The End is the Beginning, Part Four
Beyond Dominia: The Role Playing Mill: The End is the Beginning, Part Four

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By Elrohir (Elrohir) on Thursday, July 05, 2001 - 11:18 am:

V

SANCTUM

June 1, 795 - Talismanian Reckoning

"Sanctum, end transmission," came Thrakkiss' command. The screen went blank.

Jaron and Sara sat alone together.

{That's it then. Thrakkiss is a loose cannon. I should never have taken up with him. He will prove our undoing.}

"He has Eradicator and will attack Shadow. He can succeed."

Jaron shook his head. {No. Not this time. The Dark Heart hungers for his death. It will get what it wants. Eradicator will be destroyed.}

"How can you be certain? We can stop it. There is no fate."

{None but the one before us, Sara. The world is going to end.}

Claxons began to sound loudly. Something was making its way into Sanctum, from the original Sanctum beneath Deep Shadow. Materializing in the air, two bodies arrived from a bodyslide. An older woman, and a twenty-something youth. She reminded him greatly of his mother, but he knew the truth at once.

{Aerlin, but how?} he rushed to her embrace. Her pale son watched with multicolored eyes, amused at the situation.

"Jair. It's been so long for me. You don't know how joyous this occasion truly is."

Sara stood up. "You're Aerlin? But I thought you were his twin sister?"

"I am. This is so strange. It's a long story." She gestured at her son. "Meet my son, Uerel Drauka."

{Named after mother, I see.}

"No, Jair. He's named after his father." Jaron was confused.

"My father was Fuer Grisse ost Drauka, uncle. Don't be surprised at the name. Grandmother took her name from him. It was not one she was born with. Well met, by the way." He shook hands with his uncle, a crushing grip that took Jaron's breath away.

"I need to see something of yours, Jair. The blue bastion."

{Why?}

"Do you or don't you want to stop Shadow from destroying the world?"

***


Eradicator hovered in the air above Castle Kaat'n, and Thrakkiss floated down to its upper battlements, where stood Ley Druid.

"I'm glad you've come. Word has reached me that the Dark Heart is also loose upon the world. I've amassed an army here, in case it's necessary, but I don't think it will help much."

"No, it won't, Ley." Thrakkiss followed his host down into the main foyer of Castle Kaat'n. It was just as magnificent as legend held it to be. "The Dark Heart once destroyed continents at a whim. An army will avail little."

"I know. But with Shadow loose upon the world, it's all such a dangerous prospect. So many things can go wrong that I wonder...what can go right?" Ley took his seat upon his throne, the powers of green mana dancing around his form like flames.

"SLAYER said he would meet me here. I see I have come here before he did, and I wanted to warn you. Perhaps together, we can keep him from destroying this place, and come up with a way to fight Shadow."

"Oh, I think it's too late for that," said Ley Druid. His voice was drowned out by a concussive thudding and then an explosion. The shockwave rattled the castle walls. Thrakkiss drew his sword. Dust drifted down from the ceiling. Cascading crashes of metal on rock told Thrakkiss that Eradicator had been destroyed.

It was then that Thrakkiss noticed the sword at Ley's side, bearing the five Xidani on the hilt, with the sixth, Fatestop, at the tip. His hopes shattered. Swinging, he found his slash parried expertly by Ley.

You are alone, Thrakkiss. You fear. I hate. The world suffers. You cannot win.

Doubts crept into his mind. Misgivings, the weakness of humanity. His power was not as great as he supposed.

Slash

There was nothing but the sword battle now. The ring of metal upon metal. Death upon metallic death. Only one hero to face evil.

"Some of us may need to die to stop the end of the world."

Thrust

Was it his turn to die, as others had before him in defense of the world? The twisted irony of this fate, dying to defend a world he himself had once ravaged, filled him with rage and he fought harder.

Slice

No one would mourn his death. He knew as much. He was a monster himself, and his death would be appreciated everywhere. Evil would turn on itself, they had said. Would give us an opening, they thought.

Stab

Hatred filled the room. SLAYER entered. The battle raged between himself and Ley, and he felt himself losing. SLAYER watched, amused. Desperation crept into his swings as he felt his arms getting heavy. He could not use magic, for Fatestop would reverse it.

What did that mean? Reverse it? Would it affect its controller rather than the eintended target, or become like negative magic, creating an opposite effect? Technology was the key, they said. A sword is technology. A magic sword...

Dodge

Arcanus Goss, the Ley Druid, stepped back abruptly, leaving Thrakkiss panting in the darkness.

Now, Dark Warlord Thrakkiss, you will not escape.

SLAYER began to advance, and Thrakkiss was already weary.

By Shadow (Shadow) on Saturday, July 07, 2001 - 01:36 am:

Sanctum
June 1, 795 TSR

"An intriguing plan, lady Aerlin! Jaron and I had been thinking along similar lines, and -- hmmm! Wait. How exactly did you get here? I sense a bit of temporal residue about you and young Uerel. When and where were you able to travel through time? Quickly, it's important, I think I may know where my mentor has disappeared to and he may be of great use to us if I'm right."

Aerlin proceeded to summarize the story of her journey through the rift above the Dragonbacks, to each of the bastions. Sara listened silently, then nodded as she came to a close.

"Yes, I think my mentor has gone back through that same rift. That would explain why I can no longer feel his presence. I think that he will try to provide me with some assistance. I think that you should proceed with your plan, but I will remain here. This is a curious place, this Sanctum, and I will need to do a great deal of meditation. For now, I bid you good luck. I will play my part as best I can, whatever my role may be."

With that, Sara glided out of the room to wonder through the depths of her mind in search of guidence. She shivered, and wished that she were always as calm and collected inside as she made out.

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