Xilanada - Pursuit Of Regretted Truths/Part 17

"This is not going well." Tepet Ajalat Malias realized it was probably useless to say that but he felt compelled to. No one else seemed to be willing to own up to it, after all.

"Be calm, Malias," Erembour said. The beautiful demon caressed her horn like a lover and waited calmly as more demons poured from the summoning circle. His workshop had been trashed much earlier from the sheer numbers swarming through. If they'd been dematerialized, nothing would have been broken but the School's own properties rendered the demons material.

It was a brilliant tactical idea, Malias thought. Allow the demons to hoard their strength upon entering Creation while forcing the Gods, should they intervene, to squander theirs if they wanted to contest them on the same plane. Of course, theory rarely survived contact with the enemy, given their adversaries were elementals. At this point, the theory was dead and didn't know it yet. Maybe Erembour didn't know it either.

"The Army of Heaven is too strong," Malias said grimly. "And the Solar with them...who could have guessed she would be so powerful?"

"Vi'terathin did," Erembour replied, watching the door to the workshop where demons still flooded through and out.

"Given what she is, I'm surprised the Hardened Killers almost got her. She handled the trap with the Vizar much better. A pity, I really thought that had gotten her until she showed up here, not even wounded either."

"The Prince had his fun," Erembour said, a slight smile curving her dusky lips. "But he was no match for her, once her power was bared. Do not fret, Malias. I will be."

"I don't understand the purpose of this," Malias confessed. "The results of the last ten years were enough to bring you here, and allow your lesser brethren to escape but the Great Masters are still bound. We can't really win this, not against the Army of Heaven."

"The mind of the Ebon Shadow Dragon is ponderous and exceedingly wise in its cunning," Erembour answered, still watching the doorway. "Relentless Tyranny was able to come back to Creation and be freed from his chains at last"

"He did?" Malias said, jerking his head back in surprise. "I thought only a Dragon-Blooded with enough purity of bloodline and soul could remove those. Who did he find to do that?"

"You know your Professors, Malias," Erembour said, her smile growing wider. "Who do you think?"

"It must be Ava," he muttered to himself. "Could he have fooled her? So where is Tyranny then?"

"Gone by now, I expect," Erembour said casually. "You have done your work for my Lord well, Malias. Relentless Tyranny still has his own work to do and now he is free of Malfaes and chains both. In this, Hell has accomplished all it could want, my old friend. The Great Masters inch closer to freedom. It may only be a year or two away now. I honor you with this knowledge, Malias, so that your faith remains focused."

"Thank you, my Mistress," Malias said as he bowed deeply before That Which Calls to the Shadows. "What of my other reward? What of what I was promised?" He licked his lips nervously. "What of my immortality?"

"We have only a single battle left to fight," Erembour said in answer. "Then, you will receive what you have been promised. There is nothing more required."

A great shout went up from outside the room and the School began shaking lightly.

"What is that?" he asked.

"A Magma Kraken," Erembour said. "Celestial Sorcery, employed by the Lunar. It would seem Piiro died in vain, Malias. She stands with her wife once more."

"You knew about this Lunar?"

"I know much of what happens in darkness and shadow, Malias." Erembour's teeth flashed in the blackness of the summoning room.

"So Piiro's dead." Malias was not exactly displeased by that turn of events. Piiro had been very competent, had upheld what he said he would do in an exemplary fashion. On the other hand, it was hard to trust someone who wanted everything living to die.

"Your son killed him."

"Did he now?" Malias chuckled at that thought. Piiro was amazingly strong, as powerful as any Anathema and well trained in the use of his Charms. He thought highly of his son's fighting prowess but the outcome still surprised him.

Demons began screaming just outside the door and the walls started to bulge grotesquely, the stone flexing and knocking bookshelves over. Malias conjured his swords as he looked wonderingly at the pulsing in the stone.

"This has to be weakening her," Malias said, grinding his teeth. "That kind of magic must have a tremendous cost of Essence."

"It does, but she draws more from her wife," Erembour said. Each bad revelation lowered Malias' spirits further but That Which Calls to the Shadows did not seem the least disturbed by what she was saying. "No Moons, while lacking the brilliance of the Twilight, have an endurance for Sorcery no other possess. As for the Solar, the harder the demons contest her, the stronger she grows and that is strength her wife can use. They fight intelligently, as one, which is no surprise. They are bound with the Eternal Vow."

