to be some message? Some trusting of hope towards his children? The kin he failed to raise? The responsibility as a father he failed to uphold?

Perhaps he just wanted to remind himself of their names and faces, thinking of them as he readied to pass on.

... But there's one final duty he must uphold.

A question asked of him weeks back.

With barely ounces of strength left, Demetri's head cranes towards Dura Levante; a proud Azulan just as responsible for this war as Demetri.

Pascha and Dagur were too old. Hikari was gone. Chanticleer already had the military to handle. No one else went for the the title. No one else dared ask to become the next in line.

Except one.

He raises his left hand, the limb shaking like death's cold hand was struggling to let it fall to his side. His finger raises, pointing at Dura.

"...Dura..."

His voice creaks, teetering on the edge of breaking.

Somnia, Xiao, Karol, DI, Pascha - even Cela and Vitus, after all that transpired - Iraquis, Saccha, Scribo, Owain, Molly, Phaedra, Songbird, Sylviin, Kaida-

"Prov...idence's future...."

Oxygen is failing him. Chi no longer manifests in his corpse of a body. It had been a corpse long before Anivia killed him.

-Cirque, Vynn, Idris, Batal, Funk, Ingvar, Karkinos, Bitch, Chimera, Ruallatan, Stitches - his captors and mentors - Desmond, Leoric, Valentine, Eo, Tanzaku, Lazarus, Goro, Zio, Dagur, Drahcir, The Heart, Chiriel, Ana, Gwen, Scribo, Drumble-

"Take it...from..."

This is it. His whole body feels ready to fall apart. His eyelids just want to shut.

-Luka, Castilian, Dura, Chuck, Renata, Dominique, Vergyle, Dee, Ying, Hikari, Lilac, Jazz, Shepherd, and Lupus, and so many more-

He thanks them all, for what a journey its all been.

"Me..."

The hand falls as his body goes limp, the beast finally knowing peace.
(Demetri Olym)

______

Dura stands, leaning against the trees somewhere. She holds a hand to her ribs out of reflex. Even though there is no agony or pain. She casts a worried glance to Raven, then looks back to the battle.

Her eyes widen. Demetri is lifted. Her hopes for Providence's future, a righteous, well-lit path carved through the extraplanar. No more cowardice and more steel in spines.

The only man on the High Court she had given trust. She had spoken to him frankly at every turn. And what had he done?

He had listened. He had offered words of wisdom as he tried to guide their city to those brighter days ahead. It was because of that trust she had shared with him her solemn intent.

A dagger enters his torso. The one that ends his life. And as he finds his last words she can feel the weight of his eyes and his gesture on her. She has to strain her ears, but she can hear it; the last whispers of his Sacred Breath.

Every. Word. It echoes in her ears.


When was the last time she cried? That she wept for another's life? There is no sniffling, but her eyes spring with water water as she watches him meet his end. And after?

A weight. A great, terrible, oppressive weight settles on her shoulders. The weight of responsibility, of a Dead Man's Wish. She looks him in the eyes as the light fails and falters. The last stars twinkle out.

"I will."


A solemn oath spoken, her crystal fist pressing over her heart as his hand falls. He is already at peace. She holds some faint and distant hope that this might offer him more comfort. Everything goes so much slower. Was it supposed to?

Time. She can't go wasting time now.

She lurches forward to try and reach Ana. At the very least she can help get the Captain out. The Azulan does her best to reach her despite her breathing hitching.

If she can reach her, a flood of Evocation energy washes through her. An attempt to staunch the flow of blood and stabilize.

"Ana - Captain. We need to go," she whispers urgently, voice trembling. "Mako. Help me get her back to Providence."

The Captain had been there for her once when she'd been on death's doorstep. She couldn't stand herself if she just let the woman suffer without some attempt at extrication.
(Dura Levante)