Ascension - (Alarian Warriors)

Aveyon turned her attention back to the fallen. “Open it.” She ordered.

Gerard turned to face the crowd with a heavy sigh. The sanctuary better be safe, he thought. I’m a dead man, so I might as well have some fun in the meantime and take as many as I can with me, besides she’ll never know.

Aveyon sighed heavily. He clearly didn’t know when to stop his thoughts, or what to hold back. He was actually thinking about the ways in which we would pull limbs from bodies. Her teeth ground together as she tried to keep it together for a little while longer. Being a bystander in his sick mind was turning her stomach.

Touching the marking on the back of his hand he concentrated on it until it began to glow. Raising the hand above his head he drew a straight line down with his finger. As his finger passed over the space a line of light formed. Opening his eyes, he looked back at Aveyon.

“Be ready with the... thing.” He waited for her to move into place beside him before he continued.

Placing his hands on the line, his fingers looked like they were digging into the light he began to force it to expand and open. A loud crackling came from within as with great effort he tore the fissure open, exposing an ominous-looking portal of sorts. “Quickly place the thing at the bottom between the two folds.”

Bringing the gem to her fingertip, she sliced her finger letting her blood coat the black crystal-like creatures. The small worm-like limbs latched on and dug deep into the small cut. She hissed, yanking it away before it managed to bury itself in her finger, stepping forward she placed the jewel inside the glistening edges of the fissure.

Gerard stood with his arms outstretched holding the portal open, sweat beaded down his brow until he collapsed to the ground. The fissure quivered, having lost its main source of power, but remained open. It slowly morphed in shape and appearance, no longer looking like a tear in space but a beautiful oval disc linking another world to this realm.

“Damn...” Gerard muttered surprised, before coming to his senses and jumping to his feet. “So... I’ll be going now!” Several people moved to block his path as he went to make his exit. “Wait, come on guys, you’re the good guys, she said I could be free.”

Aveyon’s laughter made him flinch. “Gerard, I cannot let you go, you forget so quickly that I have been in your mind. You have no intention of not killing those I care for.”

“So, what? You going to have one of your lackeys kill me instead, do your dirty work for you?”

“Our kind are special due to the curse but in more ways than you may know.” She paced around him making him visually nervous. “When we feed and kill as an Alarian, we lose our own soul. But did you know that the person’s soul of whom we kill becomes attached to us?” She stopped behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I learnt that from a fae during my training. Do you want to know something else?” Closing her eyes, she reached for his mind. Immediately she found that he attempted to block her, but with a heavy push, she broke through, shattering the wall that kept what she was looking for hidden.

He gasped and his hands flew to his head as a blinding pain engulfed him.

Souls within, I implore you, I will find a way to free you. Until that faithful day keep this misguided fool from thinking and acting on impure thoughts.

She set the souls trapped within him free to roam around in his mind.

Now she spoke only to him in his mind. I have opened your mind up for all those souls, let them hold you at bay until I find a way to end the curse.

A flood of endless voices and haunting screams came resonating in. Gerard dropped to his knees holding his head in his hands, tears began to stream down his face from the sheer pressure behind his temples. A horrified expression formed on his face as he couldn’t ever scream as the pain and agony of others engulfed his senses.

Keep your thoughts pure and clean of killing and they will stay at bay. She instructed him as images of him with his hands wrapped around her neck flashed to mind.

Aveyon motioned for everyone to proceed through the fissure, their real objective was about to begin, and the night was still young. Vincent placed a hand on her shoulder, she looked up at him with a sad smile.

“You couldn’t have saved him.” He told her.

“Not yet, but who is to say I will not find a way? Which is why killing him is out of the question... but I am not sure if what I did was a better choice than death.” She knew what she had unleashed upon him, would torment him for as long as he lived. Remaining trapped in his own mind, haunted by those he had slain.

He remained still, frozen in place as his face grew void of life as the many souls trapped within him found some small piece of freedom. If she could save him later, his mind may end up being a shattered mess that she couldn’t put back together, but he was too dangerous to be left alone on Earth with no warriors to defend the innocents. It was necessary but she felt cruel.

Turning away she watched as everyone made their way through the fissure. The small group that was to be on her team remained. Kirra, Vincent, Erosvent and Samuel were the ones to be her close allies today.

Everyone made their way into the hell hole that was Terramore. The disconnect with Vincent hit her much like the first time, but she wasn’t thrown to the ground from the sheer shock of it. It felt as though her body was pleading with her to jump through after him, it clawed at her insides making her feel uncomfortable. But she could still sense that he was alive, that he was unharmed, it was bearable now.

Placing her hand on the mirror-like portal, she watched as the surface of it rippled beneath her touch, pushing her hand through the unknown substance, she felt it cover her skin with what felt like a cold liquid. Taking a deep breath, she moved her entire body through it. The moment her body was completely immersed, a strong impact took her by surprise. A heavy force that winded her, pushing in on her from all sides. She was only in the fissure for a few seconds before she was violently thrown from it, and spat out at the other side. The fissure slammed shut behind her as the power that was keeping it open left Earth.