"What a woman to fall in love with, Sen," Malias said to himself.

"Be ready," Erembour hissed as soft golden sunlight began to lighten the doorway.

Tepet Malias spun his blades through a series of warm up katas and settled himself into the Fire Dragon Form. Erembour drew a fell blade of shadow from her belt and held it, point down, while her left hand continued to cradle her horn. A whole nation of demons still lay beyond the circle but they could only come through one at a time and, from the sounds of the slaughter outside, they were dying a lot faster than that.

A glowing red tentacle waved into view from the doorway, knocking down the half dozen demons on their way out. At the same time, one of the walls blew out, showering the room with a rain of rubble. Solitary Coil and Xilanada walked into the room respectively and behind them came others with strange caste marks on their foreheads.

"Demon Erembour," Xilanada said, more politely than her entrance had been. "Your affairs in Creation are over. Return through that circle or be driven through it."

"Arrogant Exalt," Erembour said, her voice full of malice against the one who glowed so brightly. "Your manners are as lacking as your education. This is not how one should treat with one of my station."

"I know the Vow and Treatise," Xilanada said shortly. "I also know you were not invited here under their terms. You made your own way to Creation and that means you do not warrant any consideration."

"You know a little. Shall we see how much?"

Erembour suddenly thrust with her shadow sword and Malias watched in astonishment as it vanished into the air, up to the hilt. At the same time, the blade stabbed out of a chair's shadow, thrown on the ground from Xilanada's Anima display. Without taking her eyes off of the demon, the Twilight whipped her daiklave around and parried it neatly.

Without any delay, Erembour jabbed over and over again. Each time, her sword thrust at Xilanada from a different shadow, each time deflected by the Solar's sword. In seconds, a legendary display from Erembour was foiled in an equally spectacular fashion by the Twilight. Malias swallowed hard.

"So, you know more than a little," Erembour admitted softly. "A pity you hide yourself away in the light. There are such secrets I could show you, in the dark. Does no part long for my touch, for the pleasures and wonders found only in the night?"

Xilanada's right cheek twitched once, no more. With methodical deliberateness, she shook her head and pointed her sword at the demon. Solitary Coil came up on her left and another man joined her at the right, this one dressed in silvery gray and wearing a foppish set of bright yellow boots.

"Demon Erembour. Last chance. Leave or perish."

"Do you not know me?" Erembour laughed. "I cannot perish from the light, for wherever it goes, I follow."

"So the tales say. Let's find out."

At last, Xilanada took the offensive. With a single step, she shot forward, daiklave outstretched as if she were falling toward her enemy. Erembour's fell sword batted the weapon aside, leaving contrails of shadow in its path. Twilight and Demon, gold met black and their battle dominated the room...but it was not the only battle.

The remaining demons threw themselves at the others. Tepet Malias locked blades once with the dandy in the yellow boots and was thrown back. The strange Anathema with his red caste mark wielded an oricalcum sword of ancient design, blade melted to no more than six inches left. Despite what terrible power had destroyed most of the daiklave, what was left was potent enough as the man's return strike shattered one of Malias' conjured swords of fire.

"Fancy another try, Father?"

Sen stepped out of the air and with him stepped Ava. Malias smiled to see the two of them together again. How quickly they united despite their past.

"You're a fool, boy. And you with him, Ava. I don't have time for either of you. Ava Spyefel, serve me!" He didn't know why the the Voice of the Yozi's, the unique Charm his Masters had given him, had failed against Sen but his son was not the only target available. The mighty Charm flattened Ava's hair back and caused her to cry out. Her will was tremendous, far greater than any he'd ever encountered before, but he was old, skilled in the Charm's use, and he felt the marks on her soul from his Masters, marks that made it much easier to subvert her. In a second, she knelt before him. "Keep Sen away from me. And now I have more important people to fight," Malias finished with a mocking little bow.

Sen went for him and he didn't bother to watch what happened as he turned his back. The screaming and the crackling of lightning told him enough. A pity it had to end that way.

At once, he was face to face with one of the strangers who'd accompanied the Solar and Lunar. The man's eyes were a pale yellow shot with stars and he fought like one of the Yozi's themselves as he came on with a pair of tiger claws, shimmering with a crimson color. Tepet Malias' roared and met him, blade for blade, with his own conjured swords.

His opponent was a master and he'd obviously fought against the Fire-Dragon Style before, for Malias found his every attack anticipated, his every motion rebuffed even as he made it. By contrast, Malias had never seen such a style as the one used by this golden-eyed Anathema devil with the symbol of Mercury on his brow. In a fair fight, Malias would not have won despite his great skill, not against the likes of a true Martial Arts Sifu.

The Yozi's had, in their way, played fair once before. Never again.

Malias grinned without humor as his attacks became swifter, more sure. The Anathema was better but slower, less steady, less precise in every motion, just as Malias was more physically powerful than any Dragon-Blooded that he'd ever heard of, thanks to his Masters. The taint in his Essence flowed thickly now and Malias' swords darkened in color until they were the hue of utter darkness with flecks of a mad green sun.

Higher, faster, harder, Malias worked the Anathema's tiger claws further away from him, moving the man off-balance. The yellow-eyed man was excellent but Malias did not allow him even a quarter of a second to regain his balance. Faster and faster they fought. Then, dizzy and unable to cope with the pace, the Anathema was unable to get a claw down in time. Malias drove his sword home, slamming the fiery blade clean through the man's stomach.

With a cry, he folded over. Malias lifted his other sword for a clean beheading...and found himself face to face with a different Anathema, the one with blood-colored eyes and a frightening expression that caused Malias to fall back a step. He wore silver, with boots of a horrible canary-yellow color, and in his hand was that broken oricalcum daiklave.

The gold sword itself was the oldest weapon Malias had ever heard of, much less seen. Meant to be wielded with two hands, the Anathema held it in one as the blade ended no more than a foot beyond the cross-guard. Where he would have expected to find fracture marks, instead the end was a marbled mass of smooth oricalcum, as if it had been seared so powerfully that the blade had melted away. What could do that to an oricalcum weapon that magnificent? And why would anyone be dumb enough to fight with it? It had no reach!

"Now, that was a good fight," the man said, shaking his head. "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you now. By the way, I'm E'lial, nice to meet you."

Malias didn't bother answering the fop with his ridiculous boots. Instead, he feinted high and thrust for a forest-fire fast blow to the heart. Not falling for it, this Anathema whipped around, daiklave leading. When the broken sword's edge caught Malias', the conjured blade of Infernal Fire shattered into hissing sparks that ate into the floor.

Before Malias could even register surprise or think about reacting, this E'lial finished another spin and tore right through his other defensive sword...and his stomach.

Tepet Ajalat Malias fell backwards and collapsed against a wall as he felt his life flowing from him. The wicked oricalcum blade had gutted him! How could he have lost so quickly?

Too wounded to do anything else, Malias could only watch now. The most engrossing fight was Xilanada and Erembour. The Twilight and the Demon fought across the room and all threw themselves out of their path, rather than be enmeshed in the most spectacular sword-fight he'd ever seen. Both moved faster than belief, on levels of skill undreamed of. Xilanada's sword flowed with a ghostly-white hue, in counterpoint to the black fog of shadow that seemed to follow Erembour's own fell blade.

Suddenly, Xilanada knocked Erembour back with a great two-handed blow, dropped to one knee to avoid a counter-attack, and riposted with a perfect thrust to Erembour's stomach. The daiklave flared with eldritch power but the Demon only winced a little as the blade seemed to pass harmlessly in and out of her.

"I can't hurt her!" Xilanada cried at once, though you'd never know it for the way she redoubled her attack.

"Here, catch this!" E'lial shouted and he tossed the damaged daiklave the way someone would toss a heavy stick. Xilanada circled Erembour, beat back a vicious attack routine, and neatly caught the sword with her other hand. At once, the Demon fell back, dark sword held to ward off any further assault.

"What is it?" Xilanada asked wonderingly, seeming to recognize whatever great power was in the blade.