She landed heavily on her hands and knees, quickly pushing herself up, she surveyed her surroundings, ready for an attack. It was too dark to see anything, from what she could tell they were underground, the same as before. She wriggled her nose, it smelt fowl, damp and earthy, the air was cold, and the ground was rough to the touch. It seemed far worse than the last time she had been here.

Was this a different part of the cavern? She couldn’t see anything and didn’t want to risk calling out. Using her hands to guide her she found a wall; it was extremely soft in texture and when she touched it a sticky substance clung to her hands. She cringed, making a displeased face as she wiped her hands on her leather pants. She had to put her hood up as the roof was already dripping the same ooze onto her. The thought of the fallen and demons living down here sent a shiver down her spine.

This fissure hadn’t brought them all through to the same point, they had become separated this time. Not good. She needed to regroup and find the others. They were all trained fighters, they could all handle themselves, but they needed each other for the fight to come. That was the point of the groups, they could protect each other and there was a strength in numbers.

She heard a sound like static electricity, cautiously she headed toward it. Hearing a voice curse to themselves she quickened her pace. Instead of calling out she reached out with her mind. It was harder in the dark, but once she touched the mind with her own, clarity filled her, she knew who it was.

“Kirra, over here,” she whispered, trying to frantically figure out how to navigate the strange tunnels she had ended up in. It appeared almost like a maze. But what were the walls made of that they let off such a stench? It reminded her of rotting meat.

“Princess?” A soft warm light came into view, Kirra held her hand out before her, a small ball of fire burning in it, just enough to allow light to flood the tunnel-like surroundings around them.

Aveyon’s hands flew to her mouth as she tried not to scream. Utterly shocked and repulsed by the site. They weren’t walls at all, but a column of rotting corpses, the faces... the faces of people she had seen merely days ago, some from her past and many she did not know. Their chests were burst open, probably where the gems he had been cultivating within but now removed.

“Oh god.” Kirra quickly put out the light and ran toward Aveyon. Throwing tradition to the wind, the elf wrapped her arms around her as they sank to the floor. Aveyon’s breathing grew out of control as she began to hyperventilate, unable to control the tears that streamed down her face.

“There is no one left to set free...” She muttered to Kirra as the elf tried to calm her down.

“They must have fought back, after seeing you.” Kirra’s voice broke as she spoke. “They found a reason to fight against his will.”

“And what good did that do! He slaughtered them all, and for what.” The overwhelming feeling of grief crippled her.

Taking slow deep breaths Aveyon tried to steal herself. Her hands clenched tightly onto Kirra’s arms as she tried to regain her composure. “Why must I fail, why must everything I decide end in failure?” She pleaded. “Just when I...” She tailed off, knowing that it was just when she had finally accepted her role in all this.

“There are still people to save Aveyon. People that need us to succeed.” Kirra said. “This is a horrible thing, but it does not end here, more torment will come, this is not the end of his plans. He cannot win, I will not allow it. We cannot allow it.”

Aveyon clung to Kirra’s strength. “You are right, but it is hard...” Her eyes lingered on the darkened walls. She felt her anger stir, the initial shock slowly fading, twisting to a determination fueled by fury. “He will pay for this.”

“Indeed. You can locate Vincent, yes?” Kirra asked helping the Princess to her feet now that she was a little calmer.

Wiping the tears from her cheeks she nodded. “There is no need, he is on his way.”

“Ah, yes, he would have felt that.” Kirra looked upon the Princess with knowing eyes.

Aveyon smiled weakly. “Indeed.”

Leaving the piles of rotting corpses behind them, they moved deeper into the tunnels. Within Minutes, Vincent and Samuel found them.

“Aveyon!” Vincent reached for her, embracing her.

She clung to him as she fought back her tears. Were they the last ones left now, Gerald on Earth, Eros, Vincent, Zero and herself? Could that be the end of the Alarians?

He made it a point to check her over, to see if she was alright. In the dimly lit corridor, he could see the faintest of red in her eyes. “I feared you’d been hurt.” He muttered.

“My chest is heavy, but I remain unharmed.” She informed. Placing her trembling hand atop of his that framed her face, she smiled weakly at him. “You could have asked me if I were okay, before trampling the halls,” she added quietly.

He looked slightly embarrassed for a moment. “I’m still getting used to that.” He confessed.

Kirra eyed them suspiciously before clearing her throat. “Well then, we are only shy Erosvent.”

“Do we risk moving forward without him?” Samuel asked, joining the conversation.

“I fear, we may not have a choice in the matter.” Aveyon solemnly answered. “Eros is a great warrior; we need not worry about him. He will be headed for the same end goal we all are.”

“It’s not him I’m worried about,” Kirra commented. “We can use all the help we can get for what comes next.”

“I could not agree more, but for now, let us keep moving.” Aveyon led the group deeper into the darkness. Closer still to the centre of the realm, to where Ashera and Lady Vexous waited. With any luck, all their troops, Erosvent included, would be waiting there for the next phase of the plan.

Though it was odd that they had not encountered any demons as of yet, were they simply lucky? She couldn’t shake the feeling that they were walking right into the demon lord’s hands.