"It's what's left of a Sword of Creation," E'lial said. "One of the First Weapons, Mountain-Folk forged to fight the Yozi's in the Primordial War. That particular sword bears the name Daylight Deliverer, for it is the blade that smote the Masked Serpent of Night into defeat though you can see what it cost to do so."

"And He became the Ebon Shadow Dragon upon His surrender," Erembour hissed. She was still beautiful, with her perfect black skin and pale silver robes but her moonlit eyes burned with hate and there was nothing lovely in that voice now. "Hell would bear a great hatred for that sword, if we had known it survived. We know now!"

Malias watched the face off and knew they had lost. Even if he was still hale and hearty, there was little he could do against the Solar warrior Xilanada had proved herself to be. As it was, his only contribution now would be the spreading pool of blood around him. His wound was too great for even an Exalt's ability to stop their own bleeding.

"That wasn't very nice, Father."

Sen crouched down next to him. Malias peered at him, wondering if he was seeing a ghost, or if he'd already died and slipped into the Underworld somehow, despite the promise written on his soul regarding its destination. His son's coat was black with burns and he looked battered from the night but very much alive.

Malias saw the limp body of Ava spread out on the floor behind him. He couldn't help but grin a little in pride. Ava had a great deal of Elemental power and it was still a coup on his son's part to have won after such a blow.

"It was necessary," Malias coughed. "Though useless now. In the end...it looks like I'm a dead man after all. How about that. All for absolutely nothing!" If rage could sustain a man, Malias would never perish but he could feel himself weakening despite the temporary warmth of emotion.

"I could finish you now," Sen said grimly. The iron in his soul, the cruel power of his virtue, was now firmly bent against Malias, this he could see without trouble. Sen had ever been faithful but he was quite intelligent. There would never be a repair of their relationship.

"You won't," Malias said, sighing as he leaned against the wall. "I'm dying and you know it. You've gutted enough people in just the same way, I'll wager. This what I deserve?"

"Exactly," Sen said.

"Tell your sister...that I'm sorry."

"Will you face me with this sword?" Xilanada asked, her voice loud enough to interrupt them. Sen turned his face away to look at the woman he obviously loved, ending their conversation. Erembour herself stood bravely against the Solar but still the demon made no motion toward her. "Will you tell me what you hoped to gain this night?"

"What I hoped for is already gained," Erembour said, and the smile returned to her dusky face.

"You will not speak of it?"

"You will know of it soon," Erembour said, still smiling.

"Know this," Xilanada said commandingly. "I wish no enmity against the Ebon Shadow Dragon, nor against you. Though you are here illegitimately, I offer you a choice out of respect for who you are and who you serve, in hopes of this night being settled tonight with no further reprisal."

"Continue," Erembour said slowly.

"You and I may do battle but with my mastery of the Ghost-Eating Technique and this Sword of Creation, you have very little hope. Or...you may be banished along with the others, when I work the Sorcery in the next minute. You may retreat to Hell and survive. You know the certainty of the first and the consequence of the second. I hope you would choose the third."

"You are gracious and well-mannered after all," Erembour said, as if musing aloud to herself. "Very well, Xilanada. I have accomplished the world. I need not remain any longer, except to collect the man that is mine. If that is acceptable to you?"

"If you return Glee," Xilanada said, a smile of contentment on her face. "I know she was taken by you and I want her back."

"Agreed, for I do not want such a weakling in my presence any longer. Come, Malias."

Malias was exhausted enough from blood loss he almost didn't comprehend what she'd said. Until she stopped a foot shy of him and bent low. Sen shied away from her and she ignored him, instead smiling with such terrible delight that Malias feared to think what it meant.

Darkness seemed to congeal beneath him, from his own shadow even, and it lifted him up as if on a well-cushioned divan. Erembour moved next to him and stroked his cheek with a thumb idly, like a lover would show affection. Malias swallowed and met her eyes with as much dignity as he could.

"A special place of honor is reserved for you," That Which Calls to the Shadows said, as they moved toward the summoning circle. "A true and proper reward for all your successes...and your failures. The immortality you hoped for is yours, Malias. We will make certain you...enjoy...every minute of it."

Malias wasn't able to scream until she took him home. After that, he wasn't able to stop